DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Dad sells unborn baby's naming rights for $100 gas card

$100 offer for baby's name gives dad gas

Scott Maxwell | TAKING NAMES
July 11, 2008

When David Partin heard that a local radio station was giving $100 worth of free gas to the listener who called in with the most interesting item to trade, he wasted no time in making his offer:

The naming rights to his unborn child.

Needless to say, it was a winner.

So now, when this innocent baby boy comes into the world around Christmas, he's slated to do so as Dixon and Willoughby Partin.

Yes, the "and" is included.

But 96.5 FM (WHTQ) morning hosts Richard Dixon and J. Willoughby didn't want to leave out their executive producer. So they suggested the kid's middle name be: With Radio's Alan Spector.

Dad-to-be David thought that part might be too much.

Just that part?

"Hey, man, times are rough," replied the 26-year-old landscaper from east Orlando. "I figure I'll be able to drive around for a couple of weeks on that gas."

But that kid of yours will have that name for much longer.

Surely Mom had some objections.

"Well, it was his choice," said David's girlfriend, Samantha. "I'd told him that if it was a girl, I'd name her. And if it was a boy, he'd get to choose."

But Dixon and Willoughby?

"Yeah, I think he might hate David for a while," she said of her unborn baby. "But after he grows up some, he'll always have a story about his name. I always wanted that but never did with 'Samantha.' "

Actually, baby Partin may have an even more interesting story to tell -- because this radio contest is really just the beginning.

After some of David's friends heard about the deal, they started offering more to name his baby. Like $300.

"With that," he said, "we could get some diapers too."

Or maybe, I thought, go down to the clerk's office and change the name back to something normal, since that's about how much it costs in some counties.

But David and Samantha aren't looking for normal. They're looking for unusual -- and for money. So the parents have decided to take things one step further.

They've officially put their child's name up for bid on the open market.

That's right, corporate America. For the right price, there could be a real, live human being walking around Central Florida named Wal-Mart Partin.

Who knows? You pregnant readers out there might one day send your own little ones to day care with baby Best Buy.

Or, if the sponsor's local, maybe little Lockheed Martin Partin.

Oh, and because David always intended to tattoo his baby's name on his body, the winning namesake will get that as well. "That part," said David, "is just an extra."

There's always the chance loving friends and family members will swoop in, pool their money and save this kid from a life of name tags that say: Appliance Direct.

But in case they don't, how about a couple of caveats:

Please, no bids from politicians. No other kids are going to want to play with a kid named Re-Elect Buddy Dyer.

And let's just hope some companies have the common sense to take themselves out of the bidding. Because one can only imagine the laughter that would erupt if some poor teacher had to call attendance every day and ask whether Fairvilla Megastore's mom had dropped him off yet.


Scott Maxwell, who wants to reassure his son, Chase, that no banks or financial institutions of any kind were involved in his naming, can be reached at smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6141.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-maxwell1108jul11,0,6907962.column

How about "Daddy Sold me for $100 dollars."

this better not be serious.

I would love to hear that condem.com buys the rights 2 the babie's name.

How much to rename the old man "Greedy *&%$## Whole?"

I think we should try to get a money pool together and buy the rights...we could name him: My Parents Suck.

We shoudl raise some money, and goto court to get dad's name changed to "I'm a crappy father" Partin

$1,000,000 or even $100,000 (maybe) I could understand but a $100 gas card? You can only buy gas. And it's still only $100! I couldn't even fill my tank twice with $100....and he's going to name his kid...ugh, I can't go on. Someone needs to find this idiot and beat some sense into him.


....of course, this sounds like an obvious attention grabbing attempt by the radio station. It's probably a hoax.

I agree. If you can't afford to fill your gas tank, you can't afford to raise a child. Has to be fake.

IDIOT.... Geez

What a dad !!!!!! Selling out your kid for about 24 gallons of gas.Hope the kid grows up to hate the greedy SOB.
Mommy's just as bad if she lets him do it.

Exon blew it. If they'd been paying attention, for a $200.00 gas card, they could have had a one man billboard for life.

I've always figured that someday there will be little Alltel's and Advil's and Barbasol's running around this world.

$$$

Give the kid a number like 2-3-0-1-5-9-8 as a name, or "Hey You!"

Actually, people can legally change their names, and they do so all the time.

Yeah, but not when you sell it to Exon for a $200 gas card.

Sure you can, to Shell or BP for another $200 gas card. The guy could have a nice racquet going.

He should have named him Bill or George, anything but Dixon and Willoughby.

racket even...