Orange County Register: 10 years later, how big of a deal was Angels' name change?

[Blarg]

But the Clippers didn't even HAVE a fan base until the past few seasons when they weren't completely terrible.

I heard they had a big fanbase in Australia.

Ok, one guy but he was dedicated.

[Thomas]

I heard they had a big fanbase in Australia.

Ok, one guy but he was dedicated.

 

Dude didn't even have season seats!

[Stradling]

As someone who is local to the stadium, it bothered me. The Angels play in Anaheim, they represent Orange County, not LA. For anyone whos fimilar with both, you would know that Anaheim/LA are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT places. They are like different planets when you compare them.

But im at least glad Anaheim was kept in the name, as stupid as it sounds.

I agree that Anaheim and LA are different, but not as different as they once were. At first, as a fan, it bothered my a little, but then I looked at it from an owners position and he did the absolute right thing. If you remember the Angels were about to sign a $350 million ten year TV contract just before they announced the name change. Arte walked away from the bargaining table and within weeks changed the name to LAAofA. A few weeks later the Angels and Fox agreed on a $500 million TV contract. Then a few years ago, they signed what amounts to an extension of that TV contract that is worth over $2 BILLION. Not only did the get a HUGE TV contract, he got that contract with one of the lowest viewerships in the entire league. So, the name change was never about the fans in the seats at the game, it is about the products he could sell and the commercial time he could sell on FSW. Now some may say Arte was selfish and greedy to change the name of his team so he could gain more value and create more revenue for himself, to those people I would simply say get over it, we all would do the exact same thing, the real question is would we all put as much money back into the payroll like he has every year he has owned the team?

[QuinlansMinion]

I agree that Anaheim and LA are different, but not as different as they once were. At first, as a fan, it bothered my a little, but then I looked at it from an owners position and he did the absolute right thing. If you remember the Angels were about to sign a $350 million ten year TV contract just before they announced the name change. Arte walked away from the bargaining table and within weeks changed the name to LAAofA. A few weeks later the Angels and Fox agreed on a $500 million TV contract. Then a few years ago, they signed what amounts to an extension of that TV contract that is worth over $2 BILLION. Not only did the get a HUGE TV contract, he got that contract with one of the lowest viewerships in the entire league. So, the name change was never about the fans in the seats at the game, it is about the products he could sell and the commercial time he could sell on FSW. Now some may say Arte was selfish and greedy to change the name of his team so he could gain more value and create more revenue for himself, to those people I would simply say get over it, we all would do the exact same thing, the real question is would we all put as much money back into the payroll like he has every year he has owned the team?

Yeah I get what youre saying.  And I definitely dont hold a grudge over Arte for doing it.

 

I guess the real problem is people dont take Anaheim seriously. 

[Blarg]

So why name a team after a city no one takes seriously?

Edited January 6, 2015 by notti

[LightTheHalo]

I guess the real problem is people dont take Anaheim seriously. 

 

---------

 

That's a problem?

[QuinlansMinion]

So why name a team after a city no one takes seriously?

 

You're right.  I guess naming the team LA needed to be done for the sake of the franchise.

 

But it still doesnt mean Anaheim/LA are alike at all, they are completely different.  You could wear a blindfold and drive through both, and still tell the difference just by the sounds you hear on the street.  

[Ohtaniland]

But but....... Anaheim is not really a baseball town. It's a Disney town.

[Thomas]

But it still doesnt mean Anaheim/LA are alike at all, they are completely different.  You could wear a blindfold and drive through both, and still tell the difference just by the sounds you hear on the street.  

 

I guess it would be the accent/dialect/language that would determine the exact translation of "Get the #$@@ off the sidewalk you $#@ing idiot!"?

[Blarg]

You're right. I guess naming the team LA needed to be done for the sake of the franchise.

But it still doesnt mean Anaheim/LA are alike at all, they are completely different. You could wear a blindfold and drive through both, and still tell the difference just by the sounds you hear on the street.

LA County is closer to the stadium than the Brea Mall or Irvine Auto Center.

[QuinlansMinion]

LA County is closer to the stadium than the Brea Mall or Irvine Auto Center.

That has absolutely nothing to do with my post, but cool.  Thanks for sharing.

[LightTheHalo]

There honestly isn't a big difference between Anaheim and Los Angeles. I'm serious.

 

Even Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium — with the noted exception of the bleachers at Dodger Stadium. Although I'm pretty sure the scene around the Budweiser Pavilion at Angel Stadium isn't much tamer. (And for the record, I make it habit to avoid both!)

[Jobu]

I'd still like to meet the guy who's willing to pay extra to advertise with the LA Angels over the Anaheim Angels, even though the location and audience are exactly the same.

I've got some beach front property in Los Angeles of Arkansas he might be interested in.

[QuinlansMinion]

There honestly isn't a big difference between Anaheim and Los Angeles. I'm serious.

[Second Base]

Atlanta Braves don't play in Atlanta anymore, The Buffalo Bills play in Orchard Park, the Dallas Cowboys are in Arlington, the New York Giants and Jets both play in New Jersey, the Washington Redskins play in Maryland, the Tampa Bay Rays play in St. Petersburg, the Detroit Pistons aren't in Detroit, and the Phoenix Coyotes play in Glendale. 

 

This isn't a big deal....at all. 

[disarcina]

What a thread.

 

Couple of things.

 

The Los Angeles name means more for nationwide marketing than regional.

 

Ask folks back East about Los Angeles -- everyone knows LA - ask about Anaheim and they may not be able to place it in California, This is particularly true since Disney World was built in Orlando, Fla.

 

The best place/ venue for the Angels to play ball is right where they are -- near the junction of the 57 and the 5 and near the 405 -- perfect location. However, the biggest obstacle to the Halos remaining in Anaheim -- the City of Anaheim.......they put a deal on the table and then ripped it away after Arte and the Angels essentially accepted it.........like the deal, don't like the, think it's a give away (as apparently the Mayor does) that can all be debated with points on both sides -- bottom line.......COA City Council should not have authorized offer in official action only to pull it back.......

 

This has Angels looking for options -- all those competing NFL Stadium proposals (at least three) and arguably only one NFL team (maybe) means two of them will be looking for another professional sports team -- and there are the Angels -- stuck in negotiations with Anaheim, looking around for a better deal........

 

I think the COA should pay close attention to the stadium noise up North and get serious about locking down and in the Angels for another generation.

[Guest]

[Guest]

Funny that gas prices are less now than they were when the name was changed.

Beer prices are higher though

[ten ocho recon scout]

Ahhh I remember all the butthurt over the name change. Good times.

As someone who lives about as far away from Anaheim as you can get (at least within the continental US) I can't say I ever gave a shit. Still don't. Move the team to Ensenada idgaf.

That was my take from the beginning. Im a local, so i know the difference between anaheim and la....most outaide of our little hub dont. Same as us from this area think newark must be far from ny, or that queens is somewhere in manhatten, etc

Or like how giants fans chanted beat la in the series

[Guest]

That was my take from the beginning. Im a local, so i know the difference between anaheim and la....most outaide of our little hub dont. Same as us from this area think newark must be far from ny, or that queens is somewhere in manhatten, etc

Or like how giants fans chanted beat la in the series

 

Nobody ever complained about Anaheim not being in the name when the Rams were in town.

[Lou]

But the Clippers didn't even HAVE a fan base until the past few seasons when they weren't completely terrible. And there is a rather large difference between the 2 billion the Dodgers are worth and the 775 million (ever take a half billion) the Angels are supposedly worth. I don't think the SHOULD move. But I'd understand it.

the Angels would sell for more than $775 million.

the dodgers were valued at $800 million before their tv deal. After the deal was done it went up to $1.4 billion.

Then a group with money to burn paid $2.15 billion for the team.

the Forbes valuation of mlb teams has nothing to do with what a team would sell for

[Inside Pitch]

The Angels are already an extremely valuable franchise.  But their real fan base is here.  You wont find many Angels fans in LA.  And if you did find an Angels fan in LA, he most likely moved there from the OC.  

 

Have the locals really taken to calling OC, the OC?   Most insipid thing ever.

[halofanfare]

I'm from the 909 area. I'm from enough from both LA and OC and I think the LA name is great. I can't wait until the "of Anaheim" is dropped. I think the real issue here is snobby OC residents who think they are above LA and are their own independent entity. You have to realize that Orange County is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area in the same way that San Jose, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Oakland and Santa Clara are all part of the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Los Angeles Angels sounds so much cooler and big time than Anaheim Angels or Orange County Angels. Get over it butthurt OC fans.

[Thomas]

Have the locals really taken to calling OC, the OC?   Most insipid thing ever.

 

Is it any worse than "The 5" or "The 91"?

[Lou]

 

the Angels Dodgers sounds so much better