The Pittsburgh Steelers followers have shared their distaste for the brand new identify for his or her stadium, which will probably be modified from its present moniker Heinz Field.
The soccer stadium has been named after the ketchup model, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, for 21 years ever because it first opened in 2001.
It’s now set to be named after an insurance coverage firm that many are unaware of.
Acrisure, an organization primarily based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a fintech firm with connections to Thomas Tull, the minority proprietor of the Steelers. The firm has purchased the naming rights for the stadium for the following 15 years, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday.
The franchise confirmed the sale in an announcement. Kraft Heinz instructed that that they had been concerned about retaining the identify.
Steelers President Art Rooney II mentioned that “we are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium”.
“Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums,” he added. “We are very appreciative to partner with [co-founder and CEO] Greg Williams and his company, and we look forward to a long, beneficial relationship for years to come.”
Mr Tull is the chairman and CEO of the substitute intelligence firm Tulco LLC. The billionaire can be a movie producer.
Acrisure acquired the insurance coverage department of Tulco two years in the past, making Tulco a minority shareholder in Acrisure.
“This is a great partnership and will have a tremendous impact on both organizations as well as the greater Pittsburgh community. The Steelers and Acrisure share the same core values of winning and excellence and I could not be prouder to be partnered with both,” Mr Tull mentioned in an announcement.
Heinz paid $57m for the 20 years of naming rights. What Acrisure paid is but to be revealed.
“While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay significantly more than we could justify,” the corporate mentioned in an announcement.
“While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we’re excited to announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead,” it added.
Steelers followers shared their outrage on the identify change on social media.
“Only in Pittsburgh can announcing the naming rights for a stadium immediately become a horrible PR situation for your company,” WDVE morning present host Bill Crawford tweeted.
“There are an infinite amount of things I love about the Steelers. Playing in ‘Acrisure Stadium’ is instantly the single thing I love the least,” Rick Fish tweeted.
“Absolutely no one will call it Acrisure Field. What a tremendous waste of money by them,” one Twitter consumer wrote.
“Acrisure Stadium I’m gonna be sick,” one other added.
“If we bullied Elon Musk away from taking over Twitter I’m confident we can bully Acrisure from taking over Heinz Field,” a 3rd mentioned.
“I will be 6ft in the ground before I ever utter the word “Acrisure’,” one other consumer mentioned.
“I’m from and live in Michigan. I’ve never heard of Acrisure. I’m just as confused as you are,” Will Hubbard mentioned.
“Why @steelers why???? Acrisure???? I’m sure I’ll jump on board eventually… But right now I think that’s the most horrible name I’ve ever heard,” Twitter consumer Monica added.
“Nothing represents the blue collar city of Pittsburgh and the Steelers like the name Acrisure Insurance Stadium,” one other account holder mentioned.
“Acrisure sounds like an acupuncture supply store. This is a lame name, and I almost guarantee people will still call it Heinz,” one Twitter consumer wrote.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk