Marina now to be called HSBC Arena

 "Hong Kong Singapore something or other," said one arena attendant, one of many sporting a button that read: "Welcome to HSBC Arena."

 "I don't know, it's got to be something about basketball," another attendant said.

 So much for marketing.

 "It stands for Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation," said Ron Bertovich, who should know because he's executive vice president of administration for the arena and their main tenant, the Buffalo Sabres.

 The arena unveiled its new name on Friday morning, just in time to take advantage of the national exposure that the NCAA men's basketball tournament brought to town this weekend.

 The deal was struck between the arena's ownership group, Crossroads Arena LLC, and the bank, which is reportedly paying $9 million for the name change, while also agreeing to extend its original 20-year contract -- reached in 1996 -- for naming rights to the arena by an additional 10 years.

 Marine Midland, a member of the HSBC group for 20 years, officially changed its name to HSBC Bank USA last year as part of a global branding strategy. HSBC operates in 82 countries around the world.

 While the name change is official, the deal wasn't struck in time to change the display on the arena's roof.

 Temporary signs on some of the outdoor walls already are going up to indicate the name change, while the rooftop sign is expected to be changed next week.

 The new name, meanwhile, didn't sit well with some Buffalo sports fans, who said HSBC was too awkward to say and didn't really represent the city.

 "It's not catchy at all. I liked it when it was the Aud," said Jason Wentworth, referring to the 4-year-old Marine Midland Arena's predecessor, Memorial Auditorium. "It's what, the Hong Kong Bank of China? I don't know, I think they should keep it a little patriotic and American but who am I to say? I'm a Canisius student."

 Added Somer Sharpstene: "We've known it as 'The Marine' since it was built. HSBC is something different. How are you going to shorten it?"

 Joe Ferigino took the name change in stride, saying, "They're paying the bill, they might as well get the publicity."

 Then again, it's not unusual for Buffalo sports facilities to undergo a few name changes. In 12 years, the city's downtown Triple A baseball park has gone from Pilot Field to North AmeriCare Park to Dunn Tire Park.

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