Convention center hotel gets the OK, but why not the Rangers?

Wamre is going to write something later about the news today that the city is going to own the convention center hotel. (Quick question -- do we all get discounts as stockholders?)

Until then, consider this: The hotel is expected to cost at least $500 million. Forbes says the Rangers are worth $412 million. Which means we should have bought the Rangers instead. As a taxpayer, I'd much rather own a baseball team, and it would be a lot more fun to rip the city for mismanaging the team than it is to criticize Tom Hicks (who, frankly, is an easy target).

And no one can argue that the economic benefits wouldn't be just as good -- if not better -- than the convention center hotel? We buy the team, move it to Dallas, and leave Arlington high and dry.

Think I can get Mitch Rasansky to introduce this motion in the council?

Technorati Tags: Convention center hotel,Texas Rangers,Mitch Rasansky,Tom Leppert

Comments

[Sam Merten]

A great idea, Jeff. However, if that were to happen, Dallas would be leaving a big part of the franchise's value behind--the Ballpark.

Why not use the money to build a stadium in downtown Dallas for a National League expansion team?

[Matt Wood]

I love this idea (even if offered by Jeff tongue-in-cheek). If I remember correctly, certain powers-that-be downtown (at least one of which is no longer an elected official for our fair burg)despised the thought of building anything for a privately-owned venture because the privately owned venture would make SO MUCH MONEY off the venue. Who could be against building something off of which the City could make SO MUCH MONEY? I wonder if Jerry's World had any trouble getting a privately owned owner/operator to agree to build a "Convention-worthy" hotel near his new Arlington venue?

We could all use a little more baseball . .

[Robert]

Dallas had it's shot at owning (or at least having) the Rangers in a downtown stadium. But thanks to the incompetency of then Mayor Bartlett (maybe the worse mayor in our history) he blundered and didn't want to hurt Arlington's feelings by going after a MBL team for downtown Dallas.