The Washington State football team returns to practice tomorrow to begin the first of what could be many bowl practices. Or, it could just be the first of three. The Cougars will take the field on Friday and Saturday afternoon, and then again on Sunday…
The Western Hockey League is well represented in the latest Canadian Hockey League Top 10 poll. Kelowna (20-3-0-2) is ranked third, Portland (21-5-2-1) fifth and Everett (20-5-4-0) sixth. There's a new team at No. 1: The Erie Otters (23-4-1-0) of the Ontario Hockey League moved…
Austin Rehkow plays football for the University of Idaho. And he may soon play basketball for the Vandals, too. Rehkow, a freshman punter and kicker, will spend the next week to 10 days with the UI basketball team and then decide if he wants to…
Good morning (barely) everyone, sorry about the lateness of these links. There were some issues with the website on my end last night that didn't get resolved until recently so I'm just now getting to these. If you haven't seem then already, we've got stories…
The Zags have had a day or two off since Sunday's rout over Coppin State and they're preparing for New Mexico State's visit Saturday. You can be sure rebounding drills will be fairly high on the coaching staff's practice script. This isn't a surprise. The…
It was a bit chilly Tuesday afternoon at Roos Field as Eastern Washington prepared for a second-round FCS playoff game against South Dakota State. (And by the way. it was 10 degrees colder back in Brookings, South Dakota, so the Jackrabbits will be used to…
If Don Verlin and the Idaho Vandals sign a high school player, chances are he's from the Northwest. That trend continued Tuesday when UI announced the signing of Arkadiy Mkrtychyan, a 6-foot-7 forward from Portland. Mkrtychyan has spent the last two years in Portland, but…
After Friday, the Spokane Chiefs will play three weeks without 18-year-old center Liam Stewart. The team announced Tuesday that Stewart has accepted an invitation to play for Great Britain at the U20 World Championships in Scotland. Stewart was born in London and raised in the…
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, The Sports Network announced Tuesday. Adams, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois and running back Terrance West of Towson…
Gonzaga senior Drew Barham has been nominated for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company's "Good Works Team", which recognizes collegiate student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the greater good of their communities through volunteerism…
A GRIP ON SPORTS Query. If last night's beatdown of the Saints turns out to be a preview of what the Super Bowl will be like, would you enjoy it? Or do you want that game to be more of a contest for the Seahawks?…
The Jackrabbits are coming to Cheney. South Dakota State, which defeated Northern Arizona 26-7 last weekend, will face Eastern Washington on Saturday. Here's a first look at SDSU, along with a preview from Eastern and a look at the all-Missouri Valley Conference standouts from SDSU.…
Just when you think everything's going to be quiet for awhile, all heck breaks lose. Yes, the similarities between Pac-12 football and my 10th grade battle with acne truly are a wonder. Steve Sarkisian cooled talk that he was on the hot seat with an…
For the second time in the first month of the season, Idaho small forward Stephen Madison has been named WAC Player of the Week. And he wasn't the only Vandal feted on Monday -- freshman kicker/punter Austin Rehkow hauled in a national award for FBS…
I've had the opportunity speak with Washington State athletic director Bill Moos to talk about the Cougars bowl situation, future construction plans and his vision for branding and marketing Cougars athletics going forward. Of course, the vast majority of what he said didn't make it…
Safety Deone Bucannon of Washington State has been named First-Team All-Pac-12, the conference announced on Monday. Bucannon led the Cougars with 109 tackles this season, and tied for the team lead with five interceptions. He is the only WSU football player to be named either…
Gonzaga returned from Maui with a shorter-than-usual turnaround than previous trips but it had the ideal opponent on the schedule. After playing three games in three days in Lahaina, GU was barely tested by the Eagles and led by 25 at half. The rest of…
A GRIP ON SPORTS Cue the Monday Night Football theme. Listen to a voiceover from the late Howard Cosell. Watch Brian Bosworth being run over by Bo Jackson, then cut in Marshawn Lynch's playoff run vs. the Saints. Now you are ready for this week's…
Washington State athletic director Bill Moos will begin politicking and lobbying various bowl games in earnest, today. But with no practice on Monday, today will be another day in limbo for the Cougars, as all bowl eligible Pac-12 teams wait for Dec. 8th, when the…
True, the Spokane Chiefs were weary on Sunday while playing their third game in three nights. But that doesn't explain how the Seattle Thunderbirds, who were in the same situation AND playing on the road, came out with such life while the Chiefs appeared sluggish.…
Gonzaga improved to 7-1 with an easy 86-51 win over Coppin State on Sunday night. My unedited game story is below. Back in the morning with a day-after post.
SportsLink is your portal into sports news around the Inland Northwest and beyond. You'll find updates, notes and opinions, and plenty of reader feedback.
Looking for a Grip on Sports?
Vince Grippi's daily take on all things regional sports has been moved to our main sports section online.
You can find a collection of these columns here.