Rangers to Unveil George W. Bush Suite on Thursday
A presidential library won't be the only thing named after W.
By JOSH ALPER
Updated 4:29 PM CST, Thu, Jun 18, 2009
One of the cool things about being President of the United States is that when you leave office people name all sorts of stuff after you. And not little stuff, either. We're talking big-ticket items like high schools, airports and states of the union. Even Herbert Hoover got a dam.
When you leave office with approval numbers that are the political equivalent of Chien-Ming Wang's ERA, however, you don't get anything quite so grand. You get the owner's suite at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, which will be renamed in honor of George W. Bush in a private ceremony before Thursday night's game.
It's a far cry from his 2001 visit to Yankee Stadium. His first pitch before Game Three of the World Series may well have been the high water mark in his presidency, since the intervening years led to him being honored in private at the stadium of a team he used to own in his home state.
Some may be incensed by the decision to name something after Bush, but it's Tom Hicks' team and Tom Hicks' owner's box. When you've given as much money to the Republican Party as Hicks, they should be naming things after you, but to each his own.
I'm just happy there's actually something named for a person and not a corporation. The existence of the President George W. Bush Owner's Suite does lead to a few questions, however.
Do they hang a Mission Accomplished banner if the Rangers are winning the game after three innings? Less toungue-in-cheek: Hicks is looking to sell the team. Let's say the new owner doesn't share his particular political leanings, will the suite keep its name?
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 18, 2009 2:39 PM CST
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