A Global Crisis?

I will introduce you to my thoughts on our new global warming crisis.

I am what some might call a flat-earther. When I think of a crisis, I think of bombs exploding, children crying, a city on fire, and people running hysterically. So, when I am having a picnic at the park on a sunny afternoon I ask myself; are we in the midst of a crisis? My mother always told me to listen carefully, but remain skeptical, and I am not fully convinced we are in a crisis. Listen, I believe that pollution harms the environment, and CO2 harms the atmosphere, but I do not believe that Americans should punish themselves for polluting with a tax. I actually think that is the worst thing we can do, because without the pollution America has contributed to the atmostphere, then we wouldn't be where we are today. We would not have what we got today. Your life comforts would not exist.
What is taken from this global warming phenomenon is new material for the advertisers to jump on. Rightly so, just like how we created pollution lets use the same method to reverse it. How? The open market. It is true that pollution has impacted our world since the industrial revolution. But like I said, without those advancements, we would not be the world power we are today. Companies now have a new platform to provide goods and services that will not only benefit the environment, but revitalize the economy, and reverse pollution. We must trust our companies to produce environmental friendly goods, and let those goods saturate the market. I believe this is inevitable. It is not the government role to punish its' citizens with carbon taxes, and it's not the role for people to blame other people who don't oblige.
Common sense says that pollution is bad, and recycling is good. So to call people who don't buy in to the global warming bandwagon "flat-earthers" is irresponsible. Let the companies transition (it is happening before your eyes), and do the moral duty of recycling your trash. Now, please cut the phase "Global Warming crisis" because it is not crisis. No one is dying.

Offseason

Countdown til Opening day: 42 days..

My theory on Mr. Hicks

Sport investing has become a hobby for Tom Hicks and company. My wish that one day Tom Hicks will sell the Rangers is unrealistic. Tom Hicks has nailed his position down as a Dallas elite with hammer and a nail. It is very hard to gain support for removal of his ownership in Dallas/Ft. Worth, because Tom has done so much for so many people who don't give a lick about sports. He has planted so many seeds that have grown in to deep roots. Roots so deep that it would be stupid to want a new owner, because the benefits seemingly outweigh the negatives.

Hicks is a master investor that any business man can respect. The assests he has attained in his career has given him so much power in Dallas and also much respect among individuals. In a our society, the rich have all the power, while the poor have none. Tom Hicks is rich while the average person is poor compared to him. Most Ranger fans agree that the team needs new ownership, but nobody has the funds to actually do anything about it. The Rangers haven't made the playoffs in 10 years yet a change of ownership is still beyond a rational idea.

"A 2007 Forbes study named Frisco as the eighth-fastest growing suburb in the United States."* Frisco is a city of new money, new people, and new things to do. It has risen above the neighboring cities by offering a vast array of entertainment, shopping, and dining in a concentrated area. With money entering the city as fast as lighting, all Hicks had to do was plant the seed. He did just that. In 2003, Tom Hicks bought the double A affiliate of the Rangers, then relocated them to Frisco. In doing so, he built a state of the art ballpark for the newly named, Frisco RoughRiders. The park was built in a prime spot in that concentrated area of things to do. He also moved the Dallas Stars to a newly built headquaters right next door. In doing this Hicks has edged his name among Dallas' greatest people. What he has done for the city of Frisco has earned him much respect, and loyalty to the people living in the area. The economic landscape has changed in Frisco due to his investments. Although, his baseball team has not produced a playoff run in 10 years; the idea that Tom Hicks should be canned is unrealistic, because of all the other things he has done. The jobs he has created, the entertainment, the market niche he now owns with new RoughRider fans. The idea of winning and actually competeing against the Red Sox and Yankees are just another benefit that could occur, it's not the end of the world for Tom if they never win a title under his leadership. Tom Hicks has is now an "untouchable" in Dallas/Ft. Worth. Most Ranger fans are apathetic about the Rangers and have the mindset "Dude, they're the Rangers. They suck."

To my friends overseas, take this with a grain of salt. Tom Hicks is building Liverpool a new stadium. Or in my words, he is planting the seed. Once it is too late, the investments that he will put on your team will outweigh the fans general opinion about him. It's the economic advantages he brings as owner that will solidify him as a "good" owner. Don't get wrong. You could get the best of both worlds and Liverpool could continue its' success, but from my experience they're is only one thing he cares about it starts with an "m" and ends with a "y".

For giggles; just west of the Dr. Pepper/7up Ballpark is a elementary school named, Thomas O. Hicks Elementary School. I wonder the the school mascot is, the profiteers?

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisco,_Texas

Liverpool fans

Welcome Liverpool FC fans! I am under the impression that many of you guys are upset with Hicks already... Please use this post to let your feelings out. Let us know what you think about Tom Hicks... In 10 years he has no once produced a playoff team. Since his purchase of the team the franchised has gone up in value. His ticket prices are high in Dallas. He cares about money, that is it. If he can make money with a losing team then he will! When it comes down to it he only cares about himself. He builds up hope then smashes you in the head with it! Let us hear it!

Hello everybody, and a seasons greetings to all! During this holiday break, I found myself intrigued with the fan message board on texasrangers.com. Messaging other fans about the Rangers with your opinion is fun, and I invited everyone to try it out sometime. My welcome didn't seem too warm at first, and to some the welcome is still not there. The topic of Tom Hicks is a topic that some Ranger fans don't like to talk about. The post, I sent out titled "Help Liberate the Rangers!" received a negative reaction from a few consistent commentators. They simply thought I was crazy. They also accused me of trolling (fishing for people to look at your blog). I guess my idea of liberating the Rangers is more radical then logical. What I did notice, is the word, "liberate" is a word that sparks a reaction within people, good or bad. So, I want to go on the record, I don't intend on liberating the Rangers from Tom Hicks, but I do intend to analyze, and point out obvious things he says to show Ranger fan's that he does not care about the Rangers winning as much as he cares on how much profit they produce.

While researching online one night, I stumbled upon an article titled, "Rangers owner talks sport business". The article is a fluff article exemplifying Tom Hick's accomplishments as a superior sports investor. It really is a revealing article about Tom Hicks, and his intentions. Look at the quotes made my by Tom:

"All of these teams have become businesses in the past 20 years," Hicks said. " ... This business has to do with fan affinity and brand devotion. It doesn't necessarily have to do with winning."

......... He said it.....

"Our community is over 6 million people," Hicks said. "The two cities are growing together."

---This shows our vulnerability as a fan base.

"That fan base, like the 100-million-plus associated with Hick's new Liverpool FC football team in England, is a prime target for advertisers" - Holli Estridge

---Be careful Liverpool!

"Today you can watch a ballgame from anywhere in the world, except Dallas-Fort Worth, on MLB.com, or you can get on your Blackberry or other handheld device to check game stats or news."

---Not everyone has a Blackberry like you do, Tom!

I wonder if he would have made these comments if the title of the article was "Liverpool owner talks business"? As fan's we must question our upper management. Especially, when the Rangers have had consecutive losing seasons, and profit is still rising. It seems that Hicks has lost his will to compete with Rangers, and has moved on to a bigger team. He doesnt have the drive to win like Jerry and Mark. If nobody is going to say anything than nothing is going to change. Why would Hicks change anything he if can create profit with a losing team? The method works, and has proven so.



http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2007/05/07/daily47.html
original article

Tom Hicks interview with UK press..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip8jPZr9k54&feature=related

Be weary Liverpool

The Mario Report

If you're not surprised, then I'm surprised. If you noticed that Juan Gonzalez's name was no where to be seen on the Mitchell Report, then we are on the same boat. This was a shock to me, because Gonzalez was accused not only by his former teammate, Jose Canseco, but he was also accused by his former owner, Tom Hicks. I would like to believe that Juan Gonzalez didn't do steroids, but that would be naive of me. Fortunatley, there is still no proof that Gonzalez accually took steroids. This brings up two points; The validity of the Mitchell Report should be questioned (in terms of the impact it holds), and Tom Hicks and Jose Canseco are unabashed self promoters.

The problem with the Mitchell Report is it only has created a list of scapegoats for the steroid era. The players whose names are on the list are going to take the brunt of the punishment while anybody who is not on the list will be saved. It would be naive to think the list named everybody who used steroids in basebell. What the Mitchell report has done is it has created a powder keg waiting to explode. Players who are on the list are likley to accuse other players who aren't on the list of taking steroids, and so on. It's makes for all the ingredients necessary for a backstabbing, paranoia, McCarthy-like, black list campaign in the MLB. Also, steroids, like any other drug, can be used for a number of reasons. It can be used to enhance strength, or it could be used to recover from an injury. This leaves room for a lot of gray, because how a player used the steroids is a factor in how we classify them as a cheater. Cheating on one question on one test is different from cheating on every question on every test. If a player took steroids to heal during the off-season, but never played a game is different from a player who used HGH to inflate their numbers during the season. The Mitchell Report has opened a new chapter to the steroid controversy by segregating players simply as cheaters, and non cheaters. Black and white. This report will be relflected upon as the most ineffective $60 million dollar investigation ever in the history of the sports. This report has flaws, and does not conclude the steroid controversy by any means.

Juan Gonzalez's name never appeared on the list, but his name did appear on Jose Canseco's book, Juiced. This prompted Tom Hicks to use Juan Gonzalez as his scapegoat when being grilled by the media questioning his decisions. Whether Gonzalez took steroids or not, there is no real evidence that he actually stuck the needle in his butt. Canseco's testimony can not be used as a credible source, because this guy is trying to sell books. It's bias. Anyways, earlier this year, Tom Hicks was being questioned about awful decisions he has made as an owner. When being confronted about all the terrible seasons he has put together, he made his great escape by making this comment.

"Juan Gonzalez for $24 million after he came off steroids, probably, we just gave that money away,"

reason for suspicion?

"His number of injuries and early retirement just makes me suspicious, in any event, we paid him $24 million for very few games."

Clearly implying that Juan Gonzalez took steroids. This statement came at a time when the steroid watch was at an all time high. Bonds was on the verge of breaking the home run record, and reports were being uncovered that many other players took HGH. Tom Hicks used this as a window of escape, and accused Gonzalez as a steroid user to save his own butt. Here is what I got to say, Tom if you had suspicion or you knew, then why did you give him 24 million dollars? Heck, why even sign Juan Gonzalez in the first place ? He was always injury prone. My guess is, Gonzalez was a fan favorite in Dallas, and you just wanted use him to sell tickets. I'm glad Gonzalez took advantage of you, because you continuously take advantage of the fans. Oh yeah, Gonzalez's name never came up on the Mitchell report. To sum it up, this certain incident shows that Tom Hicks as no integrity or loyalty to his players. When the fire gets hot, Hicks will throw you in it to save his own butt.