After a public outcry against a casino’s name on the ballpark, the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) revised the naming-rights deal with Chickasaw Nation.
The new name: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
The original announcement for Newcastle Field at Bricktown had naming rights purchased by a casino owned by the Chickasaw Nation. The new name bypasses the casino name — which, according to Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, drew some negative response from the Oklahoma City community — and instead puts the tribal name front and center.
“Out of consideration for the expressed concerns of Oklahoma City citizens, we have decided to revisit the name,” Anoatubby said. “We recognize and honor the vaulted place the stadium enjoys in Oklahoma City and so we are pleased to announce the new name to be Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.”
“Our intention from the start was to have a partnership that would have a positive impact in the long term success of the RedHawks franchise, the Chickasaw Nation and Oklahoma City,” said Michael Byrnes, RedHawks President and General Manager. “We are enthusiastic about the upcoming season and look forward to an exciting summer of Oklahoma City RedHawks baseball. We are also deeply grateful to our colleagues at the Chickasaw Nation for the flexibility to revisit the name. In our discussions today they presented us a new name that better represented the relationship.”
RELATED STORIES: New for 2012: Newcastle Field at Bricktown; OKC RedHawks, Gameday entering merchandising deal
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