Tom Hicks

I realize that the sale of the team will not actually take place today, and that Bud Selig's "deadline" is really just to establish which group will get exclusive negotiating rights to buy the team, but my feelings are still the same.

There are no numbers or stats that support my feelings, simply a strong tug on my gut that really just wants to see Tom Hicks tip his hat and leave the organization.

It's no secret that the Texas Rangers are for sale. Owner Tom Hicks is ready to hand the reins of the franchise to someone else. Like many sports fans, I was taken aback by the rumors that Rush Limbaugh was in contention to purchase the St. Louis Rams. I was not surprised that a rich celebrity with no connection to professional sports would want to purchase an NFL team. I was confused about why such expenditures are relatively uncommon for wealthy idiots. The only interesting person currently in the running to buy the Rangers is Nolan Ryan. And let's face it, he's no Limbaugh.

On Tuesday, Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks announced his intentions to sell off as much as 49 percent of his investments in the Texas Rangers.

Hicks purchased the team on Jan. 7, 1998, from a group headed by the soon-to-be President of the United States George W. Bush. At the time Hicks bought the team for $250 million, and this past April's Forbes Magazine valued the team now at $412 million, ranking 16th out of the 30 Major League Baseball teams.