Texas Rangers Did IT!! “Similar” franchises, the Vikings and New York Rangers Have Played Great During And After The Great “Tex” Run

Let’s contrast the fall, surely not unexpected, of the hyped Sanders coached Colorado team, (Bad one perhaps, but the media continually “buffaloes” us/The U.S.) with the $$ making, (not for me) play of Texas, which titled, a first in 63 seasons, 62 of which were completed and also that of two similar franchises, the Minnesota Vikings and New York Rangers.

On Sunday October 15th, the current (6-4) Minnesota Vikings, who still are, despite their nice run incredibly “long” to title, won on the road, the first of 5 straight wins, three away from home.

Minnesota, the state to which the original Washington Senators moved and became the Twins, similar to the Texas Rangers before their 2023 glory and originally the second incarnation of the Washington Senators with even less success, as the two franchises in all 4 major sports that had gone the longest sans even one title.

The Vikings, who like the Texas Rangers nee Washington Senators (the second) played their first season in same calendar 1961, have completed 62 seasons with no titles.

By the way, another Minne/Washington “notes link” : as twice both the Twins and Washington D.C. football team “titled” in the same year/season, that being 1987 and 1991, in each case a strike marred football season.

Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers triumph meant among many other things, none important, that the nickname Rangers had joined Giants and Cardinals as such with titles in 2 different major sports leagues. (Though I liked the AFL, I am not counting crowns won there, unless as was the case in its last two seasons, when respective AFL champions, the Jets (none since and what is this buying players, first the so annoying and once so good Rodgers and now rumors regarding Adams) and Chiefs won subsequent same season Supes. Thus no Oilers, despite the Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans, with Titans being the original nickname of the now Jets, winning the first two AFL crowns in 1960 and perhaps related 1961. Ditto “Jets/Jets” despite a number of WHA crowns for the Winnipeg Jets and Bobby Hull, he being one of a few truly sports greats to die in 2023).

The NHL Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cup crowns, but only one in 81 completed seasons from (1941-2022) with no NHL season in 1995, the year after the Rangers ended a 54 year/53 seasons title drought.

In fairness to both the Vikings and Rangers, there were some really good stretches of play manifesting in 4 final round losses for each team with the Rangers far more competitive (see 1950 vs Detroit when the circus forced hockey to “neutral” Toronto) than the “Vikes,” who never led in any of their Supe/final round losses.

This season’s Rangers, at the moment among the “faves” to win the title (note how little the “reg” means, see last year’s Bruins and only this year’s Bruins, they do not learn, have a better “showing” than the Rangers thus far) have gone (10-1) starting with a Saturday night road win in Seattle, vs the third year Kraken on October 21st.

They have amassed 21 of a possible 22 points and are 6 wins and 1 overtime loss (why not ties?!!) on the road during that period.

The similar franchises, the two Rangers and Vikings are (20-0-1) in road tilts, Texas, the one who has titled, (11-0) since a loss on the “reg’s” final day (October 1st) at Seattle (Mariners) dropped them from a “2” seed to a “5.”

Without meaning too much, save betting, the Vikes are (3-0) and the Rangers 13 of 14 possible points or an aforementioned (6-0-1) on the road.

Viking’s great, Jim Marshall, pictured below turns 86 on Dcember 30th, a birthday he shares with sports greats, Sandy Koufax, “Tiger” Woods and LeBron James.