Articles for October, 2010
The Most Awesome Rangers T-Shirt Going
For my money, the best Rangers fan shirt going comes from these guys. From left, that’s Seth Hayhurst, Ricky Thiot, and Seth’s brother Daniel. Awhile back, Ricky got in his head that he wanted to print up a Rangers shirt for himself. Ricky sells high-priced fake teeth and didn’t have much design experience, so he called his brother, who is in an ad program at BYU. Said brother (not of the old-school variety) came up with the design you see here, a brilliant portrait of Ron Washington on the front and the classic “That’s the way baseball go” on the back.
Ricky had 24 of them printed up, the minimum order. He sold the extras to friends and so forth. One of those friends sent a pic of his new shirt to Seth, who’s a chef at Central Market in Southlake. Seth was all like, “Dude, I gotta have that shirt,” or words to that effect. So he contacted Ricky. Bang, that’s how business go. Next thing you know, Daniel, a director in L.A., is in on the gig, too.
At first, they had a store on eBay. That’s where I bought mine ($22, including the personal delivery this morning). But eBay was taking $3 of every shirt transaction. So the boys launched their own site, WashYourRangerShirt. They’ve come up with two more designs that are pretty funny, too. And how are they doing with their little business venture? On Saturday they took delivery of 450 shirts and have already sold out. They’re right now about to place another order for maybe 800 more.
If you want one, the boys say they can get it to you pronto. Last night, for instance, they set up shop at a Starbucks in Denton. So show your love for the Rangers. Claw!
Where to Watch the World Series in Dallas
Do you want a guy like this at your side while you’re enjoying Game 1 of the World Series tonight? Either way, we’ve compiled a list of the best spots for enjoying the Texas Rangers’ first trip to the Fall Classic.
Take a look, whether you’re the sort of fan who can explain the infield fly rule or the type who thinks the Rangers scored six “points” in their last game.
Leppert’s Baseball Past Dug Up by New York Times
An electric FrontBurnervian points us to this story in the sports section of the New York Times comparing San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom with Mayor Tom Leppert. You see, Leppert’s a Republican, and when he played, he was a right-handed pitcher. But wait. You won’t believe this. When Newsom played, he was a lefty! And he’s a Democrat. Get it? The Times says:
Their states fit the red and blue pattern. Their cities stand in even greater contrast. There is probably no American municipality more closely tied to liberal causes than San Francisco, home of the Giants. And the Rangers, who play in Arlington, Texas, but are the newly minted pride of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, were once run by the man championed as a compassionate conservative, former President George W. Bush, who has remained visible as a fan during the team’s first run to the Series.
Good grief. That’s a stretch worthy of the seventh inning. Did you catch that? The writer sets out to compare the two cities, San Fran and Dallas, but then compares San Fran to — George W. Bush. Gimme a break. And let’s not forget that Dallas County is actually blue, not red.
I’m sure if I gave it some thought, I could come up with some reasons why San Francisco and Dallas were a lot alike. I think I’d start with the new buildings in the Arts District and point out that the architects responsible have also recently made their mark in San Fran.
So to the Times I say: that is not the way journalism go.
(Bonus: our FBvian notes that sometime D Magazine contributor Allison V. Smith took the portrait of Leppert. Snap!)
Rangers Inspire Extra Effort From Media
Last night at CVS, the counter was filled with copies of a glossy Rangers magazine/yearbook that included the results of the ALCS. All the photos were credited to the AP, none of the stories carried a byline, and the fine print said the whole thing was produced in New Jersey. (”New Jersey?!? Get a rope.”) I would have picked up a copy to show Tim and Wick, but the $7.99 cover price was a bit steep.
And this morning at Arapaho Center Station, a guy standing near the ticket machines was hawking a special World Series edition of the Morning News. I’ve never seen a human selling newspapers at a DART station. The price point was much more aggreable this time: 50 cents.
Yipit.com Launches Today in Dallas
Overwhelmed by all those deal-a-day sites? Yipit.com is here to help. The deal aggregator launches today in Dallas. TechCrunch Had this to say about it. So that you know, the outfit was launched by St. Mark’s alum Jim Moran. But you shouldn’t hold that against Yipit.
The Top Reality Star in Dallas: Nikki McKibbin versus Melissa Rycroft
It’s down to the final two, but I’m not going to make this a nice-girl-versus-bad-girl thing. I mean, obviously Melissa is the chipper girl next door. (That is, if you happen to live next to former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who look for love on television.) The lady has fared incredibly well after her time on The Bachelor. She’s got a showbusiness-y career, she’s married, and she has a baby on the way. On the other hand, our girl Nikki had some troubles after her stint on American Idol, some of which were televised on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab. But she just seems like such a nice lady. So, what’s the answer? I don’t know. You’re going to have to look in your heart and decide. Once you do, vote hard, and vote often. (You can vote once every hour.)
Leading Off (10/27/10)
1. Twitter went crazy last night with news about H&M coming to Dallas. For those who haven’t heard, the fashion retailer will open its first Texas outpost in NorthPark. I know Zac is excited.
2. To get ready for the game tonight (and I’m not talking about the Mavericks’ season opener), read this Brad Townsend profile of Ron Washington, aka the Old School Brother. In particular, pay attention to the part about how Wash shows up in the book Moneyball, defending his penchant for aggressive base-running against A’s GM Billy Beane. And then, just for fun, leave a comment on the wall of the Facebook page for Fire Ron Washington. Even though it’s not the proper pronunciation or enunciation, that’s the way baseball go.
3. If you’re still not fired up, read this blog post about Cliff Lee from Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski. It’s an amazing piece of writing.
4. Claw!
5. Antlers!
H&M Is Coming to NorthPark
It’s true. I just got a note from the PR lady. The store will open the later half of 2011 and will be 24,000 square feet. First In-N-Out, now H&M. Throw in a World Series, and everything’s just about right in Dallas.
“Looks As If GM Moved to Dallas”
That’s a Slate reader commenting on its updated jobs tracking map, which shows unemployment from January, 2007 through August, 2010. Dallas does well, then fades to red in September 2008, and rebounds quickly in January, 2010. In all, the data show Dallas added 22,000 jobs net since August, 2009, the second best record in the nation and outpacing Houston by 10,000.
[And, yes, GM should move to Dallas.]
Ex-Cowboys Weigh In On Team’s Woes
Ex-Cowboys Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith are standing by Dallas’ star-crossed NFL team, sort of. “Expectations were very high, and everybody in the city has been hit in the mouth, because the team hasn’t lived up to their expectations,” Smith said today at a Dallas charity luncheon, where he, Staubach and billionaire T. Boone Pickens were the main attractions. The Cowboys “are hurtin’ more than you are, because they’re puttin’ in the work, but they’re not gettin’ the results,” the Hall of Fame rusher went on. Then he added: “Last year I said they’d go 7-9. I was a year off.”
Staubach, for his part, said before the luncheon that he’s “sick” about the team’s flagging fortunes, especially after last night’s injury to Tony Romo. “I don’t get it,” he said. “The early schedule wasn’t that tough. I’m shocked that they’re 1-5.” So, is it time for Coach Wade to go? “It’s not up to me to say,” Staubach replied. “A real Cowboy fan doesn’t knock ‘em when they’re down.” Later, the ex-QB stood on stage and whipped a couple of footballs to luncheon attendees–one hard spiral traveled maybe 30 yards–and then joked: “I was trying to get warmed up for the Jacksonville game next week.” At least, I think he was joking.
Get Fired Up For the World Series With Me, Zac Crain, YouTube Enthusiast
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP.
(Oh, and some have NSFW language because sometimes winners work blue.)
Ron Washington on His Immortal Words
“That’s the way baseball go.” If you’re not familiar with those words of genius, then you haven’t been keeping up. Shame on you. So the traitorous Evan Grant asked the Rangers skipper whether it bothered him that his slightly ungrammatical utterance has become a catchphrase. Said Ron Washington: “I’ve got no problem with it. Even though it’s not the proper pronunciation or enunciation, I think it means people are getting the message and that’s what is important.” God, I love that guy.
Claw!
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck Makes a Wager With S.F. Mayor
All due respect to Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck. Really. But something seems out of whack when the mayor of San Francisco has to make the requisite mayor wager with a guy in Arlington. If the Rangers win, Cluck gets Dungeness crab, sourdough bread, Ghirardelli chocolate, and Anchor Steam beer — all excellent comestibles and potables. If the Rangers lose, the San Fran mayor gets Spring Creek BBQ, which TMZ says is “said to be the best in Texas.” Um, no. Not really. It’s not even the best in Dallas. Or Arlington. Whatever.
Previewing the Dallas Mavericks’ 2010-11 Season
Building on Quick: no one will pay much attention — not even me, card-carrying MFFL — when the Dallas Mavericks kick off their season against Charlotte on Wednesday night. They’re only going up against Game 1 of the World Series, no big deal. So maybe just bookmark this post, and read it later. When you come back, you’ll find a quick primer on what to look for in 2010-11.
• The Basketball Jones’ quick video preview
• Ball Don’t Lie’s word version, featuring a terrifying Brian Cardinal photo
• I write about Roddy Beaubois
• Rob Mahoney from The Two Man Game breaks it down like a fraction
• And Dirk is on Twitter (@swish41)
Quick Catches Zeitgeist of North Texas
Couldn’t help but notice this cover of Quick. They totally nailed it. Very solid editorial planning, the way they’re riding that wave of Mavericks hysteria by putting Dirk on the cover. Claw!
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