On Oct. 23, 2011 I experienced one of the most memorable double-dips of my sportswriting career.
At noon in Cowboys Stadium I watched DeMarco Murray rush for a franchise-record 253 yards in a romp over the Rams. And into the night I went over to Rangers Ballpark and witnessed Derek Holland’s gem that led to a 4-0 win over the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series.
In between I remember thinking, “Hey, whatever happened to Glory Park?”
Five years after that delicious double-header the expanse of land between what is now AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park remains a barren, concrete wasteland of eyesore parking lots. As long as 10 years ago we were promised it would be a richly developed area with parks and hotels and restaurants and … nope. All lies.
And here we go again?
When I heard last week that the “Rangers may be headed to Dallas,” I guffawed. They aren’t going anywhere. And here’s why:
The Rangers and the City of Arlington are working on a “public-private partnership” that would generate a $200 million mixed-use development between the sports stadiums.
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Yep, same tune we heard from George W. Bush when the original ballpark plans were being drawn up and accepted. And a similar song sung by ensuing Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks, who in 2006 presented the public with fancy renderings and a tiny-town mock-up of his Glory Park.
But today, Randol Mill Road remains not an entertainment destination, but merely a concrete conduit between two arenas.
The Dallas rumors aren’t real, of course. I smell a “leak” from the Rangers, hoping to bluff Arlington into giving it yet another great deal on a good reason to stay.
And, who knows, maybe even expand?
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
