by TIM COWLISHAW, wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com timcowlishawblog.dallasnews.com , THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

The Rangers missed the playoffs for the ninth straight year. The Mavericks lost in the first round without even competing. The Cowboys, most disastrous and humiliating of all, went from a Super Bowl pick to a 9-7 joke.

Only the Stars gave local fans something to cheer with their trip to the Western Conference finals. Gaining from that experience has been quite a chore for that franchise this fall and winter, however.

With that in mind, we offer our second annual John Danks Memorial Dozen - the top 12 performers from the four local clubs. In our first ranking at the end of 2006, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels traded Danks within hours of his being named into the top dozen.

With luck, Daniels is taking today off.

For the second straight year, we have seven athletes repeating and five newcomers.

1DeMarcus Ware

Cowboys LB (2007 rank: 7)

There's very little good to say about the Cowboys' miserable December collapse. But there is no criticism of the performance of Ware, whose 20.5 sacks provided an NFL high and brought him close to former Giant Michael Strahan's record.

Wade Phillips has had plenty of failures in his two years in Dallas. As for turning Ware into Shawne Merriman, give him congratulations.

2Ian Kinsler

Rangers 2B (8)

At the All-Star break, American League players voted for Kinsler by far over Boston's Dustin Pedroia, who was picked as the starter by the fans. Eventually, Kinsler went out with a sports hernia and missed the last month of the season.

But look at the numbers.

Pedroia - .326 batting, .376 on-base, .493 slugging, 17 home runs, 83 RBIs, 118 runs, 20 steals.

Kinsler - .319 batting, .375 on-base, .517 slugging, 18 home runs, 71 RBIs, 102 runs, 26 steals.

Virtually identical numbers, yet Kinsler missed 41 games and Pedroia won the AL MVP award. Watch what a healthy Kinsler manages in 2009.

3Dirk Nowitzki

Mavericks F (2)

It's still a work in progress in the new scheme under coach Rick Carlisle. But having already won a couple of NBA player of the week honors this fall, Nowitzki is the most consistently top performing athlete on the local scene.

That includes everyone.

4Josh Hamilton

Rangers OF (NR)

With no team winning a title in 2008, there simply was no greater moment than Hamilton's home run derby performance in Yankee Stadium. He had Milton Bradley toweling him off. He had Yankees fans delivering standing ovations.

For that night and for the season, he has deserved one of the greatest comeback offerings of all time in sports.

5Jason Witten

Cowboys TE (10)

As consistent as he was on his way to another Pro Bowl, Witten was in the middle of the Cowboys' receivers soap opera down the stretch. It wasn't his fault. Playing with a broken rib, playing with an injured back, Witten is the most consistent offensive player on the team. Period.

6Jason Kidd

Mavericks G (NR)

He didn't make this list a year ago because he was a New Jersey Net until February. With Avery Johnson as coach, Kidd added little last season. With Carlisle providing better opportunities, Kidd is fourth in the NBA in assists, is second to the Hornets' Chris Paul in steals and has one of the best assist-turnover ratios in the league, and the club is at least looking like a playoff team after a rough 2-7 start.

It wouldn't be happening without Kidd.

7Loui Eriksson

Stars F (NR)

With Brenden Morrow out for the year, the Stars needed a lift up front. Eriksson picked up his 20th goal of the season in Game 36 the other night. Helping to forget the disaster that was Sean Avery, Eriksson has been huge.

8Jason Terry

Mavericks G (NR)

Terry was 10th on this list two years ago and unranked last year. Coming off the bench, Terry has had plenty of nights that remind you of Game 7 against Houston four years ago, when Terry made himself the best player on the court.

9Marty Turco

Stars G (9)

After a great playoff run, Turco had an awful start. But his 6-1-1 record since Dec. 12 means the Stars are on their way to the playoffs again.

10Tony Romo

Cowboys QB (1)

His return from a finger injury gave the Cowboys a chance. Then in December, Romo was simply awful. Again. With five TDs, six interceptions and 12 sacks, Romo and the team's lack of a passing attack ended a season in inexcusable fashion.

11Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz

Rangers ML prospects

Andrus held this spot a year ago. The shortstop shares it now with another 20-year-old. As a pitcher, Feliz was 10-6 with 153 strikeouts in 127 innings last year. Andrus, as a teenager until near the end of the season, hit .295 in Frisco with 54 steals.

The Mark Teixeira trade is going to pay dividends with these two in Arlington. Soon.

12Mike Ribeiro

Stars C (NR)

The last spot is a tough call because on any given night, Brad Richards might deserve it more than Ribeiro. On other nights, Mike Modano is still the team's best center. The threesome gives this team a chance in the playoffs, but Ribeiro had the kind of run last spring that lifted him to a new level. He needs to get back there if the Stars are once again going to be the only local team that can live up to a postseason promise.

Dynamic Dozen misses

Five athletes from the 2007 list who missed the 2008 edition:

3. Terrell Owens, Cowboys WR: Didn't come close to repeating his production level and is absent from this year's Pro Bowl.

4. Josh Howard, Mavericks F: Made too many mistakes last spring, is working his way back now and could return in 2009.

5. Michael Young, Rangers 2B: He's not hitting like a $16 million- per-year player now, but finger injuries were the reason.

6. Sergei Zubov, Stars D: Done for the season, and hard to think he has much left on the ice for his great Dallas career.

12. Devin Harris, Mavericks G: Firing his way onto any New Jersey Dynamic Dozen list.

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