Shorty, Oscar Meyer, Razzle, Slinky and Conan. They're wiener dogs, dachshunds, charging down a greyhound track, their long low-to-the-ground bodies undulating, their floppy ears flapping, their pointy muzzles yapping, to the amusement of anyone willing to make the trip to La Marque. You don't normally hear laughter at a race track. Sobbing is more likely. But when Cinnamon, Rambo II, and Elmeaux lollygag out onto the track and look around in confusion, a body can't help but giggle. And when Nutmeg and Mortimer make a mad dash for the finish line a few yards away, but hook a sharp right instead to greet the cheering kiddies for a nice head-scratch, those giggles erupt into guffaws. For about $2 a head, you can't beat entertainment like this. Except maybe with the other annual kooky dog race, the Chihuahua World Cup, October 12.

Last season, Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes heard the three most dreaded letters known to an athlete: ACL. Those three letters stand for a sports injury that often means the end of a career. But while Swoopes missed all last season with a torn ligament in her knee, she returned this year to take her team to the playoffs. So impressive was Swoopes's comeback that she was named the WNBA's most valuable player (her second such title in three years), beating Los Angeles media darling Lisa Leslie, the first woman ever to dunk in the WNBA. Swoopes gained stardom as part of the dynamic duo that included Cynthia Cooper, who brought Houston the first four WNBA championships. Yet Swoopes has proved easier to embrace than the retired Cooper, who wears a scowl even when smiling. Swoopes displays a casual star attitude. She left to have a baby and came back to win a title. Even her name sounds fast. Also voted the WNBA's best defensive player, Swoopes drew throngs of fans to watch her swoop, steal passes and glide down the court like a gazelle, ending with her signature spin move and a kiss off the glass for two. For that, she's hearing three new letters: MVP.

Last season, Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes heard the three most dreaded letters known to an athlete: ACL. Those three letters stand for a sports injury that often means the end of a career. But while Swoopes missed all last season with a torn ligament in her knee, she returned this year to take her team to the playoffs. So impressive was Swoopes's comeback that she was named the WNBA's most valuable player (her second such title in three years), beating Los Angeles media darling Lisa Leslie, the first woman ever to dunk in the WNBA. Swoopes gained stardom as part of the dynamic duo that included Cynthia Cooper, who brought Houston the first four WNBA championships. Yet Swoopes has proved easier to embrace than the retired Cooper, who wears a scowl even when smiling. Swoopes displays a casual star attitude. She left to have a baby and came back to win a title. Even her name sounds fast. Also voted the WNBA's best defensive player, Swoopes drew throngs of fans to watch her swoop, steal passes and glide down the court like a gazelle, ending with her signature spin move and a kiss off the glass for two. For that, she's hearing three new letters: MVP.

Baseball announcers have traditionally been genial, low-key companions who take you through a hot, lazy summer night. But more and more are turning into Dick Vitale-like screamers shouting, "There's a looooong fly ball that has a chance! -- but it's caught by the shortstop." Luckily, Astros fans have someone from the old school who's been doing a solid job below the radar for quite a while. Bill Brown doesn't overwhelm the listener with convoluted stats, and he leaves the detailed analysis to his broadcast partners. What he does do is keep the viewer informed of everything he or she needs to know, with a minimum of fuss or ego gratification. It can almost make watching the Astros bearable.

Baseball announcers have traditionally been genial, low-key companions who take you through a hot, lazy summer night. But more and more are turning into Dick Vitale-like screamers shouting, "There's a looooong fly ball that has a chance! -- but it's caught by the shortstop." Luckily, Astros fans have someone from the old school who's been doing a solid job below the radar for quite a while. Bill Brown doesn't overwhelm the listener with convoluted stats, and he leaves the detailed analysis to his broadcast partners. What he does do is keep the viewer informed of everything he or she needs to know, with a minimum of fuss or ego gratification. It can almost make watching the Astros bearable.

There used to be many more sports-talk shows on the radio in Houston, but thankfully the best has survived. Rich Lord and Charlie Pallilo have the afternoon-drive slot on all-sports KILT, and they've made many a rush hour less frustrating for Houstonians. Lord's a bit of a goof, and Pallilo's more of an acerbic know-it-all; together their chemistry is impeccable as they ricochet through sports, movies, current events and babes. Their regular guests are solid: former Astro Kevin Bass and Chronicle NFL beat writer John McClain. Now that KILT has the Rockets, the hosts aren't as dismissive of the hoopsters as they used to be, but perhaps that's too much to expect.

There used to be many more sports-talk shows on the radio in Houston, but thankfully the best has survived. Rich Lord and Charlie Pallilo have the afternoon-drive slot on all-sports KILT, and they've made many a rush hour less frustrating for Houstonians. Lord's a bit of a goof, and Pallilo's more of an acerbic know-it-all; together their chemistry is impeccable as they ricochet through sports, movies, current events and babes. Their regular guests are solid: former Astro Kevin Bass and Chronicle NFL beat writer John McClain. Now that KILT has the Rockets, the hosts aren't as dismissive of the hoopsters as they used to be, but perhaps that's too much to expect.

Picking a Best Sports Columnist in Houston is no easy matter. And it's not exactly because there's a wealth of riches to choose from. So our winners tend to be somewhat of a cheat -- they've not been the paper's regular sports columnists, they've been the beat guys who do a "news and notes" column every Sunday. That said, Richard Justice isn't sneaking his way in -- he's a respected reporter who writes lucidly and well and isn't afraid to be contrary. He's a little too tight with baseball commissioner Bud Selig for our taste, but hey, it's a free country.

Picking a Best Sports Columnist in Houston is no easy matter. And it's not exactly because there's a wealth of riches to choose from. So our winners tend to be somewhat of a cheat -- they've not been the paper's regular sports columnists, they've been the beat guys who do a "news and notes" column every Sunday. That said, Richard Justice isn't sneaking his way in -- he's a respected reporter who writes lucidly and well and isn't afraid to be contrary. He's a little too tight with baseball commissioner Bud Selig for our taste, but hey, it's a free country.

Channel 26, KRIVWhen it comes to breaking sports news in Houston, few folks do it better than Channel 26's Mark Berman. There's more than a bit of truth to that ad the station runs showing rivals watching Fox's 9 p.m. news to see what they'll need to catch up on before 10 p.m. Sure, he sometimes gets a little breathless over being the first to report minutiae, but in the wack world of sports these days, who's to say what's minutiae and what isn't? Berman is the antithesis of -- and the antidote to, for that matter -- the blow-dried types getting by with a few inane quips as they narrate tired highlights. He won't win any beauty contests, but Berman won't be outworked, either.