EDS + HP = WTF?

By Richie Whitt Thu., Oct. 2 2008 at 12:30 PM

Because nothing says golf like, um, a printer?

This just in: Next year’s Byron Nelson golf tournament will be sponsored by HP. Which begs the question, who was last year’s title sponsor?

If you’re like me – and I went to the dang thing – you had to think a minute or 10 before coming up with EDS. Which begs another, more philosophical question:

Are title sponsors of sporting events getting enough bang for their buck?

The 2009 HP Byron Nelson Classic will take place May 18-24 at the TPC Las Colinas. Does that make a hill of beans to you? Would your decision to attend or not be affected in any way if the tournament was suddenly sponsored by, I dunno, Dollar Store?

My educated hunch is that the tournament can partner with Condom Sense as its title sponsor as long as it keeps the Pavilion rockin'.

HP, by the way, is Hewlett Packard, which boasts itself as the world’s largest technology company, providing printing and personal computing products and IT services, software and solutions that simplify the technology experience for consumers and businesses. HP – a-ha! – completed a $14 billion acquisition of EDS last August.

I’m just a lowly sportswriter with a financial portfolio that barely fills a thimble, but seems to me that, in this challenging economy, companies could use their assets more wisely. Besides, I long for the days when I could write about the simpler things in life: The Cotton Bowl. Reunion Arena. The Nelson.

That said, to anyone interested in becoming the title sponsor of this here blog: Bidding begins at $1. -- Richie Whitt