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Nolan, JD give Hicks the total package
By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Any Rangers fans hoping for Nolan Ryan to step into his role as el Presidente with trigger finger blazing, firing a few practice brush backs before backward K-ing Jon Daniels' butt in June need to stop reading now.
JD is going to be around for a while. Probably as long as Nolan.
And while Owner Hicks said he and Nolan "kind of" have nailed down how long that exactly is, four seasons likely.
Hicks arrived at Surprise Campus proper Wednesday with news he is in the process of finalizing his deal with Nolan and an extension for JD that essentially syncs their Rangers tenures, joining them at the hip; Nolan's tenure to be judged in concert with JD's.
And this is a very, very good sign.
I realize this is a somewhat strange thing to say about signing on long term with a guy who has trading Chris Young, trading for Brad Wilkerson, failing to trade for Josh Beckett and just generally fielding ugly Rangers teams on his résumé. But JD inherited a big bag of nothing from John Hart and even really negative types acknowledge he's slowly building what looks to be the makings of a pretty solid organization.
He deserves a chance to finish what he started, with stability for an organization with a history of very little being an added bonus.
What I like most about this vote of confidence for JD is it has Nolan's, as well as Hicks', fingerprints everywhere. You do not, after all, bring in Nolan Ryan and dictate who his GM is.
Hicks admitted to me Wednesday that without Nolan's approval extending JD's deal, which already had this year and next remaining, was a nonstarter.
Nolan had and still has the right to fire anybody and everybody, if he so chooses. And him liking what he sees from JD enough to sign on with him for as long as he stays says a lot about what he has seen so far.
Of course, Nolan was not able to speak for himself.
He had been scheduled to arrive late Wednesday with details possibly finalized at a planned dinner. He had to request a rain check thanks to a certain former owner with an initial bigger than JD.
That's W., as in George W. Bush, as in president of the United States, as in the most powerful man in the free world. He invited Nolan to join him for lunch at the White House.
"I don't know any other team presidents who can go have lunch with the president," Hicks joked.
He had better hope Nolan was not pitching a hostile takeover when Dubya's day job ends. And forget talk of Nolan for owner.
His deal will contain no ownership stake, merely stock options in Hicks Sports Group and a little handholding and accountability for JD.
"I love the concept of teaming JD, with his out-of-the-box thinking and his intelligence and fresh approach, with Nolan's sage wisdom and knowledge of the game," Hicks said. "It's not exactly the same, but it's like Brett Hull and Les Jackson together are better than either of them by themselves."
And since he brought up his Stars co-GMs, a previously unheard of sporting anomaly, I feel required to say how much I love trading for wing Brad Richards upon having 24 hours to sleep on this.
He gives them a chance to win a Stanley Cup right now, this season.
And probably just as importantly, Hicks OKing this deal sends a message to Stars and Rangers and, yes, Liverpool coaches, players and fans that his American Express Black card still works.
He approved a $7.8 million contract, this season and beyond, with barely a pause. And this coming so soon after he recruited, landed and paid Nolan suggests a trend.
Hicks looks to be all in, again.
And, yes, I'm including his soccer enterprise in this.
"I'm not selling," Hicks said of Liverpool. "Not only am I not going to sell, my partner cannot sell without my approval. So I kind of have the ability to determine the outcome of what is going to happen and I am right in the middle of that... For a lot of reasons I can't discuss, I haven't been able to fix it yet, but I am preparing to be in a position to fix it."
What Hicks realizes better than just about anybody is the curative powers of winning. He was universally considered the best owner in our little slice of Texas back when his Stars were contending for Cups.
Nowadays, his approval rating is only slightly better than Nolan's lunch companion. At home. And abroad.
He sees better days ahead, though, with this Stars trade and whatever fix he has coming to Liverpool and news so far from Surprise, where JD looks to have his Rangers trending upward.
"I still think we're on the path we plan to be on, yet, we could spike up," Hicks said. "Don't count on it but, if we stay healthy, there is a chance that we could. I just like what I see."
So why not wait and see? Why give JD such a long extension, probably through 2012, now?
"I like the direction we're going," Hicks said.
Apparently, so does Nolan, and that is enough for me.
Jennifer Floyd Engel, 817-390-7760
jenfloyd@star-telegram.com
Star-Telegram.com: | 02/28/2008 | Nolan, JD give Hicks the total package