Anaheim Wants More Than Ducks to Land in Its ‘Pond’

Calling the new $103-million Anaheim Arena “The Pond” is fine for a hockey team named the Mighty Ducks, but it may not be compatible with the likes of Wrestlemania, tractor-pulls and other events booked at the facility, city officials said Monday.

“If it inhibits future revenue, then we’re very concerned about it,” City Manager James D. Ruth said of the name given the arena by Disney officials. “Is that an appropriate name for the building with all the other events that we want to attract there? We don’t know yet.”

He said the city will meet with Ogden Entertainment--the arena’s operator--to discuss whether the name presents a problem, and if so whether anything can be done about it. One concern, Ruth said, is that the arena’s name might hurt the city’s chance of attracting a professional basketball team to play there.

Under the agreement signed by Disney, the city and Ogden, Disney has the right to name the facility within certain conditions, Ruth said. “We’re going to look at those conditions,” he said. “We don’t want to overreact, but we’re looking into the agreement.”

John J. Nicoletti, the marketing/sales manager for the new arena, said he didn’t think the arena name would pose a problem. “I don’t think it will inhibit Ogden’s ability to attract any events, or harm revenue,” he said. “The building is still the same.”

When asked if the arena name might hurt the chances of attracting an NBA franchise into the facility, Nicoletti said he didn’t think so. “That’s down the road; we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

After Disney announced Monday that “The Pond in Anaheim” was the official name of the arena, several council members had no immediate complaints. Councilman Irv Pickler was the exception.

“I like the name the Mighty Ducks, but The Pond, I have to question that,” he said. “My gut reaction is it doesn’t cover the spectrum of (the events) we want there.”

The city’s name having been shunned by the Los Angeles Rams and the California Angels, both of which play in Anaheim Stadium, the other councilmen just seemed pleased that the city name was once again part of the facility’s name.

“No other place in the world is called The Pond,” Councilman Fred Hunter said. “You won’t forget it. I think it’s a great name.”

Mayor Tom Daly said: “The name will grow on people. It’s distinctive. I think the league and Disney are trying to inject a sense of fun and lightness into hockey. That doesn’t bother me.”

Daly added, however, that the name “doesn’t really fit the design of the building or evoke the image of Orange County. But it does tie in well with the name of the team”--the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. “It might limit the potential name a (future) basketball team could call itself. I guess they could be the Mallards,” he said.

Disney was contractually obligated to use the word Anaheim in either the name of the team, or the arena. Disney gave the city both.

Even if it wasn’t in the agreement, Disneyland President and new team chairman Jack Lindquist said it was a good P.R. move to put Anaheim in the team and arena names.

“Anaheim needs something better than just the Anaheim Arena,” Lindquist said. “I told (Angels’ owner) Gene Autry from the day he came down here that the dumbest thing he ever did was call the team the California Angels. It was a bad move. The people of Orange County have never forgotten.”