Maybe the Texas Rangers do really want to market the Rangers name and that’s why they negotiated to reacquire the name of their ballpark from embattled mortgage company Ameriquest three years into a 30-year, $75 million agreement – or 27 years early.

Or maybe they’re just waiting for a better deal.

The team spoke of its desire to push the Rangers brand. That’s why the stadium will now be known as the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, rather than the simpler, pre-Ameriquest Field, the Ballpark in Arlington.

In these days of squeezing revenues from every corner, it’s still unusual for a team to use a traditional non-corporate team name for its venue.

The Dolphins did it, only after living with the name of a shuttered apparel company, Pro Player, for five years. In 2005, the team renamed its home, Dolphins Stadium. Last year, the team switched the name again to Dolphin Stadium without the final ‘s,’ and launched a stadium specific logo and spoke glowingly of turning the stadium into a destination on the scale of Wembley Stadium in London or Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

The branding also coincided with the stadium’s ongoing $250 million renovation that is widening concourses, adding bars, restaurants and lounge areas.

Meanwhile, Rangers President Jeff Cogen is no stranger to naming rights negotiations. Not only did he oversee the deal with Ameriquest, but Cogen, who previously served as chief operating officer of the Panthers, negotiated the deal that put Office Depot atop the Sunrise arena in 2002 after National Car Rental’s parent company filed for bankruptcy. The arena was renamed BankAtlantic Center in 2005.

STADIUM GRUB

And speaking of stadiums, concessionaire Aramark is cutting the trans fats out of its cooking oils at 13 baseball stadiums this season. Aramark does not have a contract at Dolphin Stadium, where the Marlins play.