On the previous story: Team owner Paul Diatlovich said it was a thank you to the team for winning the SB, but the NFL has declined to allow the move based preexisting policies against cross promotion. The fear is that the car may line up other sponsors that would conflict with established NFL sponsor contracts. Diatlovich has responded angrily and ripped both the Colts and the NFL.
This seems like a big scam to me. Look, I would LOVE to see a blue and white 18 car. Like most Colts fans, I think it would be cool and would have rooted for it. However, for Diatlovich to claim that he’s just trying to salute the Colts with no personal motivation is totally wrong. A ‘Colts Car’ would be a BIG deal around town. It would generate mad publicity and surely attract other sponsors to his underfunded team. He would basically be trading on the Colts name and using the Super Bowl win to generate revenue for himself. Bear in mind that this is not some dude selling bootleg T-Shirts to make rent money this month. Racing is an expensive and potentially lucrative endeavor. While it’s too bad it didn’t work out from a fan’s stand point, I get why the NFL had to protect its brand.
Diatlovich’s angry and cruel response (“I’m extremely upset with the narrow-minded, pinheaded leadership of the Colts team and the NFL,” said Diatlovich, who lives in the city. “It’s inexcusable. All we’re trying to do is say thank you.”) was totally out of line and revealed that his true intentions weren’t just to say thank you. People don’t get that bent out of shape for simple thank yous. Seems like a jerk a to me.
Demond Sanders comments: Personally I’ll be rooting for the #21 “Bob Sanders Special.” You know, the one that indescriminately rams into the other cars.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
