There's going to be a big new addition to the scene at Rangers Ballpark when the Rangers get to town after spring training.
We're not talking about Yu Darvish or Joe Nathan. We're not even talking about any of the renovations to the stadium that have taken place this offseason.
We're talking about the next frontier of ballpark food. We're talking about a hot dog that comes with a price tag that will make you question your eyesight. We're talking about the latest sign that America's battle with obesity may be a battle that we have already lost.
The Rangers will unveil a $26, one-pound hot dog at a stadium sports bar and concession stands this season. The dog is topped with sauteed onions, shredded cheese and chili because once you've ordered a one-pound hot dog what's the point of leaving off the chili.
"We wanted something that somebody would walk up to and go, 'Wow,'" said Philip Wheatley, the park's food and beverage director to Anthony Andro of Fox Sports Southwest. "We obviously do hot dogs well. We worked with a local purveyor of ours to come up with something that big. We just thought a one-pound hot dog would be a fun thing to do, more so for the look. Hopefully people will enjoy it."
The least you're going to get is a wow, Philip.
The dog will come on a two-foot cutting board and is actually designed to be eaten by four people. That's good, because the thought of what might happen an hour or so after a person took down one of those dogs by themselves is enough to fuel the nightmares of the greater Dallas area for most of the next century.
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Even if this dog should add unneeded pounds to patrons of the Rangers, there could be an upside. If the Rangers sell enough of them, they shouldn't have any problem whatsoever putting together the kind of offer that keeps Josh Hamilton and most other members of the team from hitting free agency.
