As Delta Center signage goes up, Utah Jazz fans get nostalgic

Naming rights deals for arenas and stadiums were not really much of a thing until December 1988, when then-Lakers owner Jerry Buss reached an agreement with Great Western Savings & Loan to rebrand “The Forum” in Los Angeles as “The Great Western Forum.” Today, sports venues not named after a corporate sponsor are virtually nonexistent. While such arrangements boil down to simple commerce (cash infusions for the teams and advertising for the businesses) and are transitory by nature, some of them nevertheless worm their way into communities’ hearts and become...