Stadium name absurdity peaks with L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena

Wrigley Field.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

You know we're living in strange times when thousands of people are suddenly nostalgic for Staples — a store I didn't even realize still existed until the Los Angeles arena that bore its name announced it will soon be known by the URL for a cryptocurrency website instead.

Every time the naming rights for a stadium, arena, or field expire, there are always the diehard locals who can't stand the thought of their beloved sports temple being named after a different bank than the one for which it used to be known. It has become something of a flex to continue to refer to your closest venue by the old name — you can pick out a longtime New Yorker, for example, by her "accidental" reference to the Mets' home as "Shea Stadium." And I, for one, will forever call Seattle's football stadium Qwest Field to demarcate myself from the unworthy newcomers who've only ever known it as Lumen Field.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.