Braves want a say in Gwinnett AAA stadium name

[HMFFL]

The Braves wouldn't want Gwinnett County's new baseball stadium to be named, say, Pepsi Field.

And that has made for a thorny issue in finalizing a contract between the Braves and Gwinnett on the stadium that the county plans to build for the Atlanta team's top minor-league affiliate.

According to contract drafts obtained under Georgia's Open Records Act, the Braves are seeking the right to block the county from selling stadium naming rights to competitors of some companies, like Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, that have exclusive sponsorship deals with the team.

Gwinnett has resisted the Braves' pitch on this point because it could result in lower naming-rights revenue for the county. Negotiations continue.

Although both sides express confidence the issue will be resolved, both also say it's an important point.

"We're well past any kind of deal-killer stage, if you would ... but I think it's a fair characterization to say this is the biggest issue upon which we are still negotiating," said attorney Lee Tucker, who is negotiating the contract with the Braves for the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The county, which will own the stadium, has empowered the GCVB to develop the facility and to enter into a contract with the Braves.

Braves executive vice president of business operations Mike Plant said the team needs to protect significant, long-standing connections that some companies have with its brand.

"It'd be difficult for us to agree to a [conflicting] deal in the soft drink category