Feb 7, 2009

Naming Rights (and Wrongs)

In May of last year, the Alabama State University Board ordered workers to remove the name of "Joe L. Reed" from the " Joe L. Reed Acadome" on campus to protest Reed filing a suit in an internal dispute. Since then there's been an effort to put his name back up on the building. Today's Montgomery Advertiser quotes a University news release as protesting legislation * to do just that, a bill sponsored by Senator Roger Smitherman of Jefferson County. The news release claims in part the legislation would set a precedent that..."could conceivably allow a powerful politician who supports the University of Alabama to rename Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium after Coach Bear Bryant." Uh, not quite. Smitherman's legislation will have to take the same tortuous path all bills do, and will have to win approval by both the Senate and The House. So would that ridiculous bill suggested by the "news release". The 8 page bill * introduced by Sen. Smitherman is full of the usual "whereas's" and praises Reed's accomplishments for ASU, just like the original resolution by the ASU board to remove his name...
[Whereas, Joe L. Reed has completely and utterly destroyed any and all confidence in his commitment to positively represent the University and its legacy; and Whereas, Joe L. Reed continues to generate negative publicity for Alabama State University through media interviews and authoring article in news publication that are factually incorrect and unsubstantiated; and...]
...but remember, the original resolution by the ASU board also declared that "from then and forever" the facility would be called the "Sting Dome". Except they didn't put the "Sting" part up on the building, and I have yet to hear anyone use that name. Anyway it's all a can of worms, and I doubt many legislators will be willing to open it.
[* click on the bill number and then select the "View" tap on top to read the bill]

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