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Astros take Enron Field battle to court©Associated PressFebruary 6, 2002 HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros want out from under the name that sits atop their 2-year-old ballpark. "Because the Enron (Field) name blankets the stadium, thousands of people who have been adversely affected by the Enron collapse are being reminded on a daily basis of this continuing tragedy," attorneys for Astros owner Drayton McLane wrote in a motion filed Tuesday with the New York court overseeing Enron's bankruptcy. The team wants the bankruptcy court to force Enron to make a decision on whether to honor the 30-year, $100-million naming rights agreement signed in 1999 no later than Aug. 30. The energy giant's next payment for Enron Field's naming rights is due Aug. 31. The Astros say it isn't realistic to expect Enron to be able to make the $3.7-million payment and that Enron should reject the naming rights agreement, even though it is paid up-to-date, and stop thinking of the baseball team's trademarks and retractable roofed-field's sign as an asset. "The Enron logo displayed on the Stadium wrongly suggests to the public that the Astros are associated with the alleged bad business practices of Enron," the motion states. Enron spokeswoman Karen Denne said the company's naming rights agreement with the team is a valuable asset Enron isn't willing to give up.
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From the Times Business report Robert Trigaux
From the AP
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