There is only one day scheduled where the Cowboys and Rangers play at the same time on the same night. On August 22nd, the Cowboys play the Atlanta Falcons in their third and final exhibition game of the pre-season. That same night, the Rangers will host the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field. There are no other conflicts that could occur on Sundays throughout September, but when the Rangers are home, the Cowboys are away and vice versa.
I check this every year, knowing that I will be at GLF for the Sunday games, and many times I have walked straight to AT&T for the later Cowboys game. It is the kind of daily double that we should not take for granted. Arlington is a special place. Like Arlington, Kansas City, Detroit, and Philadelphia, among others, have venues that are close enough in proximity to share parking lots. In each of those places, it is a special day when both teams are home. When the Phillies and Eagles play the same day, the local hardware stores can’t keep batteries on the shelf. The stadiums in KC are in the middle of nowhere, but the footprint is huge and the vibe is awesome. If the Chicago football team happens to be playing in Detroit, you’ve got Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!
The point is, while traffic will be a nightmare on August 22nd, to have four professional teams in our city is awesome. And actually, there is a chance for one more conflict between the two professional sports residents of Arlington. The Cowboys play at home on October 19th with kickoff scheduled for 3:25pm. A month ago, I would have said there is no chance the Rangers would be playing on 10/19. Suddenly, I am saying it is possible.
The 2025 Texas Rangers have been a study in frustration, repetitiveness, and perseverance. They charged out of the blocks early, surging to an 8-2 start. Ten games down and just 152 to play. Well, for the next ninety games, they were mediocre at best. Since we were expecting this team to be as good as it started, mediocrity was tough to take. The pitching was as good as it has ever been, right from the start. But the offense was downright offensive. April was as mediocre as it gets; the record was 13-13, same for June. The 12-16 record compiled in May was sub-mediocre. After 100 games, the record was 50-50. Then came July, and things started to turn around. The offense showed signs of life, and the pitching remained great.
The resurgence is a credit to the players, first and foremost. They battled through injuries and the kind of slumps that most of them have never experienced before. Bruce Bochy and the coaching staff did a great job, too. They tried everything to get this team headed in the right direction. They sat players down, they sent players down, all while trying to make sure they didn’t get down on themselves. The old school tactics seem to have worked. There is still a lot of baseball left to be played, but I like the ceremonial second half better than the games before the All-Star Break.
Remember, too, that Bruce Bochy wins every other year. When he managed the Giants, they won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Here in Texas, he is giving the odd numbers a chance, having won in 2023 and hoping to lead the team to a World Series win in 2025.
So if you run into a lot of traffic on the night of August 22nd, be patient with it and realize that very few cities get the opportunity to enjoy two or more professional teams in such close proximity. And then brace yourself for October 19th. You see, the 22nd is a preseason game and a regular season game. On October 19th, the Cowboys play division rival the Washington Commanders and if the Rangers are still playing it would be game 6 or 7 of the American League Championship Series. I’m sayin’ there’s a chance.
Sports columnist John Rhadigan is the host of
The Rangers Podcast on DLLS Sports.
