TOYOTA - US Olympic sponsor?

[regfootball]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20393673/site/newsweek/

And now, Toyota might soon replace GM in another iconic role: official automotive sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team. “Toyota has an obsession with becoming America’s car company,” says Peter De Lorenzo, author of the forthcoming book “The United States of Toyota.” “After NASCAR, grabbing the Olympics would be the next logical step.”

.it's true.....everything about the United States is for sale........

But here’s the real deal-maker: the pitch from the U.S. Olympic Committee plays directly to Toyota’s American aspirations. “This is an opportunity to be associated with the one team in America than everyone can agree on,” says USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel. “This is the one team America can rally around and unite behind.”

Back home in Nagoya, Toyota’s top execs still have painful memories of Japan-bashing in the 1980s, when unemployed U.S. autoworkers took sledgehammers to Japanese cars and assaulted Asian-Americans. The company's brass harbor deep fears of another backlash, which they can ill afford since Toyota now sells more cars in America than in Japan and makes 60 percent of its profits here. That’s why going native has become a cornerstone of Toyota’s American strategy. It has spent millions marketing its red, white and blue bona fides, with ads trumpeting its 10 U.S. factories pumping out a million vehicles a year and employing 33,500 workers. (Somehow, those ads fail to mention that Toyota still imports more cars to America than it builds here). And last year, Toyota opened a pickup-truck plant in Texas and it’s building an SUV factory in Elvis country—Tupelo, Miss. By sprinkling factories throughout the South, Toyota is gaining powerful allies like Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who called the Japanese company “the world’s premier auto manufacturer.”

By wrapping itself in the Olympic and American flags, Toyota could seal the deal with car buyers, who’ve already vaulted Toyota past Ford into second place in sales in the U.S. market. “For Toyota, the Olympics could be a better deal than for anyone else,” says Global Insight auto analyst John Wolkonowicz. “Toyota wants to convince people that they’re not buying a Japanese car, they’re buying an American car.”

And Olympic fans, who only come together in front of the TV every two years, aren’t as single-minded as the red-blooded, middle-American stock-car fans who’ve turned NASCAR into the country’s No. 1 spectator sport. “Any time you attach yourself to Team USA, there’s always an opportunity for a backlash,” says Toyota marketing spokesman Chad Harp. “But not nearly as much as with NASCAR … There’s still a lot of people who don’t want a foreign manufacturer competing in what’s seen as an all-American racing series.”

But it probably won’t cause a stir if NBC remodels its set so Bob Costas can deliver Toyota Olympic Moments rather than Chevrolet Olympic Moments. And the U.S. equestrian team isn’t likely to bolt if Lexus rolls up big as its sponsor. The fact is, most Americans already consider Toyota part of the landscape. That’s why the Camry is America’s No. 1 family car, the Prius our favorite hybrid and Lexus the top-selling luxury line. For Toyota to embrace America’s Olympians would only seem like it is returning the favor.

I don't know about you guys, but this makes my AMERICAN blood boil

Let toyota spend the billion and suffer the backlash, i say...if there is one. this could end up being their billion dollar mistake in this country......the moment where their own arrogance may push them too far.

by the way, does ANYONE give a rip about the olympics anymore?

Edited August 30, 2007 by regfootball

[mustang84]

I think we all saw this one coming...it won't really surprise me if they do it. Toyota is like clockwork these days.

Ratings for the Olympics are going down anyway...it's probably good GM is getting out now so it can use that $1 billion toward something that will have a bigger impact.

Toyota is going to keep buying its way into becoming an "American" company...I don't see any of this as much of a surprise.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

This article is obviously tilted in favor of Toyota.

“This is an opportunity to be associated with the one team in America than everyone can agree on,” says USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel. “This is the one team America can rally around and unite behind.”

That's already happened. that team is Toyota.

employing 33,500 workers.

whoop-te-do... I hope america enjoys this small and trivial payoff for putting THOUSANDS of UAW workers and parts supplier workers out of their jobs.

Toyota opened a pickup-truck plant in Texas and it’s building an SUV factory in Elvis country—Tupelo, Miss

Where are the environMENTALists now?!?!?!?!

“the world’s premier auto manufacturer.”

Only if you consider something like the Camry the world's premier automobile... I wonder how long Toyota PR rehearsed that statement with the great sell out from Mississippi?

“Toyota wants to convince people that they’re not buying a Japanese car, they’re buying an American car.”

And they will succeed as 1) The media helps them 2) americans get more and more ignorant 3) because Toyota has $$$ and american has been "bought and sold" for years now and 4) Our sense of national pride or 'esprit de corps' is becoming virtually nonexistant.

After all, Toyota would not be the first foreign company to sponsor America’s Olympic athletes. Panasonic (Japan), Samsung (Korea)

Wow, history repeats itself... the very companies that RAN the american small electronics industry into the ground... Now it's the industry tht is running our automobile industry into the ground.

And Olympic fans, who only come together in front of the TV every two years, aren’t as single-minded as the red-blooded, middle-American stock-car fans who’ve turned NASCAR into the country’s No. 1 spectator sport. “Any time you attach yourself to Team USA, there’s always an opportunity for a backlash,” says Toyota marketing spokesman Chad Harp. “But not nearly as much as with NASCAR … There’s still a lot of people who don’t want a foreign manufacturer competing in what’s seen as an all-American racing series.”

More of that media arrogance... Now, instead of having pride in our own country and it's automakers; we're deemed "single-minded" and simple. And what's that? A Toyota rep admitting that Toyota is a foreign car manufacturer... QUICK! FIRE THAT GUY!!!!

The fact is, most Americans already consider Toyota part of the landscape. That’s why the Camry is America’s No. 1 family car, the Prius our favorite hybrid and Lexus the top-selling luxury line. For Toyota to embrace America’s Olympians would only seem like it is returning the favor.

Oh, how sweet.... Give me a F##$%^$^ing break already! The reason Toyota would advertise the olympics would be to SEL MORE CARS, not to "return any favor" Hell if anything, they're screwing us over. But to hear some piece of $h! journalist describe it makes you want to hug the person next to you (FOG grabs the bobble head on his desk and breaks it's neck in half)

Toyota is destined

Nice wording... Implies the meaning of "FATE" or that it's supposed to happen that Toyota takes over and destroys a once proud piece of our heritage. Or it's supposed to happen that this country rots in it's own self-righteous misery.

Given the fragile state of its finances and the nascent nature of its turnaround, GM gave up the games. And now the torch can be passed.

OH.... MY.... GOD....

It's like PURE POETRY!!!!! Poor beaten and battered GM rides off into the sunset and the torch can be passed to begin anew with Toyota; our savior

GM, this defeated monster of yesteryear that it has become is nobly surrendering and giving up BECAUSE IT KNOWS, JUST LIKE THE MEDIA HAS TOLD IT AND US, THAT IT WILL NEVER DEFEAT TOYOTA. JUST LIKE WE AS A COUNTRY KNOW THAT WE WILL NEVER BE THE SUPER POWER AGAIN, SO WE SHOULD JUST BECOME DIVERSE AND CREATE PEACE AND "GIVE UP" Anybody else get where I'm going???

Personally, I don't really give two $h!s about the olympics, just like I don't really give two $h!s about america in general. The battle has been won, it is beyond our control and our lifestyles will deteriorate as a result (As they have been doing for years now)

Edited August 30, 2007 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[Oracle of Delphi]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20393673/site/newsweek/

.it's true.....everything about the United States is for sale........

I don't know about you guys, but this makes my AMERICAN blood boil

Let toyota spend the billion and suffer the backlash, i say...if there is one. this could end up being their billion dollar mistake in this country......the moment where their own arrogance may push them too far.

by the way, does ANYONE give a rip about the olympics anymore?

Why would your blood boil? Welcome to the Global economy! Is it because they are Asians, if not, why aren't you as upset when it's Germans, Swedes, Italians, English or Australians, selling cars in the USA? They are all foreigners are they not, and one way or another, your money finds it's way back to those countries. As a person with dual citizenship I find your post confusing, at least to me.

On a side note, I have been reading what you've been posting on GMOUTSIDENEWS, you have some interesting post on some of the threads there reg.

[regfootball]

toyota should not be sponsoring an American team. simple as that.

no one said global economy in its current form was the best solution either.....just like i don't buy global warming

Edited August 30, 2007 by regfootball

[grandmarquis]

This boy's never given a rip about the Olympics. Can't say as any of my friends do either. I consider the Olympics to be irrelevent. And I doubt if I'm alone.

[FAPTurbo]

The Olympics are boring, filled with unscrupulous countries who will do whatever they can to get a medal, be it by vote rigging or steroids/gene doping, and they no longer represent the human spirit that 'sport' is supposed to embody.

Let Toyota be the sponsor, GM can spend it's money elsewhere.

[Cadillacfan]

Completely expected.

So wait, now that Toyota is becoming an "all-American" company, does that mean Consumer Reports and Motor Trend will start reviewing their cars badly too?

[Oracle of Delphi]

toyota should not be sponsoring an American team. simple as that.

no one said global economy in its current form was the best solution either.....just like i don't buy global warming

Now, now, even GM is a global company, and I strive to make it more so!

[pow]

Oh well... maybe get SAIC-GM to sponsor the Chinese Olympic team.

[Camino LS6]

The Olympics are morally corrupted - so it's a good fit.

[scharmer05]

This boy's never given a rip about the Olympics. Can't say as any of my friends do either. I consider the Olympics to be irrelevent. And I doubt if I'm alone.

Really?....because I LOVE the olympics....along with most of my friends. Maybe we are dorks, but when the Olympics are going on, that is what I am watching when my computer is on. In fact I think a group of us are going to go up to Vancouver in 2010 to take in part of the show.

[toesuf94]

This is the kind of $hit that pisses me off to no end. I will not watch the olympics if they are sponsored by Toyota - period. It is time this F-ing country woke ip and imposed the same sanctions on Toyota and Honda as the Japanese government does to anyone trying to trade in Japan. I bet that would cut into the bragged about $3300 profit more made per car than the domestics! For God's Sake - PUT UP YOUR DUKES AMERICA OR OUR WAY OF LIFE IS OVER! It is high time the American Public woke up from thier stupor and put and end to this!!

This ATTACK is as bad or worse than Pearl Harbor - only instead of killing our enlisted men, they are slowly and methodically killing our industry and taking over. It has happened in electronics, and now, it is taking over our automotive industry. Slowly and surely they will win if America does not wake up. This is not paranoia - it is fact.

The same can be said about the radical islamists and thier slow rise through the shadow of this country. In the inner cities and prisons they are recruiting and spreading thier hate of all we stand for. It is the continued complacency of the American public that is destroying this country - and the biggest ally to the people who will eventually bring us down.