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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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A GRIP ON SPORTS

Want some free advice? Advice that is worth more than you are paying for it? Never, never, never update your computer before work. Always after. I learned the hard way this morning. Read on.

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• There are 45 minutes of my life I'll never get back. And I don't have all that many 45-minute stretches to throw away anymore. One positive: I did get this week's "Entertainment Weekly" read all the way through why I waited for the Mac finally restart. I am really geeked for the new "Star Wars" movie next year. But I'm supposed to be writing about sports, so I guess I'll have to find a way to segue into it. After 45 minutes of getting more and more ticked off at my computer – and the folks at Apple – I'm not sure my brain is working all that well. I did learn never to trust a moving bar that says "time remaining: 10 minutes." Just like I learned last night not to trust the Mariners to come through in the ninth inning. (OK, I admit it, that's a reach, but I'm trying to get back to sports here.) After Michael Saunders carried the tying run to second base with Robinson Cano, Cory Hart, et al behind him, I thought for sure the M's would hand over a tie or lead to Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the inning. And then he could blow it. But it wasn't to be. The M's couldn't score. And they are back below .500 again. I'm not sure what is worse: Being a Mariner fan or owning a computer that constantly gets tied up in knots by new software. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. If my computer is working.

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• WSU: The Pac-12 track and field championships are in Pullman this weekend – at least the weather is passable – as longtime WSU track coach Rick Sloan calls it a career. I'm old enough to have watched Sloan compete for UCLA, which makes me probably only one of 11 people in the world who can still say that. Anyhow, I won't be one of the few folks who will be down in Pullman this weekend for the meet, though Jacob Thorpe is. He has a feature today on Washington State pole vaulter Kristine Felix (pictured), who is out to defend her Pac-12 title. ... The Register-Guard has an advance of the Pac-12 meet. After all, Oregon is favored to win it. ... Seattle Times sports editor Don Shelton has a piece on Mike Leach and his inquisitive mind. ... It's Saturday, so I can pass along ESPN.com's Pac-12 football mailbag.

• Preps: A lot of prep action again yesterday, with the Idaho softball and baseball state tournaments continuing. There are North Idaho schools still in the running for state titles. ... Greg Lee was at the final day of the District 8 track and field meet and files this story on the 4A and another on the 3A. ... We also have a roundup of the Idaho track meets. ... Jim Meehan has a prep golf notebook. It is full of nuggets from both sides of the border. ... Chris Derrick was at the district softball tournaments. ... Finally, we pass along this story out of California. If football is limited there next year, expect the same sort of changes around here soon. It always seems to happen.

• Seahawks: There were no pads. There were no veterans. There were no officials. And yet, football, pro football, was back in the Northwest yesterday. The Hawks held their first day of rookie mini-camp and some folks treated it like the second coming. OK, I understand the anticipation. Still, it is mini-camp. Rookie mini-camp. ... Keith Price was one of the rookies and the former UW quarterback had fun. So did Pete Carroll.

• Mariners: Chris Young has been pitching well for the M's. But Friday he struggled a bit as the Twins built a 5-1 lead. But Young rallied and finished seven innings, giving the M's a chance to come back. They didn't, even with Saunders on second with none out and third with one. They lost 5-4. ... Saunders was back in the lineup and had a nice game. ... Tom Wilhelmsen has been pitching well, though he can't pinpoint anything different. ... Want power rankings? You've got 'em.

• Sounders: So what do you want to do when you lost your last match 5-0? You want to get back on the pitch. Which is what the Sounders will do tonight, when they host San Jose in a pretty crowded CenturyLink. ... Both teams will be without some of their better players due to World Cup call-ups and injuries. ... There will be a familiar voice on the broadcast. ... The Sounders' U.S. Open Cup schedule is still to be determined.

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• At least there were no untoward crashes this morning, once I was able to begin working. ... Wait, I spoke too soon. After I wrote the first sentence of this paragraph, I tried to get into the S-R website. No dice. Tried on a different device using a different web connection. No dice. So this column has been sitting on my computer waiting for the site to come up. I jinxed myself. Oh well, enjoy your weekend. Until later ... 



Vince Grippi
Vince Grippi is a freelance local sports blogger for spokesman.com. He also contributes to the SportsLink Blog.

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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.