"Ameriquest Field" no more!?

by disposablehero on Mar 19, 2007 3:09 PM CDT

Randy Galloway is reporting on his radio show that the Ballpark will no longer be named "Ameriquest Field".

It will now be known as "Rangers Ballpark in Arlington"... not really sure why they don't just go back to "The Ballpark in Arlington".

Sorry I don't have another source on this. Tom Hicks will be on Galloway at 3:20.

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Sorry

two minutes late.... apologies to "brian mac"

by disposablehero on Mar 19, 2007 3:09 PM CDT reply actions

Bell

Take the bell down in LF

by brian mac on Mar 19, 2007 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions

YES!

Bye bye stupid bell!!!

by northtexan95 on Mar 19, 2007 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Loss of money

If the park goes corporate sponsor-less, I believe Hicks will take a hit in the ol pocketbook. Funny how something like a name of the stadium could influence our spending in `08, even slightly.

you jackin' it?

by chief on Mar 19, 2007 3:15 PM CDT reply actions

Ooh, huge impact.

Maybe we can't sign a veteran long reliever.

I really doubt the loss of $2.5 million a year is a make or break type of impact.

Considering Ameriquest was about as prestigious than Chico's Bail Bonds, this is a damn good thing.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 19, 2007 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

yeah no kidding

They've had some pretty crooked business practices associated with them.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 19, 2007 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Hicks has his hands in Liverpool FC now, so I wouldn't put it past him to only funnel money made by the baseball team back into the offseason spending fund, instead of "opening the checkbook" for whatever signings we need. In the grand scheme, naming rights might not produce a huge profit for the team, but when push comes to shove and we're trying to lock up Tex, every little bit will help.

you jackin' it?

by chief on Mar 19, 2007 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

But don't get me wrong..

I'd much rather not have a sponsor at all. It's just so cheesy for it to be named after a corporation.

you jackin' it?

by chief on Mar 19, 2007 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes...

I wish they'd just gone back to The Ballpark in Arlington. Heck, I still refer to it as that anyways.

by rangers85 on Mar 19, 2007 3:21 PM CDT reply actions

it should be

Thomas Diamond Memorial Field @ The Ballpark where John Danks could have played in Arlington which could have been home of Edinson Volquez.

by jasun on Mar 19, 2007 3:22 PM CDT reply actions

"Rangers Ballpark in Arlington"

Not really doing anything for me. If they're going to change it, why not just go back to TBIA?

by Athos on Mar 19, 2007 3:23 PM CDT reply actions

Cool

Fight the power.

Texas Rangers: baby step to 2007. Baby step to 2007.

by WyoRanger on Mar 19, 2007 3:23 PM CDT reply actions

I often wonder

if you shorted every stock who acquired naming rights the day it was announced, what the portfolio performance would be.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 19, 2007 3:24 PM CDT reply actions

for

for texas teams, pretty good.

I'd like either TBIA name back, or simply Rangers Stadium would be nice. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington sounds like Los Angeles Angels of Anehiem in Central California, West United States.

by jplata on Mar 19, 2007 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Hicks on Galloway?

Anyone hear what Hicks said?

by mattrpav on Mar 19, 2007 3:30 PM CDT reply actions

Hicks

Basically Ameriquest approached them and they negotiated a quick deal. Hicks has to pay nothing back. Ameriquest just quits paying the rest of the contract.

by brian mac on Mar 19, 2007 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions

name change

i take anything galloway says with a grain of salt until ive seen it confirmed by other sources.
Which it just has been....dallas news confirms

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/032007dnsporangerspark.2b52694c.html

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 19, 2007 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

Hicks said...

the decision basically came down to wanting the name of the park to be associated with the Rangers and not a corporation... everyone still refers to it as "the ballpark" anway. so they made the decision to drop Ameriquest and put the team name on the park. "Rangers Ballpark in Arlington".

Many of you will be glad to hear, he said the bell in LF is definitely gone. Galloway suggested they let fans come in and help tear it down/blow it up. i tend to agree.

by disposablehero on Mar 19, 2007 3:38 PM CDT reply actions

Cool

Who is driving all these changes through the org? The patio w/ live music, the name change, etc.. they are really trying to make it more fan friendly. Is it Daniels or some other front-office dude?

by mattrpav on Mar 19, 2007 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I doubt it had much to do with the Rangers choice.

I doubt Ameriquest has the money to make this year's payment. They've imploded pretty bad over the last year. Its amazing that writing loans to bad credit risks isn't a good business.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 19, 2007 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions

My guess is

the decision came down to Ameriquest basicly going belly up.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 19, 2007 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions

cogen is on the hardline right now

by jasun on Mar 19, 2007 3:39 PM CDT reply actions

Cogen...

sounds like a used car salesman from Odessa. I guess he is good at his job, but he sounds like a "conman" if I've ever heard one.

"Chip" first person on LSB to be berated by someone on the 25-man roster. - RangerMoto

by ortonius on Mar 19, 2007 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions

maybe

but he isn't a new jersey conman

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 19, 2007 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions

for sure...

i love listening to the guy that about the the rangers, because he sure is on top of his game, but he sounds and looks like a used car salesman without a doubt.

by jasun on Mar 19, 2007 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Are you From Odessa?

I'm from odessa - and you are exactly right. If you know Odessa car dealers (Kelly Grimsley)

by aggierangerfan00 on Mar 19, 2007 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Nope...from Arlington...

but I visited Odessa once. It's kind of hard to forget.

"Chip" first person on LSB to be berated by someone on the 25-man roster. - RangerMoto

by ortonius on Mar 19, 2007 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank god

I thought it would take 10 years.

by dubman @ Lone Star Ball on Mar 19, 2007 3:50 PM CDT reply actions

Ameriquest Field

Thank god that awful name is gone. I have always call the stadium, "The Ballpark". I will pay whatever it takes to blow up that damn bell.

lwjr

LWJR

by lwjr on Mar 19, 2007 3:57 PM CDT reply actions

Other options...

Any chance the Rangers wanted to get out of the contract to have flexibility to take advantage of other, maybe more lucrative options, as the Cowboys stadium gets closer? By the way, I don't think I ever once referred to it as Ameriquest. It has been and always will be TBIA for me.

Jeff Henn is an idiot.

by Red Shoe Fan on Mar 19, 2007 4:17 PM CDT reply actions

Oooh, a bland name replaces another

Rangers ballpark. How exciting.

Ameriquest field had more personality..

by Sharky on Mar 19, 2007 4:20 PM CDT reply actions

Welcome to Sharky's world

Where evil faceless corporation = personality

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 19, 2007 8:20 PM CDT up reply actions

penalty

gratuitous personal assault without provocation
as well as weak attempt at humor using a naive stereotype ("evil faceless corporation") as well as an odd equality reduced to mean spiritedness.

Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi Tech Tech VPI Go Hokies!

by jackbnimble on Mar 20, 2007 2:10 AM CDT up reply actions

gratutious personal assault

wow, tender feelings.

It's not a naive stereotype to call Ameriquest evil. The ethically questionable business practices of subprime lenders have led to the mass foreclosures which are undermining the housing market, the main prop holding up the US economy. I'd say as far as corporations go, I was being charitable.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 20, 2007 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Speaking of bad housing markets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070319/ts_nm/usa_subprime_detroit_dc

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions

wow

even in a bad neighborhood thats some cheap housing.
with all this subprime news and forclosure stuff it got me thinking that i could probably find some good deals on houses right about now

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

I was looking around Houston

but the market here is still in fairly good shape.

Real estate is a tough investment to deal with from afar though.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

market

I may have to check and see what the dallas market is like, i've got quite a while before my lease is up....but i want the wheels in motion to try and get into a house, and now seems to be a great buyers market, given the high foreclosure rates in the state.

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions

market

I had same thought regarding the market in Austin. Alas, I don't see a crash coming, rather perhaps a modest correction. Tough call though. There is a ridiculous amount of construction going on all over, with hundreds of new, high-end condos going up downtown. If the city gets overbuilt it would be ripe for a serious correction. On the other hand, if Austin is set to continue its insane growth rate, there probably won't be a serious crash.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 20, 2007 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions

austin market's looking good

As long as the economy remains strong. There are, however, concerns about a recession later this year.

Not all of the condos downtown are high-end. I know one of the developers pretty well, and 80 percent of his units will sell for between $200-300k. Sounds like a lot, but considering the cost of commuting from the suburbs and it's not. And I think downtown real estate may have it's ups and downs, but it's pretty safe in the long run.

There's also a variety of price ranges at the old Mueller airport (condos and townhomes).

I think the city realizes the need to have moderately priced housing downtown, and eventually it'll be achieved en masse. They've made it a real priority here and Austin is the kind of town that'll really go for it.

I don't know that I'd invest in the Mueller properties unless they unveil plans for a light rail line soon. Seems like a good bet to ghetto-ize without that. But it's under consideration. Right now I think the plan is for a street car to connect to a light rail, which would be fine if approved.

Housing in Austin is pretty ridiculous, though. This isn't Manhattan or anything, but have you seen what these little bungalows in Hyde Park are going for?

Anyway, the transportation infrastructure in Austin is absolutely horrible. The only way to sustain growth is by building up in the middle. Suburbs are only viable along Mopac, really, and it'll all be built up before long.

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

austin

i know people down there, they were talking about how insane the prices are in some areas... if its a good location tiny 2br houses are like 200k.

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

x

At the very least. In my neighborhood they go for about 1.5 times that. A 3BR is $400k and up.

Funny, though, the apartment building right next to me is listed for only $2.2 million. It looks like a pretty nice place, too. About 30 units.

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions

insane

thats even higher than frisco/plano/southlake prices

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

...the neighborhood is almost adjacent to UT, and is only 20 to 25 blocks from downtown. The houses are very old but most of them are in picturesque condition. It's the best location in Austin because you can get to anywhere from here with relative ease. Bus routes are nearby and there are bike routes leading straight downtown. It's just a perfect area in terms of real estate.

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions

that's acually low

In the area I live in (renting) a modest 3 bedroom can run $400,000+. There are still parts of town where you can get a 3 br for around $150,000 but you are going to have a 45 minute commute downtown. Otherwise, your best bet is to go east, which has a stigma, but isn't like Fair Park or anything. Still, the schools aren't as good, the housing stock isn't a good, and the neighborhoods aren't as nice.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 20, 2007 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions

geez

the market there must be insane, for 400k i could get a really nice house in the frisco/plano area

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions

downtown

My problem with all the construction downtown is that there isn't the transportation infrastructure in place to handle a huge downtown population. It's already really difficult to get around in central Austin, and it's going to get much worse. Austin is going to have significant problems with growth until they get realistic about solving the transportation problem. Decent public transportation is an absolute necessity, but at the same time I don't see it happening. Right now city officials seem to be taking a head-in-the-sand approach.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 20, 2007 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions

development

If the development is in downtown proper, adding to the bus routes and "dillos" would be fine. People who live down there probably don't ever go very far. I see tons of them walking every morning.

Things like the Mueller development need to be served by viable mass transit. And by "viable" I don't mean buses. Scheduled light rail is the way to go. I envision a line going down South Congress or S. 1st, then from downtown it heads up Guadelupe. In the preliminary it can terminate at The Triangle where there's a park n' ride. Ultimately it could rise to grade level and go all the way to Wells Branch.

They need to serve the East Side, as well proabably along MLK or Manor. And then there's the streetcars that would hook up with that line or the Guadalupe line. Bus routes would be reorganized to complement the rail.

There's already a planned commuter line from Cedar Park or whatever that town is, and I believe it's using the MoPac railway. They should add a couple stops to it.

The Guadelupe/Congress line would be the toughest and most expensive. A lot of it will have to be tunneled. But it's necessary in the long run!

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

or

maybe not.

Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi Tech Tech VPI Go Hokies!

by jackbnimble on Mar 20, 2007 2:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Thank You Thank You Thank You

Now Please get rid of that damn bell. It looked so stupid in there anyways, the Rangers had nothing to do with a giant bell.

by aggierangerfan00 on Mar 19, 2007 5:00 PM CDT reply actions

i will say one thing for the ameriquest name thoug

i liked it a whole lot more than most other corporate names. Petco? Minute Maid?

But, still, of course im still happy its going back.

id prefer the old ballpark in arlington or even something more "original", but ill always prefer non-corporate to corporate.

by DShep on Mar 19, 2007 6:01 PM CDT reply actions

I prefer corporate

Definitly.

The new name sucks. The corporate name is better.

TBIA sucked too.

by Sharky on Mar 19, 2007 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions

you are very strange

thats all.

by DShep on Mar 19, 2007 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions

troll

------------
:) - Obligatory smiley showing I don't mean whatever mean
spiritedness is likely contained in the preceding post

by jtts on Mar 19, 2007 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions

x

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Cray-1-p1010221.jpg

That's Sharky. Operation Sharky is a DARPA propaganda project. Still in beta, obviously. It's objective is to fill the internets with garbage.

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 12:06 AM CDT up reply actions

Minute Maid

That one cracks me up. What the hell does orange juice have to do with Houston? Answer: nothing. It's a monument to Drayton's lack of foresight in naming his stadium after the most corrupt major corporation in recent American history. Although Sharky probably mourns the fact that it's not still named Enron Field.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Mar 19, 2007 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions