Stadium-Destruction Rights Sold to Kraft in Cheesy Deal

File this under the category of either "twisted irony" or "everything is for sale." Or both. The Dallas Cowboys can't find a naming-rights sponsor for the team's gleaming new stadium -- but the city of Irving, Texas, found one to blow up the old facility. The company entered into negotiations with the Irving City Council last month, and the council last week agreed to a $150,000 deal to have Kraft sponsor the implosion. The money will be evenly split -- Kraft will pay the city $75,000 in cash to be distributed by charities selected by the city, and the company will also provide $75,000 worth of its products for other local charities. In a statement Kraft said, "Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is thrilled to have received the Irving City Council's approval and we are looking forward to celebrating the historical significance and explosion of Texas Stadium. We will be sharing our full plans in the coming days." Kraft is also sponsoring a nationwide essay contest for children as part of the campaign. Details on the subject of the essay and the promotion are to be announced later this week. The winner of the essay will be the one to push the button that detonates the old Texas Stadium, which served as the Cowboys' home from 1971-2008 until the new billion-dollar Cowboys Stadium opened in September in nearby Arlington, Texas. "We're very proud to form a partnership with such a widely recognized and appreciated brand," Irving Mayor Herbert Gears told the Dallas Morning News. "We wanted to make sure that the world got to experience the demolition of such a historic facility." The implosion of Texas Stadium will cost Irving almost $6 million, although the city hopes to recoup some of that money in free exposure and publicity, thanks to Kraft's nationwide campaign. (Though we'd love to see how they convert "free exposure" into the kind of cold, hard cash demanded by demolition crews.)

Stadium-Destruction Rights Sold to Kraft in Cheesy Deal

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