G: Really, this whole naming thing of sports teams has gotten out of hand. Remember the good ol' days-- when the SF Giants and 49ers played at Candlestick park, not 3Com Park, or (currently) Monster Park? I guess somebody's got to pay for these astronomical player salaries, so let the rampant commercialization begin. I mention this because the local hockey team has allowed a corporation to actually remove the name of the city(?!?!), and replace it with the name of one of their products. So instead of the Nuremberg Ice Tigers, we have the Sinupret Ice Tigers (Sinupret is a nasal decongestant made by the Bionorica company, who have a 10-year naming deal with the club). For what it's worth, German hockey is just a half-step down from NHL level-- a lot of NHL pros end up their careers here, and the Ice Tigers are doing well this season. Like a lot of Euro sports teams, the Tigers' sweaters (jerseys) are emblazoned with a raft of other sponsors. So beyond being named for a phlegm inhibitor, these blokes also have to deal with having the name of a local women's clothing store chain on their back-- Mister Lady.
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