Unless you consider the Dallas Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup a lifetime pardon, we've all got one. That is, that moment when Tom Hicks did/said something so outrageously inane that you WTF'd him onto your permament shit list.
For me it was the Texas Rangers' owner offering the bassackward philosophy of - and I'm paraphrasing - "Well, if you expect me to spend more money on free agents you'd better come out and spend more money at The Ballpark." My reaction was slump shoulders. Long face. Head buried in hands. And, of course, not going to The Ballpark.
Do you remember the Hicks Hiccup that did it for you?
Signing A-Rod? Chan Ho Park? Saying Rangers' fans weren't as passionate as Liverpool fans? Missing Stars' playoff games? Not having the cash to sign this year's first-round pick Matt Purke? Those exhorbitant water bills?
With the Rangers poised to make the playoffs and win a World Series sooner rather than later, it's time to determine where the owner fits in. Have the Rangers won because of him, or despite him? Will he deserve a seat on the parade's lead float, hoisting the trophy? Or a spot in the back, toting Zonk's drum?
In light of the team's likely sale and his ongoing financial woes, will he even be around to enjoy the success?
While Dallas' Only Daily suggests the Stars are safe from a takeover, we get differing opinions in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. One columnist somehow suggests Hicks has learned to be a "good owner", while another says Hicks' pockets are so empty that Major League Baseball all but owns the Rangers starting ... right ... now!
Writes Randy Galloway:
The Rangers did make a $4 million offer to Purke, but without the approval of MLB. When the final word came down from MLB, the Rangers were told they could not pay the kid more than $2.3 million. Period.
If the Rangers keep coughing up consecutive 5-0 and 4-0 leads in losses to the Minnesota Twins - they're suddenly a season-high 6 1/2 games behind the Angels in the AL West - it'll be a moot point this year. But with their bright future quickly morphing into a blinding present, the first championship in Arlington will likely belong to baseball, not football.
So I ask you, where does Tom Hicks fit in?
