The Chron is reporting that financial services company ING, the folks who bankroll the Bay to Breakers race to such an extent that they call it “ING Bay To Breakers,” will be underwriting the infamously rowdy race no more.
Reporters Matier and Ross say that ING’s kicking the race to the curb like it’s a slack-ass 26-year-old dropout evicted from his parents basement, citing unofficial rumors (don’t read blogs, they’re all rumors! Get your news from print!) that “ING is fed up with all the bad publicity that the race has generated in recent years, especially the complaints of residents around the Panhandle and Alamo Square about revelers and runners urinating, defecating and generally behaving rudely.”
M&R say they don’t know how much ING was kicking in to keep the race going, but that if the race organizers can’t find a new sponsor (cough PBR cough) fast, “there won’t be a 100th anniversary run to celebrate.”
Is this is what people mean when they say “don’t do that, you’re going to ruin it for everyone”? Perhaps when the “that” in question is “taking a shit in the Panhandle,” yes.
