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HICKS' BIG GAMBLE: SAYS TEAM WILL PROFIT FROM A-ROD DEAL

          The Rangers signed free agent SS Alex Rodriguez to a
     ten-year, $252M contract yesterday, the "richest in the
     history of U.S. team sports," according to Evan Grant of the
     DALLAS MORNING NEWS.  The deal is $2M more than Owner Tom
     Hicks paid for the Rangers, The Ballpark in Arlington and
     270 acres next to the facility in '98.   As part of the
     deal, Rodriguez can opt out after the seventh year for "any
     reason."  Hicks stated that although the contract averages
     $25.2M per season, the current total value of the deal --
     "because of deferred salary that won't begin until after the
     10th season -- was closer" to $180M.  Even with the
     Rodriguez deal and other free agent signings, Hicks expects
     the team's final '01 payroll to be about $80M, and said that
     "increased revenues and increased attendance make" $80M a
     "figure at which the team could make a profit" (DALLAS
     MORNING NEWS, 12/12).  Hicks: "It's a big contract, it's
     very unique.  This is the only person in baseball that would
     deserve this kind of contract, in our opinion" (CBS
     SportsLine, 12/12).  Hicks: "This gives us a chance to
     leapfrog into an arena people never thought we could get to"
     (N.Y. TIMES, 12/12).  Hicks said Rodriguez wants "to be
     treated like every other player on the team.  He never asked
     for anything any other player would not receive."  He said
     Rodriguez will receive a luxury box at both The Ballpark and
     Reunion Arena, but that he "paid full price" for the boxes
     (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/12).  NEWSDAY has a copy of Rodriguez'
     deal and published details on www.newsday.com (THE DAILY).
          IMMEDIATE TICKET PUSH: The Rangers sold more than 225
     mini-ticket plans yesterday in the three hours after the
     deal became public.  The 225 15- and 28-game packages are
     the equivalent of 110 season-ticket packages (FT. WORTH
     STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/12).  The DALLAS MORNING NEWS has the
     Rangers selling the equivalent of 200 full season tickets in
     the 5 1/2 hours after the deal was announced (12/12).
          PERSONAL TOUCH: Hicks said he sold Rodriguez on being
     able to have a personal relationship with the team's owner:
     "The owner of the Seattle Mariners is a 72-year-old man who
     lives in Japan who he has never met" (STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/12).
          CAN HE MAKE A PROFIT? USA TODAY's Mel Antonen cites
     research showing that the Rangers have averaged $8M in
     losses since '95 (USA TODAY, 12/12).  Hicks explained the
     deal by saying, "We had the financial flexibility that I
     don't think any other team in baseball had. ... The Texas
     Rangers will be a profitable team next year.  We're in our
     budget. ... Part of baseball is how do you manage your
     revenues, how do you manage your player costs as a percent
     of those revenues and then what's left over to be the bottom
     line.  Now, clearly, a market the size of Dallas/Fort Worth,
     and an organization as well run as ours, has advantages over
     certain other markets."  Hicks: "We'll actually have higher
     revenues, we think our attendance will go up, ... we hope
     our no-shows will go down, so people will buy more hot dogs
     and Coca-Cola's" (ESPNEWS, 12/11). In Dallas, Richard Alm
     reports that Hicks' Southwest Sports Group could bring in
     more revenue via a naming rights deal at The Ballpark, which
     could be worth $100M or more.  Hicks also plans on
     developing the more than 270 acres around The Ballpark into
     office, retail and entertainment space (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
     12/12). ESPN's Peter Gammons reported that as Hicks "begins
     to build the whole complex of buildings and shopping malls
     and restaurants [around The Ballpark], this is, to him ...
     just a real estate deal" (ESPN, 12/11). In Ft. Worth,
     Schnurman & Powell add that another key to the deal is the
     estimated ten-year, $500M TV deal the Rangers and Stars have
     with Fox Sports (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/12).  In N.Y.,
     Richard Sandomir also notes the lucrative TV deal, as "on
     average," the Rangers and Stars receive a combined $41.6M a
     year, with the Rangers "getting somewhat more."  Southwest
     Sports Group President Mike Cramer: "It wouldn't be feasible
     for the Rangers to sign a free agent like this without these
     TV deals" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/12).  On ESPN.com, Jayson Stark
     wrote, "This isn't a deal that can be measured in
     traditional baseball terms.  For Tom Hicks, Alex Rodriguez
     is programming.  He's WAROD in Arlington, on your cable-TV
     dial" (ESPN.com, 12/11).  Stark said Rodriguez offers the
     opportunity "to greatly increase the value of his franchise,
     to change the whole perception of this franchise, locally
     and nationally" (ESPNEWS, 12/11).  Paul Kagan analyst
     Hadrian Shaw: "It sounds crazy, but it's possible they could
     be in a position to make money off this."  Cramer: "It's a
     stretch, but if everything works right, there's the chance
     to break even and enhance the value of the team.  There is a
     way to make a profit" (BLOOMBERG, 12/11).  Rangers 1B Rafael
     Palmeiro: "If the money wasn't there, I'm sure they wouldn't
     offer it" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/12).
          THE STATS ON A-ROD DEAL: Based on his career averages
     as a full-time player, Rodriguez will be paid $173,793.10 a
     game and $43,003.40 for every at-bat (BLOOMBERG NEWS,
     12/12)....Using Forbes' franchise valuations, 12 MLB teams
     are worth more than the $252M paid to Rodriguez, while four
     NBA teams are worth more than $252M (ESPN.com, 12/11).
          THE A-ROD TV MONITOR: Last night's 6:30pm ET edition of
     ABC's "World News Tonight" had a 0:34 report on Rodriguez's
     deal at 21:17 into the broadcast.  Last night's 6:30pm ET
     edition of "NBC Nightly News" and the 7:00pm ET edition of
     "CBS Evening News" did not report on Rodriguez (THE DAILY). 
     

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