Baseball Playoff Matchup of Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays Prompts Friendly Wager Between Airport CEOs

(DFW AIRPORT, TX – September 29, 2011) – With the Texas Rangers set to face the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball’s American League Division Series starting Friday, Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport CEO Jeff Fegan and Tampa International Airport (TPA) CEO Joe Lopano have made a friendly wager.

If the Rangers win the series, Lopano will wear a Rangers cap at his next board meeting.  If the Rays win the series, Fegan will wear a Rays cap at his next board meeting.

"This bet is a no-brainer for me, because we are confident the Texas Rangers will repeat last year's playoff victory over the Rays with the full support of DFW Airport and the entire Dallas/Fort Worth community," said Fegan.  "After DFW's home run yesterday in landing Emirates daily flights to Dubai, we're sure the Rangers will continue their own record-breaking season all the way to the World Series.  All I really need to know is whether Joe would prefer his Rangers cap in red or blue."

“I fully expect to win this bet,” Lopano said. “The Rays made it into the playoffs in a thriller of a game on Thursday night, scoring eight runs to win after being down 7-0. That kind of can-do spirit shows the team has what it takes not just to win this series, but to go all the way to the World Series. First, the Tampa airport landed new direct flights to Zurich. Now the Rays are on their way to becoming champions. It just goes to show you that exciting things are brewing in the Tampa region.”

Lopano left his position as executive vice president for marketing and terminal management at DFW late last year to assume the leadership of Tampa International Airport.