Sports & Recreation

The cheaper the pleasure, the happier we are — which is why we always leave Tempe Town Lake smiling after a good paddle. For just $25 a year for residents, $50 for non-residents, you can launch a kayak into the water anytime during lake hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and paddle till your arms feel like anchors. We launch from the beach near the Mill Avenue bridge and try to hit both east and west boundaries to make a nearly four-mile run, which is a great workout. If you don't own a boat, try renting a single or double kayak at the kiosk on the lake's south side. Going during twilight or at night is a treat, especially as a way to cheat the summer sun. You may even see wildlife: We've gotten closeup shots of pelicans this year and saw a beaver swimming next to the boat. The water's not too icky — we promise. (True, a general ban on swimming is in effect because of high alkalinity and other potential pollution, but boating is considered safe.) Whether from fear of the water or other reasons, though, few people kayak on the Town Lake — and the solitude you'll find is just one more great reason to go.

There are few places in downtown Phoenix where you can run unimpeded by traffic. One of those places is the Grand Canal. If you're looking for a nice three-mile jog, start at 15th Avenue and head east. Run by Brophy and Central, past the Brophy baseball field to Seventh Street. Turn around and jog back to 15th Avenue. Boom — you got your three miles in, and you had to cross only two main streets. While you're running, you might also catch a glimpse of the humongous fish that call the canal home. So, the next time you see someone fishing along the bank of the canal, you'll know with a certainty that they aren't crazy — there really are fish in there.

While the point of many hikes is the scenery on the journey, that's not always the case. Sometimes, the hike itself isn't incredibly spectacular (once the beauty of the Arizona desert has sunk in), but there's a reward at the mid-point that feels so gratifying. One such hike is to the Taliesin Overlook, which is reached from the Lost Dog Wash Trailhead, at the end of 124th Street, north of Via Linda, in Scottsdale. There are a few trails up here, but this moderate hike alongside the McDowell Mountains leads to exactly what it sounds like — a view of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. Just as a note, the overlook isn't exactly in Taliesin's backyard, and you'll see a lot of housing built into the desert. That said, if you're a nature purist whose hike is going to be ruined by seeing housing, lighten up. It's a cool view.

There are quite a few accessible hikes for all ages and levels within the big city, including a handful at South Mountain, but for beginners to experience the best that a day hike has to offer (without feeling so much strain that it brings on feelings of loathing for the outdoors), a trip to McDowell Mountain Preserve is in order. It takes about an hour to drive to this sprawling park way out east in Scottsdale, but it's well worth the time to traverse the 40 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback-riding trails. Aptly named, the Scenic Trail takes hikers through a 3.5-mile meandering path that begins in easy washes and then gently slopes up and through the Lousley Hills. As you follow the loop, you'll stumble on incredible sights like the silhouette of Four Peaks in the distance, the lush land surrounding the nearby Verde River, and classic Sonoran Desert features like fallen saguaro. After a couple hours of hiking, sprawl out for a picnic in the ramadas near the trailhead, or swing through Fountain Hills to quickly get back to civilization and stop for brunch.

There's much more to Sedona than red rocks, New Age-y retreats, and resorts for out-of-towners. Heading north from Phoenix? Drive through the tourist-crowded city center and into Oak Creek Canyon. Although a ton of great trails surround Sedona, the ultimate must-visit is West Fork. The first portion of the trail — great for families and casual hikers — has plenty of great views of tall, colorful cliff faces, and high desert forest. And it doesn't take long to get to the popular swimming area with sloping rocks to slide down. The creek runs across the trail multiple times, so be prepared to cross over it using fallen logs and slippery stones. But, boy, does it feel good to stop and dip your toes in the cool, fresh water. The views only get better as you hike farther in, and things get pretty quiet after the first couple of miles. Spring and fall are the best seasons to hike West Fork, but summer is wonderful, too. Temperatures most likely will be in the 90s, and the trail is mostly shaded by trees.

A hike of six miles, Trail 53 into Siphon Draw and onward to Flatiron is a perfect representation of the vibrant desert of the Superstitions — and the harsh reality of hiking them. Starting as a gently elevating walk through the wildflower-speckled foothills, the trail veers upward through the smooth and massive draw (which can present the hiker with occasional waterfalls) and through a scrambling, shaded canyon to the top of Flatiron. Along the trail, the scenery morphs constantly, starting from rolling hills to smooth rock surfaces, then a boulder-filled canyon, and eventually the plateau of Flatiron covered in shrubs near the fantastic rock formations at the true summit. In the winter especially, the transition is vivid; coming from the warm and dry desert at the bottom, the summit is a cold and windy place and can even have a bit of snow to offer respite and amusement after a long, tough hike. This difficult hike is a beautiful challenge for those willing to witness the dynamic qualities of the desert along the climb, most visible and most enjoyed without the summer heat weighing you down.

This monument of a mountain looms over the surrounding desert between Phoenix and Superior, offering up one of the trickiest hikes near the Valley. (Take the unmarked dirt road to the Saddleridge Trail on the left, which ends at the trailhead parking lot.) It is not the length or elevation gain that makes this hike so difficult (though at nearly four miles in length and just under 2,000 feet gained, it is no easy feat); it is the exposure and lack of trail markers that truly challenge the hiker.

Starting easy along a small section of the Arizona Trail, Picketpost veers off toward the mountain to pursue a steep, cairn-marked trail lined with some of the biggest saguaros to witness your seemingly self-guided journey. A trail beginning with steep switchbacks, the hiker confronts it eventually with an even steeper ascent up rock-scramble canyons, slippery ridges, and bare rock cliff walls. But no tough hike would be complete without a rewarding summit, and the plateau top of Picketpost gives the successful climber an old mailbox to log your accomplishment, accompanied by a spectacular view of the East Valley and the backside of the superstitions. A hard hike along a rough trail, Picketpost Mountain is an achievement to be sure, but not for the faint of heart — literally or figuratively.

You'll need thighs of steel (or at least a hell of a granny gear) to complete this ride in one push. With our middling level of fitness and bike gearing set more for speed on the flats, we can't reach the summit without frequent rest stops. Yet we go back again and again. Why? This hill is the toughest — and sweetest — challenge for road biking in Phoenix. Some compare it to a shorter version of the legendary Mount Verdoux (part of the Tour de France), in terms of both scenic beauty and heart-pounding exertion. From the Central Avenue park entrance, you'll climb grades of 5 percent to 8 percent for 5.5 miles to Dobbins Lookout; it's a little farther if you go to the TV towers. The smooth asphalt makes for an E-ticket descent with treacherous drop-offs, so make sure your steed is in good shape. Eleven or 12 miles is short for a road-bike ride; most locals do the summit trail as part of a longer adventure, such as the round-the-mountain ride on Riggs Road that will add at least 40 miles to the trip. We've done that several times but also enjoy biking to the entrance and just cranking the hill. For us, it's always a major workout — and always fun.

Smack in the heart of the Valley, running through one of the country's largest urban preserve lands, Trail 100 takes you past awe-inspiring desert mansions, middle-class to upscale neighborhoods, picnic areas, and, most of all, miles of near-nothingness — just the placid Sonoran Desert. Sixth-largest city? Where? We typically start at the joke of a parking lot at Tomahawk Trail and Tatum Boulevard, which has a grand total of six spaces. Get there early and prepared for a long haul across challenging single-track. Though not as technical for the hardcore among you, we have to get off the bike on one rocky hill twice — once because it's too nuts to descend, and again on the return trip going up because our legs aren't strong enough. That part's west of the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, which passes under the Piestewa Peak freeway. To make it a full 10 miles or so one way, we ride all the way to Cave Creek and Thunderbird roads before turning around. Hours of free thrills.

We love Let It Roll because someone was smart enough to revamp this old bowling alley (all new lanes and equipment) to make it a delightful place in which to bowl, while retaining a bit of the shabby interior to keep us comfortable. And the prices, though not exactly vintage, are way more reasonable than at those newfangled, fancy bowling alleys. Our favorite features: the vintage murals depicting partying Sunnyslopers and the fact that the bowling alley is adjacent to a better-than-decent Mexican restaurant.

If you've ever ridden a bike around downtown Phoenix, you know the conditions are hostile and bumpy, at best. The city has few bike lanes, and those that do exist sporadically end and restart without warning. Drivers in the city often are unaware of cyclists, which results in a lot of close calls or worse. Not to throw around the title "hero" lightly, but earlier this year, the Phoenix Spokes People proved commitment to the cycling cause, which resulted in a budget increase for cycling infrastructure 30 times the previous years' allotment. Though tireless and dedicated attendance at 19 city budget hearings, the PSP proved that cycling exists in Phoenix and needs to be protected and encouraged to burgeon everything from local business spending to healthy living. Thus, in a heroic show of devotion to bicycles, Phoenix Spokes People, in part, got the City of Phoenix's cycling infrastructure budget raised from $50,000 to $1.5 million. Hats off to the PSP for making Phoenix that much more livable.

At Mitchell, the large leash-free park near Arizona State University, the pet-watching is good and the people-watching even better. The 30-something girl who looks like a hip barista but actually is a post-grad in water science. The amiable drunk who feels compelled to guess the original pedigree of every mutt he meets. Don't get us wrong, though — most folks who go there are friendly and fairly normal. It's just that Mitchell, located just off University Drive, seems to have a wider variety of humanity than, for example, the much larger dog park at the Hardy Sports Complex in south Tempe, which attracts more family types and elderly people. Best of all, the park feels secure and it's kept up nicely by city employees. And those people we mentioned? They're very good about cleaning up after their dogs.

The things we look for in dog parks are space, water, parking, security, and safety for our pets. The Rose Mofford Dog Park on 25th Avenue scores on all these points. For one, the park is huge and offers plenty of space for dogs to run free. It also has separate areas for small and large dogs. There's plenty of parking, and you'll find some nice shade trees, benches, and plenty of water for your pup.

This place is better than SeaWorld, if you prefer looking at human creatures and tattoos wild enough to shame a school of clownfish. Yet beyond the people-watching experience is a water park that would should make any desert city proud. The many waterslides are first-rate, with at least three — Raging River, Tornado, and especially Mammoth Falls — providing more than our daily recommended intake of adrenaline. We won't soon forget Mammoth Falls, which propels a four-seater raft off a cliff so steep that we weren't sure it would stay upright. Then, after the raft shot up the wall on the other side, we got to experience that lovely "I'm gonna die!" feeling for the second time in less than 30 seconds. Screams of delight (with a dash of terror) all around. Our younger kid, who felt comfortable only on the tamest slides, had a great time in the wave pool and Wet 'n' Wild Jr., a multi-level children's section with ramps and bridges, spraying jets and bucket-loads of water that periodically fall on the heads of the unsuspecting. Just don't expect all this for cheap. Price: $38.99 for adults, $29.99 for kids. (Better deals exist for frequent visitors.) Still, it's the best water bill you'll ever pay.

You know what it feels like to do a face-flop? We do, thanks to one of the two three-meter high-dives at the McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center. This flop literally put blisters on our forehead and gave us a mild headache. But . . . hurts so good! The calamity occurred after about 10 joyous jumps, dives, and somersaults from the high dives and before another 10. Yeah, we were having fun, and maybe showing off for the kiddos. Speaking of the munchkins — the three-meter boards are awesome fear-facing educational devices. When we were done with the thrills, it was time for a spin on the relaxing, 600-foot-long lazy river, shooting down the slide, and bouncing a beach ball in the kids' playpool. The center also has a large main pool for lap-swimmers if you want to get serious. Though a bit of a drive from central Valley locations, the fancy layout and architecture, plus the rising ridgelines of the nearby McDowell Mountains, make for a visual treat. It's mellower than a full-blown water park and much less expensive: $9 for adults and $6 for kids — cheaper if you're a Scottsdale resident. When the parents of your kids' friends get tired of you hanging out at their place all summer, the Aquatic Center is a great heat-beating alternative.

This landmark resort is home to a quite a few memorable pools. Among the Arizona Biltmore's smaller pools, there's the private Ocatilla pool which remains exclusive to the guests of the hotel's luxury Ocatilla suites. Then, of course, there's the Catalina pool, which, according to the hotel, was a favorite of Marilyn Monroe's. But our first choice? The Paradise Pool. This large oasis, originally built in 1930, is the centerpiece of the hotel's outdoor accommodations — and for good reason. The Paradise Pool offers a 92-foot waterslide, poolside bar, private cabanas, and stunning Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture by Albert Chase McArthur. Whether you're looking to soak up some sun, watch an evening flick from the comfort of your inner tube, or simply take in a bit of Phoenix history, the Paradise Pool at the Arizona Biltmore is a preferred poolside retreat of Arizona natives.

Las Vegas is so close that it's almost pointless to gamble in the Valley, but, hey, sometimes you get an itch that you just have to scratch. Normally, we don't love nearby casinos, where the smoky haze is so thick you could cut it with a knife and we always feel as though we're getting taken by the dealers, but at least on the Talking Stick casino floor, things feel bright and new. You're less likely to get creepy looks from the strange, companion-less dudes in the crowd, and the dealers will usually crack a joke, or at least a smile, while they take your money. The slot machines are updated and though you won't find many low-limit machines, we've won enough times that we're usually willing to risk a small chunk of change. The 15-story, 497-room hotel also has a pretty good selection of restaurants and several comfortable bars to hide out in once your cash is all gone.

Man, would we love to get our hands on an Ice Cold Beer again. And we ain't talking 'bout a frosty pint containing an amber alcoholic concoction. Rather, we're eager to get our fill of the addicting mechanical game from 1983 that vexed us plenty (and claimed an hour or two of our lifespan) over an April weekend at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel during ZapCon. This intoxicating (and decidedly rare) arcade stand-up, which involves maneuvering silver balls vertically into various scoring holes while avoiding pitfalls, is like upright skeeball, a blast to play, and one of dozens of vintage coin-operated gems at the retro arcade and pinball convention. Local old-school gamers at ZapCon got to test their hand-eye coordination on the 100-plus flipper-powered contraptions like Centaur and hard-to-find quarter-eaters Bosconian and Forgotten Worlds. And they have two of their own, Zack Johnson and Wes Cleveland, to thank for the trip through the warp zone. The pair culled together the antiquated pixilated distractions from the private stashes of Arizona game collectors, set every single one to "free play" mode, and let in the public for a bleepin' good time. They even organized some specialized programming, including a performance by Nintendo cover band Minibosses, pinball tournaments, and screenings of such joystick-oriented documentaries as High Score and Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball. We're waiting with bated breath and nimble fingers for Johnson and Cleveland to announce when ZapCon will return for next April, when ZapCon will return for a second round, especially if it nabs us another taste of Ice Cold Beer.

Gamers, for the most part, are known for being creatures of the night. That's why you'll find them hanging out on Steam into the wee hours, participating in frag-fests at marathon LAN events, or staying up late at the Microsoft Store at Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall for its midnight release parties. Hundreds of gamers from around the Valley wait in line for upwards of four hours or more to get into the affairs, which start at 10 p.m., to get their hands on whatever hot Xbox title — including the newest entry into Madden, Halo, or Call of Duty franchises — is about to drop. Attendees can preview and play the game on the store's networked Xboxes for a few hours before getting their copy when the clock strikes 12. Each party offers unabashedly nerdy fun, with some coming in costume celebrating the respective game (like the Stormtroopers who showed up for the Star Wars: Kinnect event) and local nerdcore rapper Mega Ran performing his Nintendo-inspired rhymes. The store also goes all out with the gamer fuel (read: pizza and soda), organizes tournaments, and gives away some primo swag. It's like a see-and-be-seen affair for geeks.

Pinball mythology dictates that the best pinball machines — and nearly all confirmed pinball wizards — are lurking in darkened corners of forgotten bars, covered in a portentous film of cigarette smoke. That's still the dream — unfortunately, the reality is that most bars have realized they can do better business in that spot with Golden Tee. Phoenix's remaining pinball apprentices, then, have Castles -n- Coasters' arcade to thank for an increasingly rare phenomenon: more than one pinball machine in the same place. Despite culling some of their tables a few years back, Castles -n- Coasters maintains a solid mix of older machines and newer movie tie-in models. So put some credits into The Addams Family (or the less-disappointing-than-the-movie Phantom Menace "Pinball 2000" machine) and, if it helps, try to pretend that the buttons are staining your fingers yellow.

After an adrenaline-fueled morning at K1 Speed, we're no longer cynical about the future of electric cars. The 20-horsepower karts at K1 are wicked-fast, zooming up to 45 miles per hour — easily as good as the gas-powered vehicles we've driven at other kart tracks and with no annoying fumes. Fourteen laps for $26 (six bucks for a membership and $20 for a race, with discounts available for buying more races) is well worth the experience of doing things in a car that you normally can't do without risking a trip to the hoosegow. Like, for instance, wrestling with the steering wheel to maintain control in a high-speed, rubber-screeching turn. All the while, the electric motor smoothly boosts the g-forces at every chance, even reaching a satisfying growl at max speed. Maybe it's time to trade in the pickup for a Tesla Roadster.

Important batting-cage questions to ask: Is the price right? Is it open late? Are the cages tall and long enough that admiring your shot is an option? Is the machine's command of the strike zone Diamondbacks Randy Johnson or Expos Randy Johnson? Home Run Stadium, Mesa's most optimistically named batting cage, ticks off three yeses and one Diamondbacks. It meets all the secondary batting cage requirements, too. There's an arcade and a concession stand, not to mention shade and air conditioning for when you have to pretend you're not tired after your first token. If you're much more serious about this than the average slow-pitch softball slugger, private hitting lessons and team rentals are an option. It's a little difficult to endorse a batting cage that isn't connected to a giant waterpark or a pirate-themed miniature golf course, but remember that you won't have to compete with the lazy river for the maintenance guy.

Glendale's Camelback Ranch is one of the newest spring training facilities in the Cactus League, as it opened in 2009. It's perhaps the most beautiful spring training complex in the Valley, including walking trails, an orange grove, and a lake stocked with fish. We think the stadium itself is the most aesthetically pleasing in all of baseball, with desert colors found everywhere and a rusty-looking metal construction that's unlike any baseball stadium you've ever seen. There's just one huge drawback — it's the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. No worries, it's also home to the Chicago White Sox — so there's a way to avoid seeing the most hated baseball club in Arizona. If you're going to catch a spring training game, this is definitely the place to go.

There's a lot to not like about Arizona Grand. It isn't 7,200 yards long. It sits next to a freeway. You have to use plastic balls on the practice range. But then there's the 18th hole. You make the walk uphill from 17, having spent an undue amount of time whacking your ball out of the sandy desert landscape that makes up the back nine. Your fatigue from the front nine — a minefield of rolling hills and giant water hazards — is catching up with you. But then there's the 18th hole. Par 3, 202 yards, with Camelback Mountain and the entire city of Phoenix in all its sun-baked glory in the distance. You hit your ball, misjudge the 30-yard difference in altitude between you and the hole, overshoot it to an embarrassing degree. You check your scorecard, think about how much you hate this course. But then there's the 18th hole, and you can't wait to get out there again.

It's summer, and when it's summer, it's very, very hot outside, and when it's very, very hot outside, the last thing you want to do is smack around a tiny white ball in stuffy golf attire. So you show up to the course in a T-shirt and sandals, and when you get to the fourth hole, you take those off, too. Don't worry; this is Shalimar, where the grass isn't so green and the sand traps are rock-solid, but where you also can get nine holes on a cart for less than $20, and on a hot summer day, you'll have all 4,800 yards of public golf course to yourself. Well, you might have to share it with the Hipster Duck, a maverick with a mohawk who likes to hang around hole nine. But don't worry; he's cool.

When the summer heat starts to cook every single body in Phoenix, an inborn signal goes off, much like the internal clock in geese that tells them to fly south to avoid the cold of winter. The easiest place to run away for the day is Flagstaff, but for a true break from the heat, your final destination shouldn't be the city proper. Head a little farther northwest into the Coconino National Forest to find Lava River Cave, a unique natural formation created when a volcano erupted some 700,000 years ago. As you head underground, be prepared for the overwhelming desire to bundle up underneath a cozy sweatshirt. The temperature in the caves is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, making them the perfect place to escape from the oppressive Sonoran Desert heat. This mile-long tubular cave is surrounded on all sides by hardened lava flows, so the surface is slick, bumpy, and totally unlike anything else you've ever set foot on. Wear comfy shoes, bring a jacket, and make sure to have a bright flashlight — better yet, one headlamp per person.

Don't be scared — it's just Mexico. Sure, Americans do sometimes die in Nogales, but that happens in Phoenix, too. And if an American tourist ever was murdered doing what we often do — that is, park at the Burger King on the Arizona side ($4 for all day), walk over, eat something, buy something, and walk back — we've never heard of it. According to a New York Times article from last year, Mexican authorities claim something like that has never happened. We believe it. Fact is, the odds are overwhelming that you'll simply have a wonderful time for a few hours. It's Souvenir Heaven: charming tin pieces, colorful wrestling masks, the belt-and-boot boutiques with warm leather smells. Treat yourself to authentic Mexican baked goods or lunch at the 40-year-old La Roca restaurant. Fear not the taco stands, either — way tastier than you'd expect. We've even been known to employ the services of a local barber, just so we can start our tourism story for the scaredy-cats back home with something about a Mexican holding a straight razor to our throat. People who never go to Mexico won't expect the happy ending.

Nowhere in California or Hawaii will you find a comfortable two-bedroom furnished condo with a massive patio looking out over an unobstructed expanse of golden beach for under $200 a night. But Rocky Point, Mexico, is loaded with such deals. True, if you leave your chosen resort on the shore of the Sea of Cortez and go to town, you'll find that Hermes and Juicy Couture haven't found reason to open shops here. Rocky Point, or Puerto Peñasco, as the Mexicans call it, may never be called posh, though boosters have ambitious hopes to someday see a cruise-ship port and airline service from the United States. What you'll find are warm people, eateries ranging from street food to formal dining, boating and fishing culture and, of course, miles of top-notch beaches. Yes, you've heard of Mexico's violence and also heard that Rocky Point has a little of that. You do have to be adventurous to drive to and stay in Rocky Point for the weekend. We daresay it's worth it.

Once an oft-traversed roadway, Route 66 has been relegated mainly to a kitschy back road. Don't let the garage sale memorabilia fool you; the Mother Road is still worth driving. Why? Because it leads to underexplored oddball nooks of the Copper State. Case in point: Holbrook. Sure, you're familiar with its teepee motel (you and everybody else -- it's referenced in Pixar's Cars, after all). But the city's also home to some bizarre murals worth a gander. There's a map of Arizona landmarks, complete with a prominently featured Yuma Prison and a howling coyote at "Happy Holbrook," and a bizarre collection of portraits (a cowboy and samurai are among them) on the signage for the Globetrotter Lodge, on the side of which you'll also find a massive painted Route 66 sign. It's perfect for a photo op and a solid stopover on the way to the Petrified Forest National Monument.

It might be the Valley's only vintage amusement park. With its cartoony medieval theme, Enchanted Island is the perfect setting for the refurbished 1948 Encanto Carousel from the original Kiddieland. It's also a perfect outing for families with little kids, because there are lots of rides and activities especially for them and their parents — kiddy cars, a tiny coaster, bumper boats, a train, the Splash Zone — and only a few exciting things they're too young or short to be allowed on. Castle Clash, a pair of opposing castles armed with water guns, targets, and water cannons, sounds especially fun. The option of paddle boats and canoes for older adventurers, as well as serene strolls, urban fishing, and picnicking in the larger park, make Enchanted Island a destination suitable for everybody. Single tickets, wristbands, and memorable birthday parties are all available.

Scrambling is sort of like bouldering, a rock-climbing activity that generally keeps the climber traversing low to the ground, in that it involves no ropes or safety gear beyond rock shoes and possibly powdered chalk for a drier grip. But with scrambling, you keep going up — if you can. Papago is possibly the most popular place in the Valley to do this, and we've seen people in flip-flops and tennies ascending ghastly faces of crumbly rock and gravel that we wouldn't climb in rock shoes. We don't aspire to such daredevil behavior — and neither should you. But the nice part about Papago is that with good judgment, there are many rocky areas that are good and steep for scrambling but so easy — in the right places — that nearly anyone can do it. Challenge your fears and the tread of your shoes on the friction slopes near Hole-in-the-Rock and the hills just east of the northern fairways of Papago Golf Course. For hikers and bikers in popular Papago Park, scrambling up the pink hills provides that extra thrill you crave on the trail.

One of the worst things about this year's closure of Camelback's west-side hiking trails, especially the über-popular Echo Canyon Trail, is that the west side is the location of all the best climbing. But it's expected to re-open near the end of the year, and it's the single best bouldering spot in the Valley proper, so we feel compelled to tout it. Camelback, known since the late '40s as a rock-climbing mini-mecca for the Phoenix area despite the many areas with loose rock, has not only several tall climbs ranging from 100 to more than 300 feet but dozens of excellent short bouldering routes that put calluses on your fingertips and muscles you didn't could exist had on your forearms. You'll want to pick up a copy of Marty Karabin's Rock Climber's Guide to Camelback Mountain, a fold-out map (price: $5) that shows all the main bouldering areas. The boulder we frequent the most is called the Pyramid, a little ways up from the parking lot. When we can round the northeast corner without setting a foot on the ground, we know our training is paying off.

Want to test out those fingertips on some real rock and stand atop a truly kick-ass pinnacle summit? For the beginning leader, you can do no better than the west corner of Tom's Thumb. This gorgeous piece of granite can be seen from miles away, sticking out like a ripe piece of fruit on the summit ridges of the McDowells. Two fun new trails that lead to Tom's Thumb opened in the past couple of years. Take the newer, shorter trail on the east side of the McDowells, since you'll be hauling a backpack with the requisite gear for this adventure. If you don't know what to bring for this traditional climb, you shouldn't be trying it. Consult a guidebook, regardless. Begin the route with an easy, ropeless scramble to a kitchen-table-size belay ledge. The first 20 feet or so is easy — then the fun begins. The Phoenix Rock Guidebook calls this a 5.1, but don't be fooled by the sandbagged rating. The two best parts: The shaded nook just under the smooth friction ramp you'll just about pee your pants on, and reaching the summit. We hope you like long rappels, too, because that's the only way you're getting down.

We almost lost Climbmax Climbing Gym two years ago when the owners shut it down, citing reasons beyond their control. But it's opened under new management, and we're ecstatic to still be cursing our shapeless arms as we cling to its 180 bouldering problems (along with a cave that climbs from the first to second floor), its 150 top-rope routes and 45 leads. When outside climbing is foolish or impossible because of the weather, Climbmax is the next best thing. Its walls are sculpted to imitate real rock face. You can lead climb a crack, an arch, and a 45-degree overhang. The top floor is filled with bouldering routes ranging from beginner to expert that the amiable staff changes every couple of months. Climbmax is 13,000 square feet of air-conditioned escape during the summer, and a good second option when you can't find a friend to pitch in for gas or belay you outdoors.

With a 7,500-square-foot weight room, two full-size basketball courts, lap pool and spa, indoor jogging track, and 35-foot climbing wall, the Virginia G. Piper Sports and Fitness Center isn't just the best gym in Phoenix for people with disabilities — we're pretty sure it's close to the best gym for anyone, anywhere. But the fact that this place is specifically designed to be universally accessible to people who use prosthetics, wheelchairs, and other assistance to get around is what makes it so special. And so necessary. Paralympians gather here. So do veterans learning to walk again and just about everyone in between. This facility — which has reasonable drop-in and long-term membership rates — is truly a treasure, smack dab in the middle of metro Phoenix.

Year in and year out, Larry Fitzgerald's labeled the best wide receiver in pro football. But he's really been the best wide receiver in the National Football League with nobody to throw the ball to him. Well, not nobody, but the list of dismal quarterbacks since Kurt Warner's retirement is stifling. Can anyone say Kevin Kolb? (Don't worry, nobody can — the last name's pronounced Cobb.) The Cardinals paid a lot of money for this dud, only to have to give up on the dream that the former Philadelphia Eagles starter (briefly) could take the Cardinals to the promised land.

But, hey, now there's hope: In the off-season, the team signed Carson Palmer, who had good years with the Cincinnati Bengals, and before that, the University of Southern California. Sure, he played for the Oakland Raiders last year and didn't impress. Nobody does with the horrible Raiders. But we think he's just the medicine that Larry Fitzgerald needs to return to the dominance he showed when Warner was slinging passes to him. (Full disclosure: We said nearly the same thing a couple of years ago about Kolb — but Palmer's a proven commodity who hasn't spent his pro career on injured reserve).

Okay, let's forget about last year's disastrous Cards season and quote stats from Fitz's glory years: In the post-season leading up to the Cardinals berth in the 2008 Super Bowl, he had a record-breaking 30 receptions for 544 yards. The lanky former Minnesota Vikings ballboy (his dad was a sportswriter for the local daily) and perennial Pro Bowl selection can do it all, especially jump way above defenders and pull down passes in double-coverage. And when he's not doing that, he's got a passel of defenders devoted to him, and the other guys get hit for big plays. Pray we're right this time, and he and Palmer take the team to greatness.

Brittney Griner's a monster! She's a 6-foot-8, 207-pound chick taken first in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury who could play in an NBA front court. She's one hell of a basketball player, natch, because professional teams don't consider you the best college basketball player in the nation unless you can deliver. And deliver she did for Baylor University in Texas, which she led to the women's college Division I national championship in 2012, scoring 26 points, hauling in 13 rebounds, and blocking five shots to trounce Notre Dame by almost 20 points. To say she was the most dominant player in college is a huge understatement — her 2,000 points and 500 blocked shots are unmatched in NCAA history.

In her first game for the Mercury, Griner dunked the ball twice for an WNBA record. Hell, this is women's basketball — her two dunks made her just the third pro woman ever to dunk! Which means Griner may be the lady who puts the women's game on the freakin' map. It's hard to fathom nowadays, but there was a time when the NBA prohibited dunking. When the rule changed, the men's game took off in popularity — there's nothing more exciting than a slam. And Griner will be rattling rims with regularity if she can stay healthy. A sprained knee in early July kept her out of the Mercury lineup and made a trip to the league All-Star game impossible. Griner may be a game-changer in more ways than just on the court: Gigantic firms are talking to her about endorsement deals, a rarity among female athletes, especially in team sports. We just wish the Suns had drafted her, which isn't farfetched at all: Before she went with the pro gals, Mark Cuban said he'd consider giving Griner a go in the NBA with his Dallas Mavericks. Apparently, the excitable owner thought her size-17 shoe could kick ass in either league.

The rap on Todd Graham is that he's a disloyal climber. But this will be his second season as Arizona State University's football coach, and we have hope that he'll stick it out and take the Sun Devils to postseason glory for seasons to come. Since we've been in Phoenix, ASU's been mediocre to bad, with a couple of mediocre-to-bad head coaches. Graham's 8-5 campaign in 2012 was a promising beginning, the first winning season for the team since 2007. And it got them an actual bowl bid, albeit the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (huh?) in San Francisco, which ASU won 62-28 over, um, little ol' Navy. It'll be a challenge to turn Tempe U into a football power, but Graham is used to challenges. He took doormat Rice University in Texas to a 7-6 season, including a minor bowl game, in his first and only year there in 2006 (the team had gone 1-10 the season before). Despite a contract extension at Rice, he bolted (to much hatred from Rice alumni and students) for the University of Tulsa, where he amassed a 36-17 record over four seasons. Next stop: the University of Pittsburgh and one 6-6 season, after which he again scrammed, this time to ASU. When he announced his departure, shocked Pitt players felt betrayed, with one saying, "Everything he's told us has been a lie."

Energizer Bunny Graham's sketchy past aside, he put a fast offense and a hugely aggressive defense on the field last year, averaging a milestone nine tackles for losing yardage a game. Hey, ASU came within two points of winning the Pac-12 South. And imagine how much better things could get if (miracle of miracles!) Todd gives it, say, five seasons in Tempe (one more than his successful stint at Tulsa). Graham ambition could turn into a good thing for ASU — if he channels it to his football team. Makes them reach out for more, as he's done during his coaching career. We're thinking Rose Bowl this season and national championship down the line. Don't disappear on us, Graham. We'll hunt you down if you do.

We loved Alvin Gentry, but he never was a head coach who could deliver a consistently winning team, much less a champion. He was put out of his misery by the team with the most miserable record in the NBA's Western Conference last season, the Phoenix Suns. After searching high and low, Suns honchos brought in Jeff Hornacek from the Utah Jazz, where he'd toiled as a player and a "special coach" under the legendary Jerry Sloan and later as a full-time Jazz assistant. Hornacek was an outstanding player! Originally drafted by the Suns, he terrified opposing players with his intensity. He became the Suns' third option in an offense dominated by Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers. Coached by Cotton Fitzsimmons, the combo took the previously hapless franchise to three playoff appearances in a row. Hornacek became the Suns' most prolific scorer in the 1991-92 season with 20 points per game. Despite all that, his claim to fame in Phoenix then was as the guy who got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Charles Barkley. He was a Sixer for a season before he landed in Utah, playing under Sloan and with two greats, John Stockton and Karl "Mailman" Malone. The trio led the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice, losing both times to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in '97 and '98. Hornacek had the unenviable task of guarding the greatest basketball player ever in those losses. Winner of the NBA three-point competition twice, Hornacek once hit 11 threes in a row to tie the then-NBA record.

One of the most fundamentally sound players ever, he hit 67 free throws in a row in the '99 season. But can he excel as a head coach? Star players rarely make great coaches, but Hornacek — despite his athletic accolades — never was a star. He had to fit in with dazzling players wherever he went, even moving from shooting guard to point guard in Philly. He had to take advantage of what was offered him. He was the greatest player most fans never heard of. He'll fit in and excel as a head coach, too — or die trying!

Not that long ago, one of the biggest arguments in sports was over who the worst owner was. It was a close race between Donald Sterling of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Bidwills (daddy Bill and son Michael). Our money always was on the owners of the Arizona Cardinals because they were notoriously cheap when it came to acquiring top players, though the same thing could be said about Sterling. Nowadays, all that's changed. The Clippers are one of the elite teams in the NBA, with Sterling forking over multi-millions to acquire the likes of point guard Chris Paul and former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. And the Bidwills haven't been far behind, though their recruiting prowess hasn't panned out in past years with the acquisitions of coach Ken Whisenhunt, who (despite our endorsement) turned out to be a dismal failure, quarterback Kevin Kolb, and perennially injured Beanie Wells.

Now, though, we must award the Bidwills the coveted Best Owners in Valley Sports award. In the off-season, Michael Bidwill, who runs the team now that his pop's all but retired, has gone out and gotten what we believe will be the best coach in team history, Bruce Arians. He's also gotten a veteran quarterback in the Kurt Warner mold in Carson Palmer. Plus, he whacked Whisenhunt and traded Kolb and Wells. And he's had the good sense to cherish the great Larry Fitzgerald, whose eight-year, $120 million contract is one of the largest in the NFL. Gone are the days when the Bidwills were best known for low-balling. Nowadays, they're in it to win it.

Cruising Canyon Lake since 1983, the Dolly is a replica of a historic stern-wheeler steamboat. At about 100 feet long, it's no Mississippi River gambling-and-vaudeville palace, but it has big smokestacks and lots of cheerful red-and-white paint. The Dolly's decks are a wonderful place from which to view desert scenery and wildlife, including raptors and waterfowl, but it's also a lovely, peaceful venue for watching the sun go down, enjoying an astronomy presentation, or just escaping the city for a little while. (Though we once attended a cramped and sweaty private wedding reception on the Dolly, and sometimes the drawback of a party on a motherfucking boat is the impossibility of escape.) Fares vary based on time of day, length of cruise, and what type of meal or refreshment is being served. There's also a cash bar, which is great — just don't be an idiot and get someone drowned.

It was at Chavez Ravine that former Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy hit two batters in apparent retaliation for Dodgers pitcher Zack Grienke hitting catcher Miguel Montero. Anyhow, the Dodgers took great umbrage at Kennedy's antics. So much so that they stormed the field and started whomping up on our beloved Snakes. There was much cold-cocking by the Dodgers. In fact, L.A. phenom Yasiel Puig, whom Kennedy beaned on the nose, went berserk. The guy just kept coming, and yelling. The Diamondbacks got the majority of the punishment from Major League Baseball in the melee. Kennedy was suspended for 10 games. And he should've been; the whole thing happened after he threw at Grienke's head, making the L.A. starter the second Dodger he'd hit that evening. Which brings us to Diamondbacks assistant hitting coach Turner Ward. He's the not-famous guy (has stubble to match Kirk Gibson's) furiously chomping away in the D-backs dugout all the time. Man, dude chews up a monsoon every night, and spits enough to fill Chase Field's swimming pool! Well, he got his ass handed to him by the Dodgers in that dugouts-clearing explosion of fists and fury. Almost literally. He's the guy you see in videos at the back of the throng of Arizona players who eventually gets upended over a railing after L.A. pitcher J.P. Howell put a headlock on him that'd make "Stone Cold" Steve Austin proud. Not to worry . . . the only thing injured was Turner's pride.

Considering that the Phoenix area is known as America's golf mecca, we've failed over the years to honor one of our own: ASU's Phil "Lefty" Mickelson, one of the great golfers of all time. His latest accomplishment was coming from five shots back to win the British Open this year. While at ASU, Mickelson stunned the golf world by winning, at 20, a PGA event as an amateur, the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson. The win allowed him to move directly into the pro circuit, bypassing the Tour's qualifying process, after he graduated ASU in 1992. Four years later, he won the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf. In 2000, he knocked Tiger Woods off his pedestal by defeating him at the Buick Invitational, ending Woods' string of six straight victories at the Southern California event. Renowned for his left-handed swing (a rarity among professional golfers and particularly unusual since he's right-handed in every other way), Mickelson won his first Masters (the grandaddy of all golf tournaments) in 2002. He won his second and third green jackets in Augusta, Georgia, in 2006 and 2010. He was PGA champion in 2005 and has come in second in the U.S. Open a record six times. He has five times more PGA wins than any other left-handed golfer; he's one of three lefties to ever win a major championship. Mickelson grew up in San Diego and Scottsdale and attended ASU on a golf scholarship. The same year he won his first pro event, Lefty led ASU to the NCAA National Championship in his sport.

Diamondbacks shortstop Mreiekson Julius (DiDi) Gregorious is a native of the Netherlands. Now though it may may sound strange to most Americans that a major-league baseball player is Dutch, we'll have you know that our national pastime is pretty popular in the land of windmills, wooden shoes, and dikes. Here's a little history lesson: Baseball started in the country in 1911 after a teacher named J.C.G. Grasé became fascinated with it during a trip to the United States. The country now even has a professional league and a successful national team. Now, baseball pales compared to soccer in the Netherlands, but the Dutch were one of those European nations that colonized in the Americas, and its former colonies simply go wild for baseball. This is where DiDi Gregorious comes in. His family emigrated from the Netherlands to the tiny southern Caribbean island country of Curacao, off the coast of Venezuela. We've all heard of the Dominican Republic and its multitude of famous players (slugger Luis Pujols comes to mind), but DiDi's got to be the most famous (granted this isn't saying much) player (or anything else) from his little speck of a homeland. We doubled over laughing when D-backs GM Kevin Towers said Gregorious was the second coming of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. But nobody was laughing early in the 2013 season when Gregorious, in addition to making acrobatic plays on defense and saving games, posted a .322 batting average with 16 extra-base hits. He's cooled off since at the plate, which makes us think that Towers exaggerated. But not by much.

It wasn't surprising when Valley sports celebrity and Dancing wth the Stars veteran Kurt Warner wound up hosting a reality show on the USA network. A virtual twinkle-toes on the popular ABC dance-off, the retired Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl quarterback became the face of The Moment, a program he's highly qualified to do. The show's about second chances, and Warner's the ultimate comeback kid. At one time out of professional football and bagging groceries, he got back into the National Football League in a big way — eventually leading the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title (he was named the game's MVP). His career waned again when he was backup to Eli Manning with the New York Giants and later to Cardinals washout QB Matt Leinart. After Leinart's collarbone was broken in a game, Warner took over as signal-caller. The rest is history. That is, he wound up taking the previously hapless Cards to the biggest sporting event in the world in 2008. He didn't win that time, but he came so close that we could all taste it.

Concluding a 12-year career, he retired in 2010. But not from the limelight; the manly jock with a toothpaste-commercial smile almost made it to DWTS' semifinal round. The night he was voted off, the show's audience chanted: "MVP, MVP!" Gone again but not forgotten, he was back on the small screen earlier this year hosting the "positive" interview show on USA. In one episode, a guy gets to realize his dream, however briefly, of becoming a NASCAR driver. As his Cardinals teammates couldn't stop attesting, Warner's got a big heart, and that came across on The Moment, which is one reason he was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for his work. Truthfully, Warner's much more interesting than the stories he relates. The latest is that 20th Century Fox has bought the rights to make a movie about Kurt's life. The buzz now is who will play the devoutly Christian ex-QB. Our recommendation: Let the movie-star-handsome Warner play himself. It'd be box office!

Patrick Corbin was listed as the losing pitcher in baseball's All-Star Game this summer? So what! This means he played in the elite event in New York City. He lost because he gave up the first run in a 3-0 American League victory. The Arizona Diamondbacks have had other All-Star pitchers, including Randy Johnson, Kurt Schilling, and (last year) Wade "Duck Dynasty" Miley. As for Miley, he had a terrific season last year, but nothing as outstanding this year. Fellow southpaw Corbin, on the other hand, is destined for the greatness achieved by Johnson and Schilling. Big-league hitters figured out Miley this year and started hitting him with abandon. Miley, though, has nearly unhittable pitches in his arsenal that Miley never had. He has a slider that drops off the table, bamboozling even the best hitters in the game. On top of that, he's increased the speed of his fastball to more than 92 miles per hour. Though the hapless Ian Kennedy (since traded to the San Diego Padres) was the D-backs ace in the first half of this season, Miley (with a 12-2 record and a 2.24 earned-run average at just past midseason) clearly isn't only Arizona's best, but one of the three or four best pitchers out there. Look for the guy who was questionable as the team's fifth starter in the spring to be in Cooperstown someday.

In the Facebook group Growing Up in Mesa in the '70s, they're making that whole experience sound much cooler than it was. However, everyone agrees that the 1912 steam locomotive we crawled around in at Pioneer Park (across from the Mormon Temple) was the shit. Nowadays, we're so safety-conscious we'd probably never let kids do that. People who grow up in junkyards, hobo jungles, and poorly maintained farms are so lucky.

But even if we never get back onto old Southern Pacific Engine #2355, seeing it restored and moved to a place of honor on the front side of the park will feel great. It's an official Centennial Legacy Project of the state of Arizona, and donations are accepted at the website. The cold steel, the tall steps, pulling levers and spinning wheels because if we did it in just the right order, we were sure something would happen — those are memories we don't want to lose.

Once the Phoenix Coyotes ownership situation got settled, with IceArizona taking over the team from the National Hockey League — which had grabbed the Coyotes because of their financial hardships — general manager Don Maloney found himself in a buyer's market. Suddenly, every free agent out there was getting shopped to Maloney, who'd had to practically beg good players to come to the desert. And, during the frenzy, the Coyotes were able to land a player they'd long coveted to fill a spot on their roster that they desperately needed to fill. In signing Montreal native Mike Ribeiro to a long-term contract, Maloney filled a five-season void at the center position. What star player would come to the desert when he had no idea where he'd be living a year or two later? Once the ownership deal was consummated, Ribeiro signed a four-year, $22 million contract with Phoenix. Last season, Ribeiro scored 13 goals and a point per game with the Washington Capitals; before that, he'd had a high of 27 goals and 93 points with Dallas. A big reason for his success in the Lone Star State was his association with Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, when Tippett was with the Stars. Tippett, along with Maloney, engineered the deal for Ribeiro, who considers his reunion with his old coach a match made in hockey heaven. It's hoped that Ribeiro, a quality playmaker who led the NHL with 20 power-play assists last season, can help the Coyotes with that formerly dismal part of their game. With Ribeiro taking the ice in Glendale, the Yotes may again move to the top of the Valley's pro sports franchise pile when it comes to success in their sport.

Patrick Peterson won the national Chuck Bednarik Award as best college defensive player his last year at Louisiana State University, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2010, but that isn't what he's most famous for as an Arizona Cardinal. Oh, Arizona's fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft still plays defensive back, and plays the position well. But he's dazzled fans as a pro with his punt-return prowess: the Cardinals' rookie record for most punt returns in a season in 2011, four punt-return touchdowns, which ties the NFL record; a game-winning 99-yard touchdown in 2011, the longest of that season for the Cardinals; the team's most punt-return yardage in a single season, 699 in 2011; named All-Pro in 2011, and selected for the Pro Bowl in that year and the next. He scored his first NFL touchdown in Week One of the 2011 season, with a fourth-quarter punt return of 89 yards against the Carolina Panthers to seal a win for his new team. Peterson also is a bright spot on pure defense for new Cardinals coach Bruce Arians. The cornerback has 111 solo tackles in just two seasons. On his first NFL play, he picked off San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers and returned the interception for a TD. In certain situations this year, the Cardinals plan to use Peterson as an offensive weapon. He proved he could go both ways last year when he rushed twice for 13 yards and caught three passes. With a new coach and a new QB, we predict that Peterson will show up regularly on the other side of the ball, and that will be fun to watch.

Despite his selection as a finalist for the 2011 Heisman Trophy, Tyrann Mathieu still was around for the Arizona Cardinals to snag in the third round of the NFL draft. It would've been stunning for an athlete of Mathieu's talent to get picked 69th overall, except for what's been reported to be his off-the-field drug habits. He was kicked out of the LSU football program in 2012, after which he entered drug rehabilitation. The New Orleans native returned to the LSU program only to get arrested, with three fellow players, for possession of marijuana. In an age when pro (and college) sports are trying to clean up their images, a "problem" such as Mathieu's can be sudden death for a promising career. But the Cardinals wisely decided to take a chance on Mathieu, one of the most aggressive cornerbacks ever to play the college game (the Cardinals are moving him to free safety).

Come on, his drug use allegedly involved pot, and while the Cardinals don't want professionals playing stoned, this can't be a big deal. Jeez, they can't be worried that he's a slo-mo stoner — the kid's known as the freakin' Honey Badger, and nobody has to tell us how fearsome honey badgers become when they're hungry. And Mathieu's always famished — his on-field grub being opposing guys trying to score. Proof of that is that his zealous attitude got him named MVP of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Championship, which LSU won. (Did we mention that the SEC is the toughest college football conference in the land, whose champion could've beaten the Cardinals last season?) In the '11 regular season at LSU, he had five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries (two of which he returned for touchdowns), and 60 solo tackles. He received the Chuck Bednarik Award for best college defender for his trouble, the second year in a row an LSU player had won the honor (former/current teammate Patrick Peterson preceded Mathieu in 2010).

More on why Mathieu's called the Honey Badger: He's a little guy by football standards (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) who literally terrorizes much-larger running backs and receivers — something the Cards desperately need in their defensive backfield.

Everybody thought he was crazy (and not in a good way) when he traded slugger Justin Upton to the Atlanta Braves for utility man Martin Prado, pitcher Randall Delgado, and a few tidbits. Towers' thinking was that the Diamondbacks could only contend big-time as a scrappy-ass team, and Prado, who can play almost any position (and has, this season) was better for manager Kirk Gibson's boys of summer than the can't-hit-when-it-counts Upton. And though we had our doubts about general manager Towers at the beginning of the season when Upton was tearing it up for Atlanta, we don't now. J-Up virtually has disappeared into the mediocrity he showed in the clutch here. Truthfully, Prado hasn't hit to his potential — it's been his second-worst season, batting-average-wise, in a long time — but he's on the, um, upswing. And he's saved countless runs with his gangbuster defense. He may well be the better offensive player by the end of the season. Towers still has work to do with his pitchers. Injuries and kismet have effed him somewhat in that department, though his getting rid of mediocre Ian Kennedy for a solid relief pitcher (and change) has helped. As usual, Towers is figuring it out. Arizona's lucky to have a premier baseball strategist at the helm.

Aaron Hill spent almost the whole first half of the Diamondbacks' 2013 season on the disabled list from a rare fracture to his left hand. But when he returned, he was gangbusters. Despite the fact that he's sure to need surgery on his glove hand in the offseason, he came back slugging, complementing slugging first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in the middle of the lineup. Hill always has been the Diamondbacks' best-all-around player when he's healthy. Always in the Gold Glove hunt in whatever league he's playing in (he came to Arizona from the American League Toronto Blue Jays), Hill's been solid-plus at his second-base position, despite the pesky injury. The D-backs held their own without him, but since his return, he's won several games with his stellar offense. A bona fide slugger in his own right, he blasted three home runs in the first month he was back, batted .333, knocked in seven runs, and had a .538 slugging average. Along with Goldschmidt, Hill anchors Arizona's offense; he's a big part of the reason they have a chance of going all the way.

You wouldn't want to piss him off. He could take your hide off with his sandpaper face. His stare could bore a hole in the barrel of slugger Paul Goldschmidt's giant bat. Smiles are hard-won from this guy. So are compliments. He never runs with the bulls; they run from him. No, that's the Most Interesting Man in the World ("Stay thirsty, my friends"). Kirk Gibson may not be the most interesting man on the planet, but he's definitely the most interesting member of the Diamondbacks organization. In addition to being a baseball legend who limped around the bases after homering for the Los Angeles Dodgers — in one of the most unforgettable moments in sports history — Gibson's becoming one of baseball's elite managers. He's taken a scrappy bunch of also-ran veterans (Paul Goldschmidt, Patrick Corbin, and Aaron Hill notably excepted) and fielded a club that battled for first place in the West all season. How does he do it? By commanding respect and demanding that millionaire players put out on the diamond. He's a quiet, intense motivator, and that's what it takes to go to the World Series. He's been there. And won. Twice. If anybody can return to D-backs to the Series (which they won in 2001), it's Gibby.

Miguel Montero's got the big contract (five years, $60 million), but it's his backup, Wil Nieves, who's delivered to the maximum this year. We wince when Montero goes to the plate — he seems to have lost his will to hit since getting all that dough. He may have been a guy who's good only when he's lean and hungry (which he certainly isn't on either count). He's left countless men in scoring position this year, batted in the low .200s, and his defense never has been all that. We'd much rather see Nieves — who, amazingly, barely made the team this year — get the lion's share of playing time. 'Cause he's roaring, and Miggy's not. First off, Wil's just as good a defensive catcher as Montero, has a soothing way with pitchers, whom his position must manage on the field, and his hitting's been off the charts. Dude was batting .354 in 37 games (highest average on the squad), with 34 hits and 14 runs batted in, just past midseason. Incredible stats for a part-time starter! The guy's clutch, too. Despite his limited playing time, he's been the reason the D-backs have won certain games. Why he and Montero haven't reversed roles this season is beyond us. Yeah, Nieves is a journeyman backup catcher, but perception isn't reality here! Time to move the guy who's helping the team to the premier role behind the plate — and, maybe, bump up his bargain-basement $800,000 annual pay. If for no other reason than that Montero might wake up and start effin' hitting.

Thank God for Goran Dragic! He was the only bright spot in the Phoenix Suns' dismal lineup last season. He continued to do it all: score, pass, rebound. The Suns didn't win many games — 25 of 82, to be exact — but the ones they did win were mostly because of the lightning-fast Serbian. The Suns are making moves to improve their on-court fortunes, with the addition of promising rookie Alex Len in the 2013 NBA draft. In a year or so, he should become Dragic's principal go-to guy under the basket. Even on last year's dismal squad, Dragic averaged 15 points and seven assists a game. He tutored under one of the game's great point guards, Steve Nash, and it shows. He's a pass-first player who can dunk and rebound. Dragic had three boards a game in the latter category, great for among the shortest players on the team. With better talent around him, he could return to the prowess he showed in game three of the 2010 Western Conference Finals, when he scored 23 of his 26 points in the final period to give the Suns a 110-96 come-from-behind win over San Antonio. It was billed as one of the greatest fourth-quarter performances in playoff history. Dragic's scoring blast included five of five three-pointers. Dragic's a seasoned veteran at only 27. He started his professional career in Slovenia at 17, spending five years playing in Europe before entering the 2008 NBA draft and winding up with Phoenix. It remains to be seen whether he will be as good as his mentor, Nash. But it was at the same juncture in his NBA career that Nash began to break out in points and assists with the Dallas Mavericks. He and Len are the future of Phoenix's oldest professional-sports franchise — how that future plays out under economically cautions Suns management remains to be seen.

Jeez, Heath Bell used to be great! Jeez, he's sucked this season! Despite Kevin Towers' management prowess, his biggest bonehead move this year was bringing Bell over from the Florida Marlins, where he was beneath dismal last season. Kevin, the guy's O-V-E-R! Bell once was great with the San Diego Padres, but he's lost it. Batters seem to anticipate his every pitch (he has only two, a fastball and a curve). You and manager Kirk Gibson believed Bell would improve after his first outing. Remember that first game, Kevin? Gave up two home runs to the first two batters he faced. Um, AZ lost the game. And we've lost countless others because Bell's been worthless on the mound. He apparently got the memo that closers are supposed to damn well close, 'cause we can tell he feels real bad after blowing it so many times. He should've felt like jumping into the Grand Canyon after a couple of those. Man, we quake to think that Arizona's paying $9 million a year for the "Heath Bell Experience." After the All-Star break, Bell was moved into a setup role, which helped. But we still feel nausea when he trots in from the bullpen. We're not sure how Bell survived the trade deadline — maybe he cleans Towers' pool.

Shane Doan tends to toss hockey pucks over the glass to adoring fans before home games. The Phoenix Coyotes forward has stuck fast with the troubled franchise when he could have bolted for more secure pastures. Last year, he won the Mark Messier Award for leadership among teammates, during games, and in the community. His charity work in the Valley's legendary. It's hard to glance at TV sports without seeing him around town helping kids, donating his time. He's a hell of a hockey player, too. Last season, the Coyotes faded from playoff contention during the second half of the season, but Doan was a major reason they had made a run the season before, losing to the L.A. Kings in the Western Conference finals. The Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup. Doan's been around since the beginning of the Yotes franchise, which started 18 years ago as the Winnipeg Jets. An Alberta native, Doan's won two gold medals in world championships and was a member of Canada's Olympic team. Doan lives year-round in Phoenix and routinely expresses his love for the Valley. A "Wild Westerner" at heart (he grew up in Canadian cowboy country), he feels right at home on horseback galloping through the desert. And now that the Coyotes are assured of staying in Glendale for at least five more years, Doan, who'll be 37 in October, could finish his playing career here. If the Coyotes are smart, they'll keep him around as long as he wants and then move him into coaching. Intelligence/leadership skills like his are hard to come by in a game where players get concussed for a living.

Let's face it, 6-foot-4, 220-pound Mike Smith was the main reason the Phoenix Coyotes made it to the NHL's Western Conference Finals two years ago. Which is why it was good to see the team give him what he deserved — a six-year, $34 million contract. To lose Smith, near the top of the goalie class in the NHL, would've been devastating to a team whose front-office woes have bled onto the ice. So, finally, the team got a respite with a guarantee of staying at least five more years in Glendale, and the Kingston, Ontario, native will be here through that time. Like Smith, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett is great at what he does, and Smith has said Tippet's presence helped seal the deal for him in the desert. Without Tippett, Smith might have tried his luck on the open market, where many teams were interested. Goalie, despite the fearsome masks, isn't a flashy position on a hockey team. You don't grow up hoping to stand in front of the goal and have guys slamming pucks at you. The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, was in the business of making goals. Scorrrrre! And that's what kids skating on frozen ponds far from here want to do, too. When you notice a team's goalie is when he fucks up, which rarely happens to Smith. The stopper with one of the widest wingspans in the league has a save percentage of .913 — and a goal-against average of 2.56 in 263 career regular-season contests. Add to that 24 shutouts, and you have a crucial piece of the puzzle if the Yotes are to return to the playoffs and (now that they're not worrying about the franchise bolting) go deep.

The Phoenix Suns are rebuilding after the almost-heady days of Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire. We mean, despite his two MVPs, Nash never brought us a trophy. Neither did Charles Barkley back in his day, though he came closer. Then came last season, when the Suns without Nash (Amar'e was long gone) were nowhere close to contention. In fact, they were the worst team in the NBA's Western Conference. So because of this new low in suckage, we're heartened by any seemingly positive development. Anything that could bring the team back to almost glory. And we think thrifty owner Robert Sarver and his crew may have stumbled on a guy who could help ace guard Goran Dragic make our purple-and-gold goons respectable again: 7-foot-1 Alex Len. We know: Tree-tall white guys (jump-shooters like Dirk Nowitzki aside) tend to be meat in the middle in today's NBA, not the mega-scorers needed to be to win championships. But if Len can stay healthy (ankle issue), we predict he'll be different. A sophomore at the University of Maryland last season, the Lithuanian averaged 11 points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots per game (impressive college numbers). Against the reigning-national-champion Kentucky Wildcats last year, he dominated the player whom scouts would declare the best big man in the '13 draft, Nerlens Noel — scoring 23 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking four shots. Don't look for the Suns' fifth overall pick in the NBA draft (he could've gone first if not for the ankle injury) to start immediately; he'll play behind journeyman big man Marcin Gortat, whose contract expires after next season. The Suns say they picked Len because of his, um, "upside." He's a giant 20-year-old who, they say, may not be done growing physically. He's certainly not done growing as a scorer and defender. We pray he becomes the franchise player that the Suns can build around.

We'd been hearing Joe Garagiola's gravelly voice our whole waking lives. It was always a comfort to hear him broadcasting baseball games for NBC and, since moving to the Valley, off-and-on with the Arizona Diamondbacks, with whom his son, Joe Jr., used to be an exec. Joe Sr. always was a wise and wisecracking presence. When he retired from broadcasting recently — to much fanfare by the Diamondbacks — we got a lump in our throats to think a presence from our sports-crazed youth no longer would be a mainstay.

Garagiola's 87 and we're . . . well, never mind — but his departure's a reminder of the cruel passing of time. Garagiola's a true sports legend, and not in the traditional sense for an ex-jock. He cracks that he wasn't a great catcher in the major leagues, that he wasn't even the greatest catcher on the block where he grew up in St. Louis — Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra lived down the street. He was no Bob Uecker, mind you, but Garagiola hit only .255 lifetime, spending the bulk of his nine-year big-league career with his hometown Cardinals. He also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and, briefly, the old New York baseball Giants. As a rookie, he played in one World Series with the Cards, who prevailed over the Boston Red Sox and slugger Ted Williams. Joe became famous for his mouth, his monkeyshines, and his sense of humor.

He was a character, and not just as a sportscaster. He kept fellow panelists and his audience on The Today Show in stitches for eight years during two stints. He was an occasional guest host of the Johnny Carson show, including the only Tonight Show appearance of John Lennon and Paul McCartney while the Beatles still were together. A pal of Gerald Ford's, he watched election returns at the White House with the accidental president. His good humor and wit have carried him far. No question that his boyhood pal Yogi was the far better ballplayer, but Joe lasted longer in the public eye.

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