Sports & Recreation >>

• Best Pro Athlete
  Tony Meola, Kansas City Wizards
  Goalie Tony Meola is more than a name to toss up on the marquee to get fans in the seats. Meola's goaltending has been nothing short of magical since he arrived in KC in 1999. His 16 shutouts led the MLS in the 2000 season; he allowed less than a goal per game on his way to being voted the... More >>
• Best Royal
  Johnny Damon
  Johnny Damon really turned up the heat in the second half of the season. Before the All-Star break, his batting average was a mere .267, but he wound up finishing the year with an impressive .327. And it wasn't just piddly little base hits he was spraying around. The Royals' MVP hit with power,... More >>
• Best KU Basketball Player
  Jeff Boschee
  If you're just sitting back and watching a KU game, point guard Jeff Boschee probably isn't the guy who's gonna reach out and grab your attention. He's certainly not the flashiest guy to handle the ball for the Hawks in recent years, but Boschee serves as the backbone of one of the perennial... More >>
• Best College Athlete
  Kareem Rush
  Missouri Tigers sophomore forward Kareem Rush is silky smooth. The Kansas City native and Pembroke Hill graduate made a name for himself in Columbia last year, even though he missed the first nine games of the season. The scintillating southpaw lead the team in three-point shooting and was... More >>
• Best KU Football Player
  Carl Nesmith
  Running a crossing pattern against the KU defense is not a very appetizing prospect for a wide receiver. Not when senior defensive back Carl Nesmith is lurking across the line of scrimmage. Known for his bone-crushing hits and catlike quickness, Nesmith must see the opposition as a piece of... More >>
• Best College Coach
  Roy Williams
  The two most famous words uttered this year in the state of Kansas -- "I'm staying" -- not only delighted Crimson and Blue fans across the Midwest but also cemented Roy Williams' status as the best college coach in these parts. We all know the stats: two Final Fours, highest winning percentage... More >>
• Best Amateur Athlete
  Christie Ambrosi
  Just five years after tearing up the softball diamond at Blue Valley Northwest High School, Christie Ambrosi is now among the best in the world. As a senior, she was All-East Kansas League, All-Metro, and All-State. She was a 15-0 pitcher with 114 strikeouts and a mean .255 ERA. At the plate she... More >>
• Best Law-Abiding Athlete
  J.J. "The Fightin' Cop" Barnes
  J.J. Barnes is all-around tough. By day he's a sergeant with the Kansas City Police Department's South Patrol Division Tactical Response Team (in other words, the SWAT team). By night he's a fearsome punisher in the boxing ring. His most recent victory was over Terry Tock of Cameron, Missouri,... More >>
• Best Boxer -- Female
  Sumya "The Island Girl" Anani
  Sumya Anani isn't undefeated anymore, but she's still pound-for-pound the best fighter in Kansas City's thriving women's boxing scene. Her recent first-ever loss to Britt VanBuskirk was more an aberration than a sign of weakness (and plenty of people in the audience that night who swear the... More >>
• Best Boxer -- Male (2 Comments)
  Ty Fields
  Ty Fields is big. He's Hollywood big. It doesn't take much imagination to see him in some big-budget action adventure flick, carrying a bazooka in his bulging, veiny arms like the second coming of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's rare to see a superheavyweight these days who's as cut with rippling... More >>
• Best Rowdy Sporting Event
  Boxing at Station Casino
  The Grand Ballroom at Station Casino is the most intimate sports venue in Kansas City. There's literally not a bad seat in the house. It's dark and smoky, and the seats are crowded so close together, it's hard to move around. So when the action in the ring gets rolling and the crowd's intensity... More >>
• Best Spot for a First Date
  AMF Ice Chateau
  It's cold and it's slick. What better excuse do people need to get close? That's what makes the AMF (formerly King Louie) Ice Chateau the ideal spot for a first date. "We see a lot of couples in here ... and I'll guarantee you, whoever's out there skating the first time is nervous, and you're... More >>
• Best Chief
  Tony Gonzalez
  Tony Gonzalez is rapidly establishing himself as the finest tight end in the NFL. Entering his fourth season in the league, Number 88 has become a favorite target of Chiefs signal caller Elvis Grbac. The 6-foot-6 former college basketball star was a first-round NFL draft pick in 1997 out of the... More >>
• Best Phenom
  Mark Quinn
  It's hard to argue with 20 homers. Wielding his mighty bat, rookie leftfielder Mark Quinn made quite a splash in the fountain this summer. His average didn't quite break .300, but his power made up for it, boosting his slugging percentage to .490. If he isn't awarded the Royals' second straight... More >>
• Best Shortcut to the Stadiums
  Manchester Trafficway
  Like a lifeboat in a turbulent sea, Manchester Trafficway stands waiting to transport the weary traveler from an ocean of vehicles on I-70 to the Truman Sports Complex. Not only does this simplest of shortcuts bypass all the hassles of dealing with merging traffic on I-435, it's always virtually... More >>
• Best Buy for Your Buck
  Kansas City Royals' Buck Night
  Six home games a year, Kauffman Stadium sheds the exorbitant prices typical at concession stands throughout the major leagues. Buck Night takes fans back 30 years, when a family of four could afford a night at the ballpark without taking out a small loan. The dollar hot dogs, peanuts, and soft... More >>
• Best Pregame Attraction at Kauffman Stadium
  Jermaine Dye Taking Batting Practice
  Smack! (Whistle.) Splash! (Repeat.) More >>
• Best Midgame Attraction at Kauffman Stadium
  The Hot Dog Launch
  What could be more thrilling than a beefed-up lion in a baseball suit aiming a massive hot dog charged with explosives at a ravenous crowd? Certainly not the seventh-inning stretch! It just wouldn't be summer without the hot dog launch: hot wieners sailing through the humid air, happy fans... More >>
• Best Hope to Increase Attendance at Blades Games
  Affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks
  Last year was a tumultuous one for the Blades. Attendance dropped, and there was talk about moving the team to Oklahoma City. However, during the summer, the Blades signed a two-year agreement to become an affiliate of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. The promise of better prospects and younger... More >>
• Best Place to Get Autographs
  Oak Park Mall
  A keen eye and a ready pen are sometimes all you need to obtain that priceless John Hancock from a star athlete. Oak Park Mall is one of the best places in the metro area to add to that memorabilia collection. Without their uniforms the athletes may be a little tougher to spot, but they're out... More >>
• Best Softball Complex
  Miller's Woods
  The beer flows freely. The competition is intense. A rainout is more scarce than a softball shutout, and the location is isolated yet right off the beaten path. For nearly 20 years, Miller's Woods has been the standard for softball complexes in the metro area. Sound planning plays a key role in... More >>
• Best Park
  Shawnee Mission Park
  Two and a half million people a year kick up their heels, their wheels, or their reels in Shawnee Mission Park. The 1,250 acres of open space offer a little bit of everything. There's the 250-acre lake, stocked with a half dozen species of fish, a 50-acre off-leash dog park, a portion of the... More >>
• Best Dog Walk -- Legal
  Shawnee Mission Park
  Sometimes walking your canine companion can be a drag -- leash laws, narrow sidewalks, traffic, pooper scoopers, and glares from the neighbors as your faithful friend lifts a leg near a nice bed of petunias. That's why on any reasonably nice day -- especially weekends -- hundreds of pooches and... More >>
• Best Dog Walk -- Illegal
  Smithville Lake, Smithville
  From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Smithville Lake is known for its boating and party atmosphere. But on weekdays after summer ends, there usually isn't a soul around. When you get to the lake's main entrance, if you see people sitting in cars contemplating their lives, keep on going. Drive on... More >>
• Best Jogging Trail
  The tracks at Swinney Recreation Center
  Although the two tracks at UMKC's Swinney Recreation Center technically aren't "jogging trails" -- not like the scenic path at Corporate Woods or sidewalk in Loose Park -- they're the best places in town to jog because of one thing: synthetic rubber. People who've given up jogging because it... More >>
• Best Inner-City Hike
  Plaza to Penn Valley Park and back
  The wonders of midtown await the urban hiker. From any of the Plaza's covered parking areas, walk north on Wornall or Jefferson to 44th Street, through a neighborhood of apartments, bungalows, and interesting gardens and yards. Go east and then north on Broadway past 43rd Street, past the old... More >>
• Best Inner-City Bike Ride
  Penn Valley Park through the River Market and West Bottoms (pre- and post-rush hours)
  A bike ride through the downtown and the West Bottoms? Sure. Park your car in Penn Valley Park on Penn Valley Drive, and ride to 27th Street across Southwest Trafficway to Summit, and head north to West Pennway. That was the tough part and the heaviest traffic on this 10-mile route. Cresting... More >>
• Best Bike Path
  Mill Creek Parkway, Johnson County Streamway and Forests
  A masterful feat of urban/suburban design, the paved 17.8-mile Mill Creek Parkway runs next to Mill Creek from the Kansas River at the Wilder Road River Access in Shawnee to Northgate Street in Olathe. Parking is available at or near most major intersections along the parkway, which is roughly... More >>
• Best Canoe Trip
  Missouri River
  People who discount the Missouri River as a dirty trough miss the boat. The folks in Parkville do canoers a favor with a boat launch and small harbor at English Landing Park, just off U.S. Highway 9 near downtown. It's easy to park and put in the canoe for the 14-mile (two- or three-hour) trip,... More >>
• Best Kayak Trip
  Kansas River, Johnson County Streamway and Forests
  An afternoon far from home is no trick on the Kansas River. The Wilder Road River Access is off I-435 and Holliday Drive. Put your kayak on Mill Creek at the bottom of the concrete steps near the parking area, and glide into a world without hustle and bustle. Paddle down the narrow, quiet stream... More >>
• Best-Kept Nature Secret
  Camp Lake of the Woods, Swope Park
  Camp Lake of the Woods, 360 acres of forest in the middle of Swope Park, has grown wild since before old man Swope gave the park to the city in the 1890s. It's so pristine, in fact, that it's designated an Environmental Study Area by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Kansas City Parks and... More >>
• Best Place to Camp Out
  Clinton State Park, Lawrence
  The numbers -- 1,500 acres, 460 campsites, and 25 miles of mountain biking trails -- may sound impressive, but they do little justice in describing the natural beauty of the landscape at Clinton State Park. Natural prairie grasses, untouched forests, even a cross-country skiing path make for a... More >>
• Best Weekend Getaway
  St. Louis
  We wouldn't want to live in St. Louis, but it's a nice place to visit. Besides the obvious visitor attractions -- the Arch, Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours, the St. Louis Art Museum, and Forest Park -- our rival city to the east offers enough fun stuff to fill up several weekend jaunts. The museums... More >>