(Bad) Sign of the Times

So I'm on my computer reading the online edition of the Hartford Courant today (for those of you scoring at home, that's http://www.courant.com) and the following headline catches my eye on my way to the sports section: "Civic's Out: Now It's The XL Center." At first I was puzzled, but when I put it all together a few seconds later, I was hoping it wasn't about one of my favorite hometown landmarks, the Hartford Civic Center, selling out to a corporate bigwig like so many other sports venues across the country. After the first two sentences, however, I was saddened by this unfortunate circumstance: "XL is no longer just a jersey size in Hartford sports.The two letters will anchor a new name for the Hartford Civic Center under an agreement to sell the naming rights of the landmark venue to XL Insurance." The Civic Center, to me, was one of the last regional holdouts of my childhood to not give in to corporate greed, with Giants Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway Park standing by its side. I can't even fathom walking in there for a Wolf Pack or Huskies game and calling it the "XL Center." I'm too old school, bleeding Whalers green and blue through and through, to sell out and not call it the Civic Center. It's sad that, in this day and age, our major sports have resorted to soliciting high-priced stadium naming deals from corporate America. What happened to the days of Foxboro Stadium, Joe Robbie Stadium, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and Candlestick Park?? Oh, and I almost forgot the Boston Garden!! Stadium names like these are legendary, names that sports fans around my age and older can appreciate, so if I sound curmudgeonly old school, that's because I am!! Those of you who appreciate old school sports- join me in celebrating the venues of days past- places like the Kingdome, Mile High Stadium, Maple Leaf Gardens, and the ol' Aud in Buffalo. LONG LIVE THE HARTFORD CIVIC CENTER!! Until next time...