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

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The Inland Northwest is better than many people know – in a lot of ways

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s great to be back home. To sleep in the correct bed, to awake at 5 in the morning to the singing of birds, to hear the neighbors’ sprinklers. And to reflect on what’s good about the Inland Northwest. Read on.

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• We live in an exceptional area. Nothing underscores that more than leaving it for a while. The return, even at a time when the temperature is soaring, is a relief. OK, I know I sound like a Chamber of Commerce guy, but almost two weeks of being on the road in a big city and Sin City will do that to a small-town guy – and yes, that’s what I’ve morphed into the past 30 years. Spokane and its environs seem like a small town in a lot of ways but not when it comes to sports. And that’s another reason it’s great to be back home – or on the road, for that matter. Over the past two weekends I’ve been lucky enough to witness some of the best boys’ basketball the nation has to offer. And to see how well Spokane’s best stacks up. You may be happy to know the answer is really well, especially among the younger age groups. The NCAA has open basketball recruiting periods in July and that leads to huge tournaments throughout the country attended by the top college coaches and their staffs – and, actually, every college staff in America. The system leads to some abuses, sure, but it also showcases the best players in settings that allow coaches to see hundreds of prospects in a short period of time. (The same thing is going in the girls’ ranks as well, the local aspect of which was documented by our Greg Lee recently.) The past two weekends, teams from all over traveled to Anaheim and Las Vegas to compete in games. And Spokane’s teams did well. In Anaheim, one of the older summer tournaments around, two local 15U teams reached the semifinals of the 16U and the finals of the 15U championship brackets. (A quick disclaimer. The reason I was at these tournaments is simple. Since my retirement I’ve coached a 14U traveling team as part of Eastern Washington Elite, a group that has been affiliated with Hoopfest and Spokane AAU for years.) The Griffins, a group of Gonzaga Prep rising sophomores coached by John Stockton, got to the semifinals of the 16U bracket – a year above their grade level – where they lost a two-point game to California Supreme, the team with Shaquille O’Neal’s son. And one of Eastern Washington Elite’s 15U groups, its Blue team, made the championship bracket finals of the 15U. The group, made up of players from throughout the Inland Northwest, defeated a team sponsored by Dwayne Wade in the semifinals before losing to Cal Supreme in the championship game. The next week, in the Las Vegas Classic, a tournament that draws teams from all over America, the Blue group reached the semifinals of the top bracket before falling to a Chris Paul-sponsored team. At the 14U level, two EWE’s two teams – the Silver and Green groups – each got to bracket finals before losing, defeating teams from Indiana, Texas, California, Idaho, Arizona and Hawaii en route. The level of talent at these tournaments is amazing – the Chris Paul 15U team had a 6-foot-5 eighth-grader who was built a bit like LeBron James at that age and has a similar game. But what is also impressive is how the Spokane area’s better players were able to compete. Over the years the Inland Northwest has produced waves of talent – the Adam Morrison era not only produced the player of the year in the NCAA but many other college players as well – and another looks to be on its way. There are many reasons for it but it comes down to this: Our area sells itself as a great place to raise kids; part of that is offering all kids an opportunity to excel in all sports; and, through a myriad of organizations and selfless individuals, it does a good job to achieving that. It’s just another part of what makes the Inland Northwest such a great place to live. That and the warm July weather.

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• WSU: The fallout from a brawl last weekend in Pullman continues to build, with Washington State athletic director Bill Moos releasing a statement about the incident. It’s part of Jacob Thorpe’s story on the investigation. ... As you may or may not know, there is a documentary out concerning the life of Steve Gleason, the Gonzaga Prep and WSU football player who is battling ALS. We can offer you this review of the film.

• Gonzaga: As the Big 12 looks to expand, BYU is prominently mentioned as one of the leading candidates. How will that affect the WCC? San Jose’s Jon Wilner takes a quick look.

• Idaho: It seems pretty clear the Vandals will be improved this season in football. Clear to everyone except those who put together the Sun Belt preseason prognostications.

• Indians: Spokane needed to win yesterday at Boise – it did – and then receive some help from Hillsboro in a game at Tri-City. The Indians got it and, as a result, are the first-half champions of the NWL’s North Division. They are playoff-bound, no matter what happens the rest of the season. ... They also return home tonight, so Josh Horton has a feature on outfielder Travis Bolin (pictured). ... Eugene won again last night.

• Preps: If you’re wondering why I didn’t mention player names in my column today, that was not the point. Such recognition is part of Greg’s youth notebook he puts together in the summer, including the one that is contained in today’s newspaper. For my part, I was trying to point out how Spokane’s best can compete with some of the better teams from throughout the nation. That takes a group effort, as I mentioned, from organizations and individuals. ... Spokane’s best baseball players are competing with Washington’s best in State Legion tournaments.

• Mariners: Do you think the M’s have what it takes to make the American League playoffs? I’m not sure either. (That’s why I put together the poll question, to gauge your feelings.) But Jerry DiPoto seems to think so. Or he’s trying to tamp down the outrage if he doesn’t make any moves before this week’s trade deadline. ... I love this piece on Larry Stone and Ryan Divish’s trip to Cooperstown. Not only have I been on a star-crossed road trip like this before, I also feel the same way about the Hall of Fame – and Sandy Koufax. ... There is something odd going on in the M’s visitor clubhouse. ... The Seager brothers compete against the competition and each other.

• Seahawks: With John Schneider in the fold, Pete Carroll can’t be far behind. ... How about Michael Bennett? Will he be taken care of before training camp starts? ... Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor may be safeties, but they certainly don’t play it safe.

• Sounders: The Timbers lost one of their key players with a season-ending injury.

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• It was well over 110 in Las Vegas much of the time we were there. Thus, when we landed yesterday afternoon and walked out into the 90-degree heat, it felt downright cool. That cool feeling lasted until I started puttering around in the backyard. It’s funny how quickly our bodies acclimate to the prevailing conditions. Until later ...



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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.