The Texas Rangers and the World Series

As we all know, Texas Ranger fever is at an all time high due to the local team being in the World Series. This brings out-of-towners in to support their team, which leads to increased activity in the host city. Along with headaches, like increased population and traffic, it appears that the temporary inconveniences are a necessary evil in order to reap economic benefits. The economic windfall is not limited to baseball, but the effect is felt throughout the sports world whenever you have a team that commands national, if not worldwide, attention. At times, the cost of supporting the team by providing first class facilities falls on the city’s population, as has been the case in Arlington. Arlington has contributed to the building of both The Ballpark and the new Cowboy stadium in the form of an additional sales tax percentage, but the city has seen an increase in consumer spending. A recent tourism study shows that visitor spending continues to rise in Arlington in spite of the current national economic climate. The rest of the nation has not been as fortunate. The Ranger’s current success and the high profile Dallas Cowboys have put the city in the national spotlight. The city’s revenues have continued to climb, and Arlington is in an enviable position of having a budget surplus when other cities are struggling. Visitors sent approximately $593 million in the city last year, sales tax revenue jumped 34% in a five year time span, and tourism is the only industry seeing job growth. For a city that was lagging behind economically only ten years ago, the future seems to be much brighter. Being seen as a major player when it comes to financial capabilities only encourages more development and thus a promise of economic stability. And, while other cities may not have enjoyed the revitalization, it is clear that Arlington has benefited greatly from having such great sport venues within its city limits.