A GRIP ON SPORTS • “OK, well, uh ... candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let's get two! Go get 'em.” Read on.

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• We’re quoting one of the more memorable “Bull Durham” scenes this morning in honor of Russell Wilson’s marriage to Ciara, the singer with as many aficionados as her quarterback husband. The two were married yesterday in England. At a castle no less. Storybook stuff. But you don’t care, do you? All you really care about is how marriage will affect the Seahawks’ most important player. After all, if tying the knot will help the Hawks get back to the Super Bowl, you’re probably all for it. Heck, if Wilson spending his offseason working behind the counter at Golden Corral would help the Hawks in the playoffs, you might say “give it a go.” Most football fans follow what’s going on in their favorite players’ life, sure. They care. And it’s relatively easy to do these days. But what really matters is what happens between the lines. Get caught going 125 miles per hour on the freeway elicits feelings of anger – until the guy runs for 125 yards in the next game. Then it’s “boys will be boys.” Every one has different levels of indignation, of course, but what happens off the field, as salacious as it may be, pales in comparison to what happens on it. Wilson has always been in the media spotlight, ever since he burst out of the confined walls of being an overlooked third-round draft pick from Wisconsin. Some of it, OK, most of it, especially early, was of his own creation, as he chronicled his life on Twitter and Instagram. The communication with the fans helped him build up goodwill. But not as much as leading the Hawks to a Super Bowl title did. That has lasting weight. It carried him through the next Super Bowl, when his interception stymied Seattle’s hope of winning. Did Wilson get blamed? Nope. It was Pete Carroll or Darrell Bevell’s fault for not giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch. It was the receivers’ fault for not being in the right spots. The anointed one’s pass wasn’t the problem, even if it ended up in Malcolm Butler’s hands. Last year was Wilson's best, even as the Hawks fell short of a third consecutive Super Bowl. He avoided all of the criticism most quarterbacks receive when their team doesn’t meet expectations. Was it mainly because he had an incredible year (4,024 passing yards, 68.1 completion percentage, 34 touchdowns, just eight interceptions) or because we all thought we knew him so well thanks to his social media presence? Both, probably, though we're sure the 34 TDs were the deciding factor. So, as his offseason romance blossomed into marriage, Hawk fans followed the progression through Wilson’s Twitter account (@DangeRussWilson) and cheered their quarterback. Now he’s a celebrity husband as well as an NFL quarterback. Good for him. But throw four interceptions against Miami in the opener and he may have to beat back the mob with those candlesticks you bought them.

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• WSU: Jeshua Anderson, at age 26, is trying to make his first Olympic team. He runs today in the 400-meter hurdles. The Times' Stefanie Loh catches up with the former WSU wide receiver and track star. ... Speaking of catching up, ESPN.com’s Pac-12 blog has its all-century WSU football team.

• Gonzaga: It must be Nostalgia Day, as the News Tribune has this story on Casey Calvary, who had the most important putback in school history.

• Indians: Blaine Prescott’s sixth-inning grand slam powered Spokane to a 9-6 victory over Boise at Avista last night. Josh Horton has the game story. ... Everett routed Eugene 12-1 and Hillsboro did the same to Tri-City, 9-1.

• Preps: Former Central Valley hurdler Ben Craig has a detour coming up before he runs for BYU. Greg Lee has this feature.

• Mariners: The M’s have headed to Texas for two key road series this season. They have been swept in both. The Astros did the deed this week, winning three consecutive times, including last night’s 9-8 decision. ... Felix Hernandez looks to be on track to return July 20. It’s been a long stretch. ... The M’s made other roster moves yesterday.

• Seahawks: Besides Wilson’s wedding, the Hawks are dealing with a police investigation of newly reacquired Brandon Browner. ... Ricardo Lockette’s story isn’t a pleasant one.

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• Let’s see if I have this right. Wilson is married to an R&B sensation, Tom Brady to a supermodel and Aaron Rodgers dates a movie star. No wonder Buddy Ryan hated quarterbacks. Until later ...

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