Goooooo Rangers!

Although I suspect most of you don't know me well enough to know my personal sports affinities, if you've spent any considerable time with me at all, you'll know that I'm an avid baseball fan, and, in particular, a Texas Rangers fan. A band-wagoner I am not -- and I can prove it.

I grew up in Los Angeles, and my parents bled (and still bleed) Dodger Blue. I was at Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, when Kirk Gibson hit his unforgettable home run en route to a 5-game series win for the Dodgers over the 'roided up Jose Canseco- and Mark McGwire-led Oakland Athletics.

But then I moved to Fort Worth, Texas for college (go Horned Frogs!), and before long, I was a Texas Rangers fan. Times were fairly good back then; the Rangers moved in to a new ballpark in 1994 (and were in first place at the time the strike ended the season) and won the American League West in 1996, 1998, and 1999. True, we got slaughtered by the Yankees in each of those series, but so did everyone else in baseball during those years.

But then the hard times came. Following a disastrous 2000 season (caused in no small part by the trading away of star slugger Juan Gonzalez), the team signed free agent Alex Rodriguez to a record 10-year, $252 million contract. That was supposed to usher in a decade-long period of who-knows-how-many championships. Instead, the team finished in last place three straight seasons, A-Rod was traded to the hated Yankees, and the team toiled in mediocrity for the next several years.

During that time, I was practicing law in Fort Worth. My wife and I had season tickets every year, traveling out to Arlington on hot, muggy, summer nights to watch God-awful baseball. I remember time and time again saying to her, "I just want a competitive team. I don't even need a World Series. Just give me meaningful baseball in September and I'll be happy."

Well, happiness is here. This was a magical baseball season for me (and my wife), and I can't take the smile off my face. MY Texas Rangers are in the World Series.

One thing that makes my smile even brighter: This Emergency Motion for Continuance, filed by a Dallas attorney with tickets to tonight's Game 1. We've seen these kinds of motions before, but I really think this one takes the cake. The footnotes are absolutely hilarious. My favorite: Footnote 7, which states:

It should be pointed out that ARod a/k/a AFraud took a called third strike to end the series and secure the Pennant for the Rangers. It has no significance to this Motion other than the fact that Darrell likes to point it out as much as possible.

I agree, Darrell. Now, go Rangers!

UPDATE: The motion has been granted.