As Richie's out of town, here's the latest on the Russ Martin arrest. The Dallas Morning News' Web site, in a story about a protective order issued against the Live 105.3 FM show host, offers only the Southlake Police Department's media advisory, which doesn't go into any detail at all. Meanwhile, Jay Gormley and the KTVT-Channel 11 Web site offer far, far more substance -- including the entire four-page arrest warrant affidavit, which goes into substantive detail concerning not only the arrest, but the alleged events of July 14 that lead to the Friday-morning arrest -- including mention of an Internal Revenue Service audit.

Indeed, it's the alleged audit that the the complainant says caused Martin to assault her; she alleges he pulled out chunks of her hair, kicked her in the left thigh and brandished a Glock. According to the affidavit, on July 14, Martin called the woman and asked if she had followed up about a package he sent to the IRS. When she told him she had not, the document says, he allegedly told her, among other things, "You better hide, because when I get there I'm going to beat the shit out of you." Martin has denied the allegations, and he appears to be taking the matter very lightly: Until it was altered this afternoon, his MySpace page featured his mug shot. --Robert Wilonsky

As I’m packing to leave town tonight I get a call from a radio industry source saying Live 105.3 drive-time host Russ Martin was arrested Friday morning in Southlake for assaulting his girlfriend.

Sure enough.

It's not really sportsy, and I'm not sure when or why I became a radio beat writer, but it didn’t feel right to have this knowledge and not share it. On the heels of The Ticket’s Hard Lie, Live 105.3 has had a rough itself week with two hosts – Pugs & Kelly – departing and one arrested.

I leave this information in your capable hands. -- Richie Whitt

Yeah, I know, feels like I just got back from vacation. But you know what they say in the corporate media world, "use ‘em or lose ‘em".

They do say that, right?

While I’m gone you might wanna check out our Dallas Observer Music Awards show next Tuesday night and Chandler Jackson Night with the Frisco RoughRiders July 26, and – betcha a nickel – the beginning of the end for your Texas Rangers.

The good news: My next blog item will come from Oxnard, California, and it will officially be football season. -- Richie Whitt

Since you’ll have to go cold turkey while I’m on vacation next week, thought I’d empty out my Hammer notebook before I skedaddle.

Talked to Greggo last night – he was in Decatur serving as executor of his dad’s will, which meant figuring out what to do with seven boats and four Cadillacs – and he had some good news and an intriguing hint.

Hard to fathom with our temps again flirting with triple digits, but over at the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Lancanshire, England it looks like December.

It’s in the ‘50s with rain, 40 mph wind, guys hitting 9-iron from 205 yards and, worst of all, no sign of the injured Tiger Woods. To make matters more surreal, 53-year-old Greg Norman is near the top of the leaderboard.

Which, somehow, brings us to our local angle. Anthony Kim, who lives in Dallas, led briefly and just down the road 14-year-old Jesuit sophomore Jordan Spieth took second in the British Junior Open yesterday. So there. -- Richie Whitt

The Cowboys re-signed Pro Bowl safety Ken Hamlin this week.

Translation: It’s official, Super Bowl or bust.

Not that Hamlin is that valuable, but his signing means one less distraction in a 2008 season that should – that’s right, should -- climax with the Cowboys playing for the title in February.

Las Vegas agrees, staking Dallas as the favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLIII.

Another American League All-Star Game victory. Another significant Rangers contribution to the win.

But in the big photo, does it really matter?

Texas shortstop Michael Young provided the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 15th inning of last night’s 4-3 win, giving the franchise yet another recent All-Star highlight.

Surely you remember:

For those of you who can't wait, you can download the file here.

Happy listening.-- Richie Whitt

A wise man – no, come to think of it, it was this a-hole – once said that “those who can’t play, write.”

At your friendly lil’ Dallas Observer, thank you very much, we can do both.

After years – centuries? – as so much prop humor, our co-ed softball team just finished its season 5-4, losing in the semifinals of the city’s media league post-season tournament to Telerep. From what I could dig up, it’s the Observer’s first winning season since Schutze filed his stories via Pony Express. Props to players like Drew Ramsauer, Cortnee Robinson, Molly Peterson, Brandon Phillips, Leslie Winchell and even our publisher, Adam Simon.

If you bump into these peeps this week buy them a celebratory ale. We are the Tampa Bay Rays no more.

Babe Ruth may have built the house, but Josh Hamilton brought it down.

I’m not much into Home Run Derbys – or baseball, for that matter – but the Texas Rangers’ slugger last night provided one of those goose-bumpy moments that remind us why we watch sports. In one of the most memorable at-bats in the history of fabled Yankee Stadium, Hamilton set a record with 28 homers, including three of over 500 feet and two off the joint’s back wall, flirting to send one out of the stadium and into the Bronx night.

Like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup, Hamilton didn’t win the title despite owning the night.

Anyway, I won't be on live today at noon. Instead, I'll tape an interview with Big Dick Hunter to be played tonight at 10. Adjust your iPhone alerts accordingly.-- Richie Whitt

We knew The Ticket wouldn’t invite me on, but seems my Greg Williams story is compelling enough for a competing station to discuss it.

To that end, I’ll be on Big Dick’s Wild Ass Circus -- temporarily (permanently?) filling in for the vacationing (fired?) Pugs & Kelly – at noon Tuesday on Live 105.3 FM. Big Dick (aka Richard Hunter) is a former Ticket host, friend of Hammer’s, even had Greggo as a groomsman in his wedding if I remember correctly, and will likely have some fresh insight.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo finished third in a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe over the weekend.

He also fell into a lake when he lost his balance hitting a shot, hosted a party house complete with karaoke machine and, yep, was cheered on by you-know-who, who posed for lots of pics, even some in a bikini. Or, what the hell, is that a onesy?

Good to see Romo sharpening his football skills less than two weeks before training camp. But it could be worse. He could be – like his childhood hero – retired, coming back, released, a backup … or just confused. -- Richie Whitt

Like you, I listened to The Hardline discuss my story and Greggo yesterday afternoon.

It’s impossible to tie a pretty bow on it all because it remains an ugly situation. But, one way or another, we gotta wrap it up and move on.

As a long-time P1 and an objective observer, my final analysis:

Williams, admittedly, deserves 99.9% of the blame. His reckless, selfish actions imploded The Hardline, his career and, almost, his life. Professionally, his former co-workers have every right to turn on him. They’re justified in not ever again trusting him. But privately – as friends for almost 20 years – The Ticket’s collective lack of empathy is confounding, if not altogether appalling. I don’t expect them to jump into business with Greggo or let him manage their 401Ks, but I’d have a lot more respect for them if they would’ve temporarily shelved their animosity and taken five minutes to send him a simple message. Something along the lines of “Good luck with your recovery. Hang in there. I’m pulling for you.” I think most of the hosts feel that way, and someday they’ll realize that not airing those sentiments – either through my story or private phone call – was a mistake.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. They just make us all sad. For everybody involved. -- Richie Whitt

That, ladies and gents, was the most scintillating, entertaining four-game split in the history of The Ballpark.

What we saw: The Rangers almost rally from down 8-0 in Game 1. A surprisingly stellar start by rookie Matt Harrison as the Rangers hold on for a 3-2 win in Game 2. Josh Hamilton’s walk-off homer off impeccable closer Francisco Rodriguez in Game 3. And last night, the Rangers erased a 10-4 deficit only to lose 11-10 in 11 innings when the best-hitting team in baseball inexplicably fell in love with the bunt.

What we learned: Max Ramirez is a stud. Hamilton isn’t a mirage. The Rangers are gritty and fun to watch and, best of all, legit.

But just think how good you’d feel if they’d have taken three of four and were within 5 ½ this morning.