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This is a Chicagoland native’s view on the outrageous proposition to rename the Sears Tower “Willis Tower”.

Image via Wikipedia

Like any other day, I signed onto my Facebook account to chat to my friends.  Well, and to procrastinate my homework, but that’s a different story.  Scrolling down the News Feed, I saw that one of my friends had joined a group concerning the Sears Tower and a name change.  Curious, I clicked the group link.

What I saw was outrageous.

Some insurance group from England wants to rename Chicago’s giant.  Some company wants to promote their business, and screw anyone who complains.  Forget the fact that the Sears Tower is a national and international icon.  Forget the fact that its been the Sear’s Tower for as long as its been around.  Forget the millions of people who are screaming and protesting the very idea of this monstrosity.

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I don’t mind a new company moving into the Sears Tower.  Its expected, and, yes, the money wouldn’t be so bad for the owners of the Tower.  But throwing the naming rights in as well?  That’s a slap in the face to everyone who has passed the beautiful giant or climbed to its observation deck to view the city from above.

One of the articles I looked up on this supposed transaction mentioned the fact that Sears Company’s hold on the naming rights expired back in 2003.  That was 6 years ago.  But, if you haven’t noticed this, people didn’t stop calling the Tower its name just because some contract was up.  You didn’t hear on the streets, “Hey, stop calling it Sears Tower.  Sears doesn’t own the naming rights anymore.”  That’s because, as far as the average person on the street is concerned, that tall building, the really tall one you can see from the suburbs, is Sears Tower.

If the transaction goes through, and if Willis HRH decides to go through with its plan on renaming Sears Tower to Willis Tower, they can’t stop the people.  It’ll be like the mayor announcing they’re renaming your town.  Legally, the town name is different, but people will still call it the original name.  That’s what they grew up with, that’s what the town will always be to them.  Same with the Sears Tower.  Legally, it may be Willis Tower, but everyone will still call it Sears Tower.

That’s what it is, and that’s what it will always be.