Sports & Recreation

Ron Washington stayed and Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Lee arrived, but nothing sparked the local baseball season more than the resurfacing of Hamilton. After a slow start, Hamilton lost a toe-tap timing mechanism in June and found his old swing. He again became one of baseball's best hitters, flirting with a home run/batting average/RBI Triple Crown that made us forget his horrible 2009 low-lighted by injuries and a certain Arizona episode involving whipped cream. Hamilton's power kept him among the leaders in dingers, but nothing signaled his return to glory more than a scorching liner against the Angels that bounded past the second baseman and all the way to the wall for a stand-up triple. Only Josh could take things that far.

Randy Galloway has a prominent radio show and Tim Cowlishaw a gig on ESPN's Around the Horn, but nobody in this market spins an ink-stained tale like Gil. Case in point: Who else could piss off not just a fan base, but an entire country? LeBreton's February 28 column was 1,235 words, not a one of which was "Nazi" or "Hitler" or "effyouhosers." Why, then, did seemingly all of Canada show up with fire and pitchforks, demanding an apology? Because Gil made a clever, daring—albeit controversial—analogy comparing the superfluous spirit and unbridled jingoism of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics to those held in Berlin in 1936. While LeBreton compared and contrasted a spirit, he reminded us all that the whole world has grown oversensitive, wholly oblivious to common sense yet simultaneously in detailed tune with the smallest speck of political incorrectness. Kudos.

Can we retire this trophy already? The giant German is pushing our policy on term limits with his unprecedented streak of consistent greatness. Again last season he was good; his surrounding cast not quite good enough. His critics call him soft and a playoff choker, but we call him the best player in Mavs franchise history. And it ain't even close. Last year he surpassed 20,000 points, set a franchise record with a dazzling 29-point fourth quarter in a memorable win over Utah, made his ninth NBA All-Star team and led the Mavericks to the playoffs. But the moment we all finally appreciated Dirk was in July when—if only for a day—we pondered life in the lottery without him after he opted out of his contract via free agency. Typical Nowitzki, however, he re-upped in Dallas. For less money.

The Mavericks traded for Caron Butler and the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant, but no local athlete made an immediate and lasting impact like Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee. Acquired in a July trade with the Seattle Mariners for a handful of prospects, Lee's first four starts were the stuff of legend. He came within two outs of pitching four consecutive complete games while striking out 25 and walking only one. Lee's command of the fastball is dazzling, as if he is placing marshmallows atop a cake. His emergence provided the Rangers with the pitching ace they coveted for, oh, 40 years and prompted them to bury their American League West foes. With Lee on the mound, for the first time in a long time the Rangers felt like a real, live Major League Baseball team.

Love him or loathe him, you watch him. Whether he's unplugged in the Channel 8 studios or underdressed in a funky Hawaiian shirt down at Dallas Cowboys training camp, what Hansen says matters. The other local sports talking heads deliver the highlights and insights, but Hansen shapes opinions by voicing his. He's got the ego to chastise Jerry Jones and the balls to ask this question of Cowboys' offensive coordinator Jason Garrett: "What does it say about a coaching staff that it had no idea what it had in Miles Austin? There's this talented guy right under your nose, but if it weren't for an injury you would have never given him his chance." That, my friends, is Hansen-style.

There are plenty of good camping options to be found within three or four hours of the metroplex, but few of them offer the kind of scenery, wildlife and rock climbing opportunities you'll find in Western Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. With a large herd of bison, the refuge is your best bet in the region for a true, in-the-wild glimpse of the beasts that used to roam this part of the country by the millions. It's also home to more than 240 species of birds, several prairie dog towns and more than 800 head of elk, all of which you might run into as you hike the many miles of nationally recognized hiking trails. So pack a tent, head out for a long weekend and get some fresh air in those lungs, city dweller. And make sure to stop in Meers for the world famous Meersburger—just don't ask for mayo, or they'll call you a sissy. It's Oklahoma, after all.

The Mavericks' Rodrigue Beaubois seemingly had this one wrapped up after he set career highs in points, rebounds and blocks during a 40-point offensive outburst on March 27 against the Golden State Warriors. But as surprised as we were to see the rookie backup guard dominate like Dirk, watching Rangers catcher Bengie Molina hit for the cycle on July 16 against the Red Sox was a true sports miracle. "Pigs have flown in Boston, Massachusetts," said Rangers TV play-by-play voice Josh Lewin as Molina—self-proclaimed as "one of the slowest guys in the world"—stopped at third base in the eighth inning with a stand-up triple to complete the historic feat while Lewin's partner, Tom Grieve, chuckled. Molina also managed to slug a grand slam as part of his big day, leaving no doubt that his performance was the best of what we didn't think we'd see this year.

Granted, it will be weird around here without Flozell Adams. And seeing Mike Modano in a Detroit Red Wings sweater will drive us crazier than bat shit. But on April 11 we lost a dear old friend that took hundreds of players' memories with it. A lot of us grew up with Texas Stadium, and were sad to see it go down. Just after dawn the world's most recognizable hole in the roof was imploded into a hole in the ground, symbolically tearing a hole in our heart. Christened by Tex Schramm, nurtured by Tom Landry and canonized by Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Texas Stadium was built by 17 National Football League Hall of Famers and destroyed by 2,700 pounds of dynamite. Just like that, in less than a minute, Texas' most recognizable architecture this side of The Alamo was gone. Texas Stadium, rest in pieces.

When former hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo balked at a contract extension and bolted for the Chicago Cubs following the 2009 season, the Rangers faced the difficult task of replacing someone who had been here for 15 years and was thought of as the best in the business. GM Jon Daniels considered hiring unproven fan favorite Rusty Greer, but he ultimately pulled the trigger on Clint Hurdle, who led the Colorado Rockies to the World Series in 2007 during his eight years as manager. While the offense hasn't been perfect this year, the combination of Hurdle's success and Jaramillo's rough year in Chicago proves a change was needed. The best evidence can be found in Josh Hamilton, who struggled last year while Jaramillo tried to eliminate his toe-tap and then made the adjustment under Hurdle and became an MVP candidate.

Hands down, the most consistently entertaining and highest-rated show on sports talk radio belongs to George Dunham, Craig Miller and Gordon Keith, weekdays 5:30-10 a.m. on KTCK-AM (1310) The Ticket. It's about sports. It's about life. It's about guys being guys. It's—most important—about domination. Dunham & Miller are at this point basically lapping the field in Arbitron ratings. Every hour their show attracts twice as many listeners as the offerings of KESN-FM (103.3) ESPN and KRLD-FM (105.3) The Fan. Combined. Over the years they've developed the perfect recipe for morning radio with tasty pinches of interviews, topical headlines via "Muse in the News" and heady, though sometimes homerish takes across our sports smorgasbord. If only the teams they covered were as good.

General Manager Jon Daniels tells us that when he imported Colby Lewis from Japan to join the rotation, he expected him to produce similar numbers to departed ace Kevin Millwood's 13 wins, 3.67 ERA and nearly 200 innings pitched in 2009. That projection appeared overly optimistic given Lewis' struggles to get big-league hitters out on a consistent basis while playing for several clubs throughout his career, along with his recent two-year absence from Major League Baseball while finding his rhythm with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Luckily, Lewis has proven capable of filling Millwood's shoes and plenty more. At 31, he has finally reached the promise he flashed as a first-round pick by the Rangers in 1999, and Daniels fortunately locked him up with an affordable contract that could keep him here for two more years.

To convince June Jones to leave Hawaii for the Hilltop, SMU athletic director Steve Orsini persuaded prominent boosters to cough up $1 million each to pay for the new football coach's five-year, $10 million contract. Last year, we saw why it was a shrewd move. After a dismal one-win debut, Jones and his pass-happy offense restored some dignity to the Mustang program. SMU, led by freshman quarterback Kyle Padron, finished 7-5 and earned its first bowl berth since 1984. And not only did SMU play in the Hawaii Bowl, they dominated a good Nevada team on Christmas Eve, 45-10. June Cometh, indeed.

Since Unleashed Indoor Dog Park shuttered its doors in early summer, more and more folks have returned to the outdoors, heading for shaded park benches and hoping for a bit of breeze in Dallas' various dog parks. But a quality dog park was never about air-conditioning in 100-degree heat, it's about a friendly community of regulars (dogs and parents). And the best place for canine and human interaction remains the White Rock Dog Park. Once there, you will find puggy pals and dirt-loving labs, along with their welcoming but doting mamas and papas, who pass the time in hours-long conversations that contain absolutely no judgment when the term "children" is used for creatures with four legs. Adding to the attractiveness of the park is that the city of Dallas keeps WRDP open from 5 a.m. to midnight daily (weather permitting), save a couple Mondays per month for maintenance.

What, you expected Tom Hicks? The Dallas Mavericks boss continues to do everything he can to put his basketball team in both the limelight and a position to win. Last season he helped host an NBA All-Star Game that drew a record crowd of 108,000 to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. He made the gutsy mid-season trade for Caron Butler and just this summer casually coughed up $3 million so his team could move up in the draft to select shooting guard Dominique Jones. And, of course, we can't forget his public feud with former Mavs owner Ross Perot Jr. Anyone who makes the rich look that silly gets our vote. Wait, he is the rich.

We proletarians out here in the cheap seats love us some baseball, but what we love even more is watching really rich guys fight over the size of their wallets. Petty jealousy you say? Oh, yeah, and it's deeeelicious. Num. So when an ownership group led by out-of-town rich guy Chuck Greenberg and local good ol' boy Nolan Ryan agreed to buy the Rangers in January from not-as-rich-as-he-used-to-be guy Tom Hicks, we knew something good was in store. The fun started when lenders owed around $600 million by Hicks Sports Group claimed they weren't getting paid enough from the sale. This forced Hicks to place the team into bankruptcy, where attorneys for the lenders successfully argued in federal court for an auction of the team, which brought rich-as-God-and-a-little-strange Mark Cuban and his fat checkbook into the picture. After bidding aggressively, Cuban and partner Jim Crane bowed out 16 hours after the scheduled auction time to a standing ovation. Not only did the lenders get the extra dough they'd hoped for, but Greenberg and Ryan kept the team. Cuban was gracious in defeat, leaving Tom Hicks the day's loser.

In the waning seconds of the Dallas Cowboys' 34-14 playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on January 9 in Arlington, veteran linebacker Keith Brooking approached head coach Wade Phillips and playfully yanked the monkey off his back. You could say a lot of things about Phillips and quarterback Tony Romo, but after that win you could no longer refer to them as losers. Felix Jones' 73-yard touchdown sealed the rout, Dallas' first post-season victory since December of 1996. In the giddy locker room owner Jerry Jones exclaimed, "The demons are what? Gone!" RIP, bastards.

It's hard to imagine now, but much of Dallas County was once farmland. Walking amongst the quaint barns and farmhouses of Penn Farm Agricultural History Center, it's a little easier to envision, however, with the peaceful sounds of birdsong and the quiet creaking of an old windmill serving as reminders of what our city lost along the way. Founded by John Wesley Penn in 1859, the farm stayed in the family for more than a century before eventually becoming part of Cedar Hill State Park. In a way, it's still a family farm, with lots of kids, graduates, young couples and proud parents taking advantage of the old buildings and bluebonnets for portraits every spring. Visit on a weekday afternoon and you might be the only person there, however—just make sure not to spook the black vultures we found nesting in the barn.

OK, we were wrong. With last season's 11-5 record, NFC East championship and playoff-game victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the guy we labeled "Dead Man Coaching" not only made it through the season but also became a winning head coach. Phillips took over as defensive coordinator in 2009 and his unit allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL. His press conferences still feed into our narcolepsy and he starts almost every friggin' answer with "Well, um." But the head coach who lost 40 pounds in the off-season also got the monkey off his back last season. With a 33-15 record and two division titles in three years, it's hard to call him "Stumbledoofus" anymore. So we'll give it a rest.

We followed around 16-year-old Jesuit junior Jordan Spieth, Dallas' next great golfer, at last spring's HP Byron Nelson Classic. Gotta admit, one of the coolest scenes we've experienced at a sporting event in a long time. The promise. The adrenaline. The talent. The hope. Spieth's gallery—concerned with popped-collar Polos more than etiquette—was refreshing. And it took Spieth, who flirted within three shots of the lead on Sunday before a costly double-bogey on 15, exactly one swing to prove he belonged with the big boys. His first drive was striped 300-plus down the middle of the fairway, past his pro playing partners. He finished at 4-under, with expectations for his future bubbling way over.

Just when we were wrapping our hearts and minds around Dallas-bred soccer idol Kenny Cooper, he up and goes overseas to play real futbol. Like my grandma used to say, "Nothing wrong with leftovers." And so it is with Colombian-born midfielder David Ferreira. In just his second season playing up at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Ferreira scored four goals during FC Dallas' mid-season six-game unbeaten streak and earned his first Major League Soccer All-Star appearance. Professional soccer still isn't popular out in the 'burbs, but with Ferreira FC Dallas has a chance to do something that transcends sports and cities—win.

Best All Around In Sports Texas Ranger C.J. Wilsons high school days were forgettable, but his performance on the mound is anything but. By Richie Whitt PHOTO BY MARK GRAHAM

At Fountain Valley High School in Southern California, it wasnt apparent that Christopher John Wilson was going to succeed.

If anything, hed have been voted Most Likely to Secede.

I was a total wallflower, he says of his forgettable high school days. I didnt exist. I was invisible. I actually hated it. I didnt want to study. I didnt want to socialize. All I wanted to do was make good enough grades, play baseball and get the hell out of there.

These days, C.J. Wilson is a little more extroverted. And a lot more successful.

Evidenced by his Taoist beliefs, color-coordinated gloves and willingness to talk about everything from pop culture to politics, he certainly hasnt conformed. What Wilson has done is matured into a solid teammate and a spectacular pitcher for the first-place Texas Rangers.

In a season that began with him in the bullpen and is ending with Cliff Lee in the rotation, Wilson is simply the Rangers best pitcher on what could be the franchises best team.

Hes been amazing. Consistent all year, said veteran teammate Michael Young. Hes come a long way for us. His stuff has always been top notch. Now hes learned how to pitch, how to channel his emotions. Hes become a legitimate star pitcher.

While Leethe supposed hired-gun ace acquired in a mid-season trade with the Seattle Marinershas struggled and every starter from Rich Harden to Tommy Hunter to Derek Holland has been inconsistent, Wilson has been Texas unlikeliest of anchors. After shutting out the Kansas City Royals in a late-August victory, Wilson lowered his ERA to a sparkling 2.88 and improved his record to 7-0 after the All-Star break.

For us, said manager Ron Washington, hes been the man. After he graduated from high school, Wilson went to Santa Ana Junior College and eventually finished college at Loyola Marymount. The Rangers selected him in the fifth round (141st overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. His road to the big leagues was detoured by season-ending elbow surgery in 2003 and, after sitting out a season rehabbing his elbow, he made his debut with the Rangers in 2005 by going 1-7 with a 6.94 ERA.

Wilsons quality was always tempered by his quirkiness. In 2008, for example, he ultimately became Texas closer and converted 24 of 28 chances. Earlier in the season, however, he amassed a gaudy 6.06 ERA during often disastrous stretches as a middle reliever. Late in that season, he drew the ire of fans and teammates whenafter being pulled from a game by Washingtonhe disrespectfully flipped the ball to the manager as he defiantly strode toward the dugout.

Its fair to say C.J. has done a lot of growing up, said general manager Jon Daniels. This whole team has, in fact. Its been fun to watch. After a solid season as Frank Franciscos setup man in 2009, Wilson lobbied for a spot in the Rangers rotation. And in spring training he earned it, nailing down the No. 3 spot after supplementing his pitches with a calmer persona. In his first 27 starts, the Rangers were a dazzling 21-6. Im a better pitcher than I used to be, he said. But Im still not your typical pitcher.

Wilson, 29, doesnt mind brushing back batters or ruffling feathers. He is the teams most direct link to the younger, hip generation. Wilsons interviews and blog posts have ripped everyone from his own teammates to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

He also, refreshingly, isnt afraid to turn his wit inward. After a late-August home victory over the Minnesota Twins, Wilson was asked about trying to snatch a line-drive single that sailed over his head, with his bare left pitching hand. Wilsons explanation?

Because Im a moron, he said, only half-joking. The reason I reached for it is the same reason I dove headfirst to get Derek Jeter out. Because I hate to give up hits, to let runners on. I hate to give up hits more than I love to be smart. Thats it. And because Im a moron. Did I already say that?

Wilson loves to Tweet. He has a Porsche fetish, and someday after baseball might pursue a career as a professional driver. He uses a blue glove when the Rangers wear blue and red when they wear red. He throws a gyroball, a slower pitch normally confined to the Japanese leagues. He adheres to what he calls a Straight Edge way of life, devoid of alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex. His tattoos include Straight Edge and the Japanese characters for Poison Free. Recently he began a post-game press conference by telling the media ReadySetSwarm! and ended the session with a catchy salutation: Spring Break party time. Gotta bounce. Wilson didnt fit in at Fountain Valley High.

Thankfully, his personality-enhanced performance makes him the best fit in the Rangers rotation to get them into the playoffs.

The veteran center gets the nod almost by default. He was the local hockey team's best player, but in one of its worst seasons. In a forgettable year that saw the Stars miss the playoffs with a 37-31-14 record (fourth-worst in the NHL's Western Conference), Richards was the team's most consistent scorer. In 80 games he produced 24 goals and 67 assists for 91 points, 20 more than the next Star. In an indication of just how bad a season it was, Richards was one of the best players despite having a plus/minus of -12. Unfortunately for Richards, the 2009-10 season won't be remembered for his decent play, but more so for the ugly debuts of coach Marc Crawford and general manager Joe Nieuwendyk and the sad departures of Marty Turco and Mike Modano.

Go to a Dallas Desire game ready to criticize the lack of tackling and the small crowds and the void of hard hits and, before you can say "Hey, this ain't real..." you'll get a shut-your-mouthful of, well, let's be  honest, tits 'n' ass. Past the skin there is also some decent, full-contact football as the Desire advanced to the Lingerie Football League's semifinals last year. But, come on, let's be honest. The attraction to the Desire, which graduated from Grand Prairie's Quick Trip Park to the Cotton Bowl, is that the players wear tiny, curve-hugging, bun-exposing panties and provocative bras, accented by what amounts to downsized shoulder pads and hockey helmets. There is cleavage. There are catcalls. And when the centers bend over to snap the ball between their legs, there is little left to the imagination. Here's to fantasy football.

Vladimir Guerrero. Cliff Lee. Colby Lewis. Need we go on? It's been a long road for the Texas Rangers general manager to make it from 20-something punch line to savvy veteran brainiac. But, what do ya know, here he is. The same guy who traded Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez to the San Diego Padres for Adam Eaton and who dealt John Danks to the Chicago White Sox for Brandon McCarthy is suddenly giving his team a competitive advantage with his crafty maneuvering. Because of Jon Daniels, the Rangers have the best farm system in baseball. His deal that netted the Rangers Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz for Mark Teixeira remains one of the best trades in metroplex sports history. Daniels has taken a beating. Time for him to take a bow. Or two.

And to think, he only entered the starting lineup in Week 5 after an injury to Roy Williams. What a debut it was. Filling in for Williams, the undrafted free agent from tiny Monmouth College caught 10 passes for a franchise-record 250 yards including the game-winning touchdown in overtime in a season-altering victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. With soft hands, uncanny escapability from defensive backs and blinding speed, Austin went on to lead the Cowboys in receiving yards and touchdown catches and make the Pro Bowl. In a season in which Williams was supposed to ascend to stardom, it was Austin who became Dallas' No. 1 receiver. Just for kicks, Austin has made two Sports Illustrated covers and started dating Kim Kardashian. Please, don't pinch him.

With the boxed body of the Big 12 Conference seemingly sawed into pieces and displaced from coast to coast, the embattled commissioner of our state's prestigious football fraternity dramatically, magically reassembled the body parts into a living, breathing, working whole. The result is that the Big 12 lives, rebooted and repackaged as a leaner, stronger-than-ever conference eternally bonded by tradition, unity and loyalty. Not bad for a conference that was twice pronounced dead during a chaotic May. Thankfully, Dan Beebe is David Blaine. His trick? Beebe didn't use smoke or mirrors or duct tape. He kept the Big 12 together via dollar bills. Greed begat the Big 12. Greed almost tore it apart. And in the end, mo' money saved it. Colorado and Nebraska will be gone come 2011 but, thanks to Beebe, the Big 12 will live on.

It pales in comparison to Jerry Jones' $1 billion stadium in Arlington, but for less than $190 you can hack it around one of Texas' premier tracks. If you don't mind the constant stream of thunderous airplanes that use Cowboys' 18th fairway to line up a runway, you can almost convince yourself you've left the metroplex. Dramatic elevation changes. Unique views. And, far as we can tell, not a blade of grass out of place. Even the putting green—shaped like a star, of course—is immaculate. Inside the clubhouse are replica Super Bowl trophies. Outside, you might just run into Cowboys such as Tony Romo. For your exorbitant fee, you get range balls, golf and all the food and non-alcoholic drinks you can inhale. Sample the jalapeño sausage near the 14th tee. You won't be sorry. Until the next day.

Just when Ron Washington appeared on the fast track out of Arlington after disappointing seasons in his first two years as manager, Wash saved his job by leading the Rangers to a surprising 87 wins last year, but we learned in March that he tested positive for cocaine while doing so. Despite the implausible claim that it was his only time trying it and his subsequent admission to taking amphetamines as a major-league player and smoking pot in the minors, management stuck with him and somehow the label as a druggie never did. The issue fizzled quickly and now that Texas is headed toward its first playoff appearance in more than a decade, Wash's name is being tossed around as a candidate for the league's manager of the year, which seemed impossible for a guy who spent nine months in outpatient counseling as a result of testing positive for an illegal drug.

Seems a safe bet that this is one of the most competitive categories in this whole damn issue. In this corner, you have Eric Nadel, iconic radio voice of the Texas Rangers for more than 30 years. In this corner, you have Ralph Strangis and Darryl Reaugh, the only hockey announcers North Texas has ever known. Yet standing in the middle, stiff-arming the competition, stands Brad Sham, Dallas' version of Vin Scully. Yes, he roots for the Cowboys. But he does it eloquently, almost subtly, somehow without being a homer. And he's by no means a shill for Jerry Jones, evidenced by his memorable, disgusted calls of a rare catch by Martellus Bennett and an all-too-familiar drop by Roy Williams.