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

TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2014


Defense rebounds from a slow start 

The Washington State defense faces an explosive offense this week in California, and one that presents a different challenge given that the Cougars have faced exclusively running quarterbacks since the season opener. The Cougars spent Tuesday implementing this week's defensive game plan and there were…

Continue reading this post »


Robert Franks joins WSU 2015 recruiting class

Yesterday Scout.com's Josh Gershon reported that Robert Franks, a 6-foot-7 forward from Evergreen High in Vancouver has given a verbal commitment to play basketball for Ernie Kent at Washington State. The above video shows Franks making what was certainly one of the most incredible shots…

Continue reading this post »




Grading the Utah game 

Normally I try and have the unit grades ready on Monday morning, but I wasn't home in time to watch a replay of the game on Sunday so I apologize for getting these up a day late. We don't want to keep you waiting any…

Continue reading this post »


Overcoming a big win 

The Cougars face a different sort of challenge this week, the challenge of putting a big win behind them and resisting the urge to dwell on a big win. The bookmakers are projecting a close game between WSU and California on Saturday; WSU is a…

Continue reading this post »

MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2014

Monday press conference: Mike Leach 

Today's was not your typical Monday press conference at Washington State. Coach Mike Leach talked about the win at Utah and the challenge presented by Saturday's game against California, but he also gave quotes like this: "I'm not really good with technology. All this button…

Continue reading this post »



What is a 'Bear Raid' anyway? 

This week the Cougars will prepare to face California, which is coached by one of Mike Leach's former assistants Sonny Dykes. As the former co-offensive coordinator at Texas Tech under Leach, Dykes is a member of the same offensive school and runs a variation of…

Continue reading this post »

SUNDAY, SEPT. 28, 2014

 (Rick Bowmer / Courtesy of WSU Athletics)

Sunday practice and the sack that wasn't

(Photo Credit: Rick Bowmer/WSU Athletics) The Cougars "only" managed one sack on Saturday after piling up seven against Oregon's Marcus Mariota, but as the above photo indicates they should have been credited with at least one more. The play pictured was ruled an incomplete pass…

Continue reading this post »


Saturday night was all right 

A GRIP ON SPORTS It's probable you have a lot to get done today – with no Seahawks on TV, I'm sure most of you are forgoing your fantasy team's performances to spend time with loved ones – so let's get right to it. After…

Continue reading this post »


Cougars pull it off 

Down 21-0 in a rainstorm the Cougars managed to win at Utah? How did it happen? Well, that'll take awhile to explain. Fortunately we have plenty of links for that exact purpose, and they're after the jump. …

Continue reading this post »



Final thoughts from the Utah game

Frankly, I'm not sure what to think. For about six minutes of game time there I thought the Cougars were going to lose badly, if not worse. Utah staked an early 21-0 lead and with the way the rain was pouring down, the wind was…

Continue reading this post »


Chiefs begin season 2 for 2

The Spokane Chiefs opened the 2014-15 Western Hockey League season last weekend with some big questions. Among them were: Who will spark the offense? How will the young defense stand up? Is Garret Hughson ready to fill the big shoes of last season's goaltender, Eric…

Continue reading this post »

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 2014




Avert your eyes if you want to win 

A GRIP ON SPORTS For some reason lately I've been thinking about a character in an old comic strip. I'm sure he had some elements of humor that wouldn't be considered politically correct these days, but that's not the reason he's sprung to mine. No,…

Continue reading this post »


Eastern Game Day football links

The Eagles are here in (mostly) sunny California, playing tonight at UC Davis in a game that perhaps won't come down to the wire - and perhaps it will. Here's my preview, along with a feature in the Sacramento Bee that examines the game as…

Continue reading this post »


Links: Washington State at Utah

Today the Cougars will attempt to pick up an important conference win at Utah. That game won't kick off until 5 p.m., but in the meantime we have a story about the challenge facing Washington State's offensive line, the projected WSU starting lineups, and four…

Continue reading this post »

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26, 2014



Pac-12 picks: week five 

While there is no official semifinal preceding the Pac-12 Championship Game, the emerging rivalries in the North and South divisions have effectively served the same purpose. Each year the biggest conference game is the matchup between North rivals Oregon and Stanford and it is all…

Continue reading this 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.


Blog Archives

Sept. 2014
30 29 28 27 26
25 24 23 22 21
20 19 18 17 16
15 14 13 12 11
10 09 08 07 06
05 04 03 02 01