John Blanchette says when Oscars are handed out tonight, Kevin Costner deserves one

So Michael Keaton is getting all this Oscar buzz for his comeback turn in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” which is also in the running for Dumbest Application of Conjunction and Punctuation in a Pompous Subtitle.

Comeback? The guy wasn’t in a coma. He was making a pile of dough voicing cartoons. What? Oh, sorry. “Animated films,” I mean.

OK, he was in “First Daughter,” too. Maybe pulling yourself out of that kind of muck qualifies as a comeback.

But if you want a comeback kid, look no further than Kevin Costner.

He’s back. In a sports movie. Where he belongs.

The guy’s career has been a decathlon of jockudrama. He is the World’s Greatest Cinematic Athlete. He broke the minor league home run record as Crash Davis. He took a 12 and blew the U.S. Open as Roy McAvoy. He raced bikes in “American Flyers.”

He threw a perfect game as a washed-up pitcher in “For Love of the Game.” He segued into a sports talk radio career in “The Upside of Anger.” He built it and they came in “Field of Dreams.”

He was on screen for maybe 90 seconds in some ghastly baseball schmaltz called “Chasing Dreams” and still the studio put his picture on the box to sell VHS tapes because Costner equals baseball equals bucks.

And now after a decade out of sports movies, he’s fleecing his fellow NFL general managers in “Draft Day.” Naturally, he didn’t get an Oscar nomination. The academy always whiffs on sports flicks. You’ll note none of these fine films are up for a statuette tonight:

Dumb and Dumber To – Seahawks coach Pete Carroll insists that if he had a do-over to win the Super Bowl, he’d have Russell Wilson throw that damned slant pass again.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – What’s worse than having to apologize to teammates and fans for a Hall of Fame career as a serial liar and cheat? Why, facing major league pitching again, as Alex Rodriguez discovers.

The Imitation Game – Kevin Pangos joins the pantheon of Gonzaga basketball greats – Dan Dickau, Matt Bouldin, Adam Morrison, Ronny Turiaf, Kelly Olynyk – not by winning more games, necessarily, but by growing out his hair.

A Most Wanted Man – Turns out the prized football recruit of 2015 is already on Eastern Washington’s campus, but that doesn’t stop the Oregon Ducks from helping themselves to Vernon Adams in their hunt to replace a Heisman Trophy quarterback.

That Awkward Moment – EWU coach Beau Baldwin rails against the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule that cost him his quarterback as irony mavens point out he won a national championship with an immediately eligible transfer QB himself.

Horrible Bosses 2 – Idaho basketball coach Don Verlin is caught on video berating assistant Chris Helbling on the bench, hurling a binder of plays toward the stands and tossing him from the game with a push toward the exit.

Whiplash – March 2014: “It’s the best staff I’ve ever been on,” says Washington State football coach Mike Leach. November 2014: Leach fires two assistants to go with the special teams coach he axed in October.

When the Game Stands Tall – A week before football signing day, West Valley senior and Idaho commit Jace Malek learns he has bone cancer. When he phones Vandals coach Paul Petrino with the news, Malek learns he still has a scholarship. “Jace is part of the family,” Petrino says.

American Sniper – Former WSU marksman Klay Thompson scores an NBA-record 37 points in a single quarter against Sacramento.

Gone Girl – Goalkeeping wild thing Hope Solo gets a 30-day suspension from U.S. Soccer for letting husband Jerramy Stevens drive a Team USA van under the influence.

Inherent Vice – NFL officials find 11 underinflated footballs being used in the AFC Championship Game, because Bill Belichick.

Million Dollar Arm – WSU quarterback Connor Halliday throws for an NCAA-record 734 yards against Cal.

A Million Ways to Die in the West – WSU loses to Cal 60-59, missing a 19-yard field goal instead of letting their record-setting quarterback get it into the end zone from the 2.

Boyhood – David Stockton is signed to a 10-day contract by the Sacramento Kings, 19 years to the day that his father set the NBA career assist record – and looks even more like a middle-schooler in a pro warmup line than he did in college.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) – Cartoonishly militant Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin catches all of one pass in the Super Bowl, for 3 yards and a touchdown, then by way of celebration squats and pretends to poop the ball. But in the hubbub over his coach’s goal-line brain cramp, hardly anyone cares.

Draft Day – The Seahawks pick a receiver. Please.