WASHINGTON, DC — Faced with looming budget cuts that could cost three aircraft carriers as well as a host of other ships, the U.S. Navy has been courting corporate sponsorships to pay for its fleet, sources confirmed.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus first hit on the money-making idea in a staff meeting.
“I was supposed to be getting a brief on nuclear weapons safety or something but I was mostly fooling around on my Blackberry," Mabus told reporters. "That’s when I saw Xcel Energy paid $3 million to name the arena where the Minnesota Wild plays. I never heard of the Minnesota Wild but I have heard of $3 million.”
Soon after, the secretary directed the Navy to start selling naming rights for its ships and submarines like athletic venues, with Rear Admiral Albert Updike named as the program lead.
