The inevitable September Collapse of the Texas Rangers

These are the headlines Dallas sportwriters have to file these days.

Dallas, we have a problem: Rockets, Astros leave Rangers, Mavs in the dust as balance of power shifts south

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Remember back in 2014, when Mark Cuban clashed with the Rockets' Daryl Morey in what the New York Post called a "nerdy NBA rivalry," and we wondered which geek genius would win?

Here's your answer: The Rockets have their own insurance commercial.

Of course, the Rockets are pitching State Farm because they now have Chris Paul, a veteran State Farm ace. Funny stuff, too. Especially Trevor Ariza's singing. Still, it isn't as funny as Dirk Nowitzki singing "We Are the Champions." Good times, good times. Imagine the fun of a State Farm commercial with Chris Paul and Dirk Nowitzki! Yeah, buddy. Unfortunately, the Rockets have the guy with the insurance gig.

And James Harden, too. Didn't have to tank, either.

Not only do the Rockets just keep on laughing and winning, they're probably the only team that could keep the Warriors from going John Wooden on the rest of the NBA.

Now, I'm no built-from-the-bottom-up billionaire, but it sure seems like the Rockets' plan beats the Mavs'. And even if, unlike the Rockets, the Astros tanked to get where they are now, no one in the Bayou City seems to mind anymore. Not since Houston took the state lead in World Series trophies, 1-0.

 

Delicious

 

I lived in Arlington when I went up there for college. Yes AT&T is right next to the baseball stadium. And actually both are right next to a Walmart too lmao. Arlington is DEF NOT a happening place for entertainment, nor happening, period.

They choose to build there because Arlington is between ftw and dallas and intersects at 2 major freeways.

 

That is a move made by a team that has already given up.

 

You know the old saying..."If you can't beat them, sign them to a contract."

http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=370804109

 

"Baseball players aren't athletes"

"Yes they are, they're great athletes"

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Along with the fact that the city of Arlington bends over backwards, in regards to tax breaks and land costs, to encourage them to build there.

 

I was in Dallas when the Astros were playing in the World Series, and their spots radio guys were pretty much saying the Astros are built for the long haul. And how likable the guys on the Astros were, there was a little bitter pill you could hear them swallowing.

But they did give props to the Astros and what bunch of classy players were on the team.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22454604/baltimore-orioles-fill-rotation-need-add-andrew-cashner

Looks like the Rangers lost one of their more reliable starters from last season.

Also, I just noticed we open the season against the Rangers... I suppose that means we will be hanging our banner and receiving our rings while they are forced to watch? Amazing.

 

Not quite. Opening Series is in Arlington. They’ll raise the banner and get the rings during our home opening series against the Orioles. That would be glorious though.

 

The thing I don't understand about this thread is how the Rangers matter?

I'd love to hang that banner in the Braves' faces. Or the Dodgers or Cardinals or Mets. But the Rangers?

I guess this artificially constructed "rivalry" just hasn't taken root for me just yet. I feel about the Rangers the way Cowboys fans must feel about the Texans: "oh, i keep forgetting. They have baseball up there."

 

Cowboys have less postseason success since the Texans inception than the Texans. Unless you are stuck in the Astros glory days of the early to mid 90s, I doubt you are like a Cowboys fan.

 

The Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Mets organizations/fans couldn't have ever cared less about the Astros... even in those glory days.

In your comparison, all those teams were the Cowboys in the Astros NL days at one point or another... and they looked at the Astros like, "who? Them?"

 

Didn't intend to compare those fanbases with the Cowboys' fanbase at all. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Only meant to say that I care as little about the Rangers, or even less so, than the Cowboys fanbase seems to care about Houston NFL football (they generally don't seem to notice). Then, separately, there are other franchises in ML about which I *do* give a rip, regardless of whether those fanbases care.

I'm probably also in a minority on that.

But, seriously: how do the Rangers matter to anyone? The universe is restored to order: they're irrelevant. Cellar fodder. Who cares whether their "inevitable collapse" happens in September or (this year, more likely) May?

 

We should just rename this the gloating thread.

 

I wouldn't mind making it an AL West gloating thread. Seattle has traded away all its prospects for one team in the last decade that finished within 10 games of the division winner, and they still haven't decided to rebuild. Their longest playoff drought in all 4 major sports is not ending soon.

 

You must've slept through the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

I always suspected the Rangers would grow into a formidable rival; I had no idea it would take root so quickly. It is, already, the best rivalry in the franchise's history because it has the full attention of both teams. This isn't the Cardinals taking a break from their normal rivalries because we're suddenly good. These are two long nondescript teams that have finally given each other a purpose. I want the Rangers to be good.

Also, when you throw in the growing-by-the-day rivalry with the Yankees (MLB's King Kong), which both teams seem to recognize and share.... this is far and away the best stretch in Astros' history on the rivalry front, IMO.

(Being, for once, the chased instead of the chaser, helps tremendously, of course.)

 

Because f&&& Dallas... I thought that was fairly obvious

 

The rivalry may be forced in that they were put together. The Rangers have that Jazz like Odor. Their front office is more on the traditional side. Their "fans" sprung up while the Astros were down. Put all that aside. For me, I was living in Round Rock when they stole my local team.