A GRIP ON SPORTS

This is a public service announcement. There is only a week until Christmas. Forget shopping days. There is only a week until Christmas. Where the heck did December go? Read on.

••••••••••

• Yes, it is time to start freaking out. I don't get it. Last time I looked it wasn't even Pearl Harbor Day yet. I had plans, lots of plans. None of them got done. Well, one. But that was a gift for me "Santa" is placing under the tree. Anyhow, none of the plans I had for others came through. I don't know about you, but I feel somewhat like a guy on a basketball team facing a 4-on-1 fastbreak with the game on the line. I'm the one, and four angry, determined people are coming at me about to knock me into the fifth row. Thank goodness there is just a light schedule of sporting events this week. No Washington State bowl game to prepare for and spend time with. No really big Gonzaga game to worry about. No more Eastern football. The coast is clear for a while. So is the computer. Now all we have to do is rely on Amazon and UPS to take care of everything. They are the modern equivalent of Santa Claus, that's for sure.

• As the year winds down, I would like you to start thinking about your favorite sports memories from 2014. I could ask for just one, but that would be stupid. It would be the Super Bowl for most of us. I know it "probably" is for me. (I'm not saying "for sure" as I don't want to ruin the suspense down the road. This way I leave a little wiggle room.) So we'll go with your top five – five is my favorite number thanks to Brooks and Johnny – and allow some variance here and there. Start thinking about them. I'll reveal mine – and ask for yours – the week between Christmas and New Year's.

•••

• WSU: It is quiet in Pullman. So quiet I'm not sure anyone is even in town. You there Jacob? Anyhow, Jacob Thorpe does have his morning report today with links. ... Uh oh. Bill Moos isn't going to like a word or two in No. 11. It's all part of a list of impactful plays on ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog. ... The blog also looks at WSU's offseason. ... When Mike Riley left Oregon State, it made a few recruits free agents, so to speak. WSU is taking advantage.

• Gonzaga: Jim Meehan took some time yesterday to look back at the blowout of Texas Southern. ... Just wanted to reiterate something I wrote yesterday. What the powers that be around the SWAC do to the basketball players is unconscionable. ... The Gonzaga women expect to have senior starter Lindsay Sherbert back this season. When, they don't know. That's part of Tom Clouse's women's basketball notebook. ... St. Mary's was upset at home by Northern Arizona.

• EWU: The football season is over in Cheney. All that's left is time to look back. Jim Allen does that in this story. ... The basketball team's road trip fell into a huge pothole last night, when the Eagles got a taste of their medicine. Sam Houston State bombed away from the outside, hit 13 3-pointers and defeated Eastern 76-52. ... Montana picked a Division II legend, Bob Stitt (pictured), to run its football program. If I were the UM punter, I might transfer, though the sidelines might not be a bad spot to watch the games.

• Idaho: It wasn't a good week for the Vandals on the basketball court either. Sean Kramer has a blog post that explains why.

• Chiefs: It's Wednesday, so Chris Derrick has his WHL notebook in the newspaper.

• Preps: Don't look now, but guess who is atop the Greater Spokane League boys basketball standings? Lewis and Clark, which defeated rival Ferris last night 61-54. Greg Lee has the story. ... We also have a story on Rogers' upset of host Central Valley, a GSL girls roundup and girls and boys roundups from around the area.

• Seahawks: Will Sunday's showdown with the Cardinals hinge on which team's defense can make life more miserable for the opposing quarterback? Russell Wilson has a plan on how to deal with Arizona's hordes while the Hawks have to figure out what they want to do against Ryan Lindley, the third-string Arizona quarterback. ... Recently, the Hawks have made every quarterback's life miserable. ... If you want the Hawks to be at home throughout the playoffs, root for them – of course – and the Colts this weekend.

• Mariners: It sounds as if the Braves have lowered their asking price for Justin Upton, and that the M's are interested. Maybe other teams will be as well. But there are lots of trade rumors swirling around Seattle right now.

• Sounders: So far this offseason, Seattle has just subtracted from its roster. Now is the time to begin adding.

•••

• This time next week I will really be panicking. But that's just me. I'm sure every one of you is finished with your Christmas preparations and all that. Everything is wrapped, all the out-of-town folks done. You're settled in for a week of calm. Well (insert bad word here) you. And Merry Christmas. Until later ...

---

---