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April12
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Just when you think the sports scene is winding down, some unexpected news hits Gonzaga. And other locales. Read on.
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March25
Jim Hayford likes to build things, and it shows. A solid layer of concrete was poured in his first season as head basketball coach at Eastern Washington. It was stress-tested during an inconsistent midseason, and hardened as the Eagles won four of their last seven games en route to the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament.
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March23
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Oregon State coach Craig Robinson tweeted something this morning that every basketball fan understands: "Bittersweet time of the year. Still wish you were playing but get to spend time with loved ones. Ugh!" Yep, everyone wishes their college basketball team was still playing. Wait, there are two local teams still playing aren't there? Yes there are, Washington State's men and Gonzaga's women. ...
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March22
A GRIP ON SPORTS
I don't remember many more eventful Wednesday in March around here. There was the Cougars domination of Oregon State in the CBI semifinals – basically without leading scorer Brock Motum. There was 729 blog posts from Christian Caple on SportsLink yesterday. And there was the snowstorm that dumped a few inches on my driveway starting last night. ...
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March21
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Not a lot of surprises today. There's no rest for the Washington State men, who had to hustle down to Corvallis on Tuesday for tonight's CBI semifinal against Oregon State. The Gonzaga women, on the other hand, got to catch their breath, with coach Kelly Graves sounding on the radio as if he needed the time just to let his voice return. ...
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March19
A GRIP ON SPORTS
We have a clock on the living room mantle that chimes each hour. When the batteries are fresh, it's loud enough to be heard all throughout the upper level of the house. But as those batteries wind down, the chimes become softer and softer until, finally, the clock just clicks on the top of the hour. ...
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March16
A GRIP ON SPORTS
I have to admit I didn't see the end of the UNLV/Colorado game last night. Couldn't get to the finish line. Failed. After spending most of the day watching favorite after favorite win, I couldn't stay awake anymore. Heck, it was after 9 for goodness sake. So we hit the sack, only to discover when I arose early this morning the Buffs had blown up that section of my bracket. ...
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March15
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It's finally here. The first (real) day of the NCAA basketball tournament. The basketball junkie's Christmas. It all starts at a little after 9 in the morning here on the West Coast and continues until your eyes close – or they explode – sometime late this evening. Read on.
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March14
A GRIP ON SPORTS
The last time I watched a college basketball game on TV from the University of San Francisco's venerable War Memorial Gymnasium, I was afraid the fire marshal would clear the place out. It was that crowded. That, of course, was less than a month ago, when Gonzaga invaded San Francisco for a keyWCC game and left with a 66-65 defeat. ...
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March11
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Selection Sunday can either be the happiest day of the year or the saddest, depending on your position. But for most folks, whose schools already know their NCAA fate, it can also have no relevance whatsoever. ...
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March09
A GRIP ON SPORTS
There is still a chance today could be TF60DDOTY (or as it's known to most folks, the first 60-degree day of the year) in the Inland Northwest. Which would make it the best day of the year for me. Yep, nothing better than that first day post-winter (OK, I know it is still winter officially) youcan put on shorts and wander around, causing car wrecks and blinding babies with your white legs. ...
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March08
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Before Washington State's Pac-12 Conference tournament game began yesterday, Christian Caple posted a picture of the empty Staples Center on this blog. Yes, it was a pregame photo for a noon game, so youwould expect the arena to be empty. ...
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MISSOULA – Sometimes those old sports sayings are really true. Cliff Colimon and Laron Griffin really did leave it all on the floor here Tuesday night, which didn’t leave much energy for the postgame press conference.
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March07
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Got up early this morning to get this post done. After all, as I type this, there is only six hours until the tip off of Washington State's Pac-12 tournament game against Oregon State. And it's only been about 10 hours since Eastern Washington's season ended in a late flurry by the Montana Grizzlies in Missoula. ...
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March06
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It is kind of appropriate today is Super Tuesday. After all, around Gonzaga yesterday, it was not-so-super Monday. Not with the men losing the West Coast Conference title game in overtime to St. Mary's. And the women melting in the second half against BYU once again. Not the best day for the folks wandering around Desmet and Cincinnati streets. ...
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March05
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Do you know by the end of the week the forecast calls for temperatures in the high 50s in the Inland Northwest? High 50s. Golfing weather. Wonder if I can lose 20 pounds by Friday? Read on.
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March04
A GRIP ON SPORTS • UPDATED: 9:20 A.M.
We had such a huge day of local basketball yesterday, we want to get the links up to those stories as early as possible. So we're putting this up now and will be back later with more. UPDATE: OK, we are back, with more links from yesterday. So now you can read on for everything.
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Fittingly, it was Jeffrey Forbes who punched Eastern’s ticket Saturday afternoon. With the Eagles clinging to a two-point lead with 40 seconds to play, Forbes punched the ball away from Idaho State’s Michael Morgan to help give Eastern an 81-75 win and a trip to the semifinals of the Big Sky men’s basketball tournament.
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March03
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Wow. What a Saturday. Gonzaga's men and women in the West Coast Conference tournament. Eastern Washington in the Big Sky tournament. Idaho, the hottest team around, finishing up its regular season. Washington State concluding Pac-12 regular season play against USC, one of the worst teams in recent conference history. ...
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March02
A GRIP ON SPORTS
Most people believe winter is about over when they see the first robin of spring. Or maybe the first crocus. Not me. I know it's over when I see my first State B basketball game at the Arena. It's more reliable than any bird or flower or even a groundhog. Watch a B game, know that it will only be a couple weeks until the golf course opens. ...
