Yeah, yeah. The Texas Rangers still have to win one more game before they can even think about staging the first World Series title parade in the team's history.
It's also worth noting that fans in the Metroplex have grown famously averse to premature party planning ever since Dallas released early parade plans in 2006 when the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. (The preparation turned out to be a giant jinx as the Miami Heat won four straight games to hold a parade of their own.)
Still, the topic of a Rangers parade location has been quietly whispered about in the past few days because it's a fun debate subject. Though downtown Dallas might like to get in on the fun, Arlington has been home for the Rangers since they moved to Texas in 1972. Like anything else in Texas, the city is fiercely provincial and Bud Kennedy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has already fired off a warning for Dallas to keep its distance should a parade be necessary.
Though Arlington does not have the traditional "downtown" parade route that Dallas can boast, the campus that holds the Rangers Ballpark, Cowboys Stadium and a Six Flags amusement park should be able to provide enough parking and roadway space to handle the celebration. It will also be the likely place to party should the Rangers manage a win in Thursday night's Game 6 or Friday's Game 7.
Look for at least a homecoming party Saturday or Sunday night near Nolan Ryan Expressway. Last year, the team hosted the Texas Rangers Rally in a parking lot.
Arlington visitors bureau President Jay Burress said that's his guess.
"The entertainment district lends itself well to big crowds," he said.�"This is where it should be. This is their home."
Agreed. Though New York Rangers fans have had fun with the New Jersey Devils for having their Stanley Cup parade in the parking lot of the Meadowlands, teams should celebrate in the places where they play. Arlington has supported Rangers baseball through thick and thin, even passing a half-cent sales tax to build the beautiful ballpark the team currently calls home. Should the Rangers have the great fortune to throw the best kind of parade, I don't think there's any question where it should be held.
Arlington, all the way.
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