CBS: Josh Hamilton says Dallas isn't a baseball town, it's a football town

[Reality]

Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton spent the last five seasons of his career with the Texas Rangers, whom he helped to a pair of World Series appearances and arguably the most successful run in franchise history. He's certainly familiar with the Dallas/Fort Worth sports scene, which he told CBSDFW.com's Gina Miller is not dominated by baseball.

“Texas, especially Dallas, has always been a football town," he said. "They're supportive, but they also got a little spoiled at the same time, pretty quickly. You think about three to four years ago [before the Rangers made it to the World Series]. It's like, come on man, are you happier there again?”

Hamilton, 31, is right, of course. The area -- and a gigantic chunk of Texas, really -- bleeds Dallas Cowboys blue even though the team has won one playoff game in the last 16 years. The city has experienced both an NBA championship and an NHL Stanley Cup since the most recent time that the Cowboys won a Super Bowl (their fifth), but those sports don't come close to the popularity of football in Dallas.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/ey...-baseball-town

/reality

[Reality]

Cue the "sky is falling in Dallas for the Cowboys" crowd in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

/reality

[ragman]

I know he's taking a lot of heat for saying this, but I don't know why. How many SBs have the Cowboys won? How many WS have the Rangers won? Pro sports is all about what have you done lately? Look at the TV ratings. Compare the Cowboys ratings to the Rangers ratings.

[SDCowboy85]

Why is this a big deal? America isn't a baseball country anymore. I wouldn't expect Dallas (or Texas) to be.

[joseephuss]

Staubach and Aikman in the past have talked about how Dallas is not a sports town, it is a winners town.

[CATCH17]

So he went to a basketball town?

[Angus12]

Originally Posted by Reality

Cue the "sky is falling in Dallas for the Cowboys" crowd in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

/reality

Is this what would be called, chumming the waters?

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Josh may have been hinting fans were hard on the Rangers to win the World Series or else.

I don't think so.

[Ntegrase96]

And last week most of Dallas was upset that the Rangers had overtaken the Cowboys in popularity.

Have nothing wrong with Hamilton said about it not being a baseball town or Rangers fans being 'spoiled'. That part is true. It's what he seemingly implied by stating it.

It all seems to be justification for being boo'd. He was boo'd because it didn't seem like he cared, not because fans had grown accustom to winning and being spoiled. A true baseball town would have REALLY berrated him.

[CowboyGil]

God bless and Good luck staying clean in LA, Josh.

[DFWJC]

Originally Posted by SDCowboy85

Why is this a big deal? America isn't a baseball country anymore. I wouldn't expect Dallas (or Texas) to be.

Yep. The Dallas media is somehow trying to make this a story and it's not.
Of course football is king in Texas. We have high shool stadiums here that would make some colleges green with envy.

[rocyaice]

Yea Josh Hamilton is getting a unfair shake for his comments. Its correcet and i'm shocked its even being debated.

But in the defense of the people who are frustrated with him about his comments had they won those 2 World Series titles they lost in they probably would've had a bigger stake in Texas.

Rangers baseball has come along away. I've been following them since the mid 90's. I've seen it go from bad to worse to bad to pretty impressive.

[bigdnlaca]

Originally Posted by CATCH17

So he went to a basketball town?

It is a Bball town in Los Angeles but in Orange County, it is all about baseball when it comes to professional sports. Also, factor in that they have CSU Fullerton baseball team.

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Suspect Josh simply thought fans were too hard on him here.

At least he had the sense not to go to the Yankees.

[TheCowboy]

This is true but Josh didn't have to say that. Wait until he comes back to Texas I can't wait. I have lost all respect for Josh Hamilton.