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EnergySolutions Arena? Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Count me among those not thrilled by the news that Larry H. Miller has sold the Delta Center naming rights to EnergySolutions, a Salt Lake City-based company that disposes of high-level nuclear waste. Is it just me, or does this sound like something from "The Simpsons?"

Yeah, I know corporate names for stadiums are the norm in pro sports. Only five of the NBA's 30 teams play in arenas not named for some corporate behemoth. And I realize the Delta Center is named for an airline, not a river mouth or the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. But "Delta Center" is easy to say, and we're used to it. Try saying "EnergySolutions Arena" three times fast without spitting all over yourself.

Broadcasters will probably be required to say the new name whenever referring to the building. But that doesn't mean we fans have to. Look at the former Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, long known by Arizonans as "The BOB." Or Turner Field in Atlanta, owned by media magnate Ted Turner and nicknamed "The Ted."

This raises a question: Is it a good investment to spend millions to retitle an arena if nobody uses the proper name? Just look at Gillette Stadium near Boston ("The Razor"); Mellon Arena, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins ("The Igloo"); Houston's Minute Maid Park ("The Juice Box"); or Philadelphia's former First Union Center, which Philly's pugnacious fans just called the "F.U."

Nashville's LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans and named for a building-products company, is informally known as "The Woodshed," as in, "we'll take your team to the woodshed and spank you silly."

It's human nature to invent nicknames. Nobody prefers formality over familiarity. Which is why we've gotta come up with something new to call the Delt - er, I mean EnergySolutions Arena.

Hmmm . . . nuclear-waste disposal. The Dump? The HazMat Center? The Green Glowing Box? Maybe we should borrow from owners of Boston's NBA arena, which auctioned daily naming rights to the place last year on eBay. The building was actually known for two days as Yankees Suck Center.

If you have any ideas, send them along and I'll share them next week. I don't think Lakers Suck Center will go over in polite Utah, so for the sake of decorum and brevity, here's another suggestion. How about, "The Larry?"

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* BRANDON GRIGGS can be contacted at griggs@ sltrib .com or 801-257-8689. Send comments about this column to livingeditor@sltrib.com.