Texas Rangers Triple Play Game Show Spectacular at Hilton Anatol

Posted By: Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth, a Mercedes-Benz Dealer - 2011-05-26

by Brandon Wilson of Eyes of the Rangers - Pegasus news

One of the very unique things about what we have as Texas Rangers fans is the character of the team we follow. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Texas Rangers Park Place Dealerships Triple Play Game Show Spectacular at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas and I have to believe it is unlike anything you might find elsewhere in baseball. The event itself is fantastic with all of the one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment memorabilia that gets auctioned for charity (benefiting the Texas Rangers Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas) and a fantastic dinner. Add to that an entertaining game show presentation and and the ability to meet and rub elbows with the players and front office and you have something pretty special. But that's not what really sets this event apart.

The real difference is the people. The players on this team are genuinely good people. This is not breaking news, but it was on full display Wednesday night. They were friendly and easy to approach at the event and really had a good time with it. It's not hard to imagine how it might be different if other players were still on the team (*cough* Alex Rodriguez *cough*) because this type of event is really only as special as the players on the team make it. If they treated it like a job or something they had to do, well, it would just be another charity auction. Instead, by being willing to meet and talk with the fans these guys create the kind of truly cool event that I hope every fan can experience at least once.

Of course there was lots of fun at the event. The Fielder's Feud game has become a staple and while there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, the best was when Eric Nadel explained that while Josh Hamilton usually plays on the Outfielders team (it's the Infielders versus the Outfielders) this year he was sitting out because they were afraid he would slide head-first into the podium.

Just as fun was the game that followed called "Minute to Win it" which revealed something as well. Colby Lewis showed his dominance in the Toilet Paper Pull, the Rubber Bands Challenge, Tic Tac Toe (which was really just beer pong without the beer) and the Chocolate Tower Challenge earning him the victory. The contest also proved that Lewis is as over-competitive as they make them, refusing to be denied victory in any of the contests.

The Texas Rangers Foundation has several fundraisers, but this is the largest, raising nearly half a million dollars last year. Park Place Dealerships have been the presenting sponsor for the nine years the event has been in existence and were honored for their support of the Texas Rangers foundation at Wednesday night's event. This event could have easily run out of gas after a few years, but as Michael Young put it, "It gets better every year."

I know those in attendance had a great time and lots of money was raised to benefit the children of North Texas. An A+ to The Texas Rangers Foundation and their sponsors for hosting a fantastic event. More importantly kudos to the Rangers organization and players for being first class all the way.

Click here to read the article on Pegasus News