Welcome to 2014, Let's Embrace Change

It is 2014.

I am sitting, hot chocolate by my side and the Winter Classic is on.

But it's not the Winter Classic. It's the "Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic."

Later today I will turn on ESPN for the Rose Bowl.

But it's not the Rose Bowl. It's the "Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio."

Do you see where this is going?

This is all about selling naming rights and I am going to start 2014 with a bang:

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway needs to sell naming rights to the Indianapolis 500.

Naming rights pay the bills and the Speedway and IndyCar have bills that need to be paid. The one problem is the "t-word" that is more overused by IndyCar fans than emojis by an 18-year girl when texting.

Tradition. Fuck it (don't worry, this will be one of the only Freudian slips on this blog all year).

Tradition doesn't pay the bills. Don't get me wrong, tradition needs to be preserved but to a certain extend. Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend. Shouldn't be touched. Taps, same. Back Home Again in Indiana is a staple. The winner should always have a sip of milk. But some things people need to relax on. Naming rights is one of them and other historical sporting events already have them and fans don't bat an eye toward them.

The Rose Bowl and pretty much every bowl game has a title sponsor. But we don't let that bother us. They are still the Rose Bowl or Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl to us. The sponsor doesn't matter.

The Winter Classic is a modern example. Started in 2008, NHL's showcase game on New Year's Day has always had a title sponsor but no one remembers AMP Energy Drinks sponsored the first one. It is the Winter Classic. We remember the 2008 game in the snow, the game in Fenway and this year's game is setting up to be one for the ages as the snow falls at Michigan Stadium.

An even older example comes from England and is the FA Cup. The knockout competition involving over 700 football (soccer) clubs dates back to 1871. It has a rich history and has a presenting sponsor, Budweiser. The sponsor doesn't alter the FA Cup's history. Preston North End is still the first team to complete The Double. Cardiff City is still the only non-English club to win the competition. Wimbledon still upset Liverpool in 1988. Wigan Athletic still upset Manchester City this past May.

The title sponsors are there for these events but we forget them because it has no effect on the event and really don't matter. The title sponsor only pays the bills. What happens on the field or ice or asphalt is what matters and what we remember not who sponsored event.

So why shouldn't the Indianapolis 500 have a title or presenting sponsor? Tradition? Tradition can clearly still exist even with a title sponsor. Not to forget mentioning a lot of "traditions" are no more.

Remember when the race was actually on Memorial Day?
Remember when the race was actually on a track that was completely made of bricks?
Remember when there were riding mechanics?
Remember when the race was called the International 500-mile Sweepstakes Race?

Things change folks and no one lost their marbles over the four changes listed above. No one threatened to never attend, watch, listen or spend money on the race ever again when those changes occurred. Today's fans have got to learn that some things will change and it's ok that things change.

If anything the Indianapolis 500 needs a title sponsor more than ever. MORE THAN EVER PEOPLE! The race is coming off its lowest television rating ever. Why not have a sponsor shell out a couple million dollars, which the Speedway and IndyCar needs to promote the race through more television and radio ads and possibly bring more people through the turnstiles with promotions? It makes too much sense. IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 need partners that will help the event. If a company is spending, say $8 million a year on sponsorship rights for the Indianapolis 500, I bet they will do all they can to get as much return on investment as possible.

The Indianapolis 500 will always be the Indianapolis 500 regardless if some sponsor is said before or after Indianapolis 500 during the television and radio broadcast. It will always be the Indianapolis 500. Ray Harroun will always be the first winner ever. Louis Meyer will still be the first driver to drink milk after winning the event. Jack Brabham will still be the first to run a rear-engined car post-World War II. AJ Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears will still be the four-time winners. The history will not change.

And the race day experience will still be the same even if there is a title sponsor. There will still be families that have their tradition of getting to their seats at 5 a.m., the pork tenderloin sandwiches will still be available and the parade will be the day before with a pit-stop competition on Carb Day. Things won't change all that much with a title sponsor. Maybe it get's a few more thousand people to buy a ticket and maybe another million watching on their televisions but for the most part, things really won't change.

Unless you let it bother you. If a title sponsor bothers you to the point that you stop buying tickets and stop watching the race than I think it's for the better. Because you clearly never really were a fan if you are going to let something so minute get in the way in what fans should actually care about: racing. A title sponsor won't change the racing that happens on track or change the drivers that we have come to know and love.

For 2014, the motto is going to be embrace change because change is needed now more than ever.

Happy New Year.