Patrick Mahomes, Troy Aikman and NFL world react as Rangers lift first ever World Series title
On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers won the World Series for the first time in their 63-year history, winning 5-0 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix in Game 5.
It was their third try at the Commissioners' Trophy, after back-to-back losses in 2010 and 2011. The first time, they were routed in five games by the burgeoning even-numbered dynasty that was the San Francisco Giants. And then the following season, they were leading the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2, only to blow multiple game-winning strikeouts in Game 6 and allow a walk-off home run from David Freese.
But 2023 had a different vibe to it. Led by eventual series MVP Corey Seager, the Rangers were very efficient, dispatching the 101-win Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, and then dethroning the Houston Astros in the ALCS before dominating the Diamondbacks.
NFL players, past and present, reacted with glee:
The Rangers won the best-of-seven- series 4-1 in the end, also setting an MLB record of 11 straight wins on the road in the postseason.
After the Rangers' WS win, could the Cowboys add to their Super Bowl tally?
While the overall atmosphere surrounding the Texas Rangers’ win has been mostly that of joy and relief, there are those who cannot help but mock the Dallas Cowboys for their 21st-century futility.
The Cowboys last won the Super Bowl in 1995-96, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then, they have failed to reach even just the NFC Championship Game, with multiple Wild Card and Divisional Round ousters since then. Meanwhile, the NBA’s Mavericks, the NHL’s Stars, the aforementioned Rangers, and even the XFL’s Renegades have won at least one title during that period.
The last two defeats were marked by bad play calling in the final seconds of each game. First, in 2021, Dak Prescott failed to go out of bounds to stop the clock, then prematurely ended the game by spiking the ball. Then in 2022, running back Ezekiel Elliott attempted to play center and was punished for it, causing his quarterback to overthrow a pass.
This season, they are 5-2, good for second in the NFC East, scoring at least 20 points in their wins but fewer than that in their losses.