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

Are you ready for some football?

Mark Lowe can barely watch as the Mariners lose another close one last Monday. (Associated Press)

Thursday: Is it August yet? No? Well, can it please be August soon? Then we would have some football news to pass along.

As another Mariners season sinks slowly into oblivion, the mornings seem to have a void. There is a distinct lack of news that excites a Spokane-area sports fan.

An eight-run inning by the home team makes the M’s loss in Detroit last night another downer. Today’s lineup – Chris Taylor and Jesus Sucre, basically outs, are hitting eighth and ninth against David Price – ensures a lack of interest in the afternoon game.

The U.S. men’s soccer team played dumb, stupid, dumb soccer yesterday in its 2-1 loss to Jamaica at the Gold Cup, leaving the U.S. in the meaningless third-place game this weekend.

Heck, even if you are a soccer fan (and I know not all that many of you are), the state’s professional team – at one point the MLS’ best team – seems physically unable to score goals right now thanks to a roster that is lacking its top players.

Oh sure, there are other things to rally around, but even the local teams, the Indians and Shock, are flailing around the .500 mark (Indians) or well below that (Shock). That’s not a lot of fun.

That’s why we need August. It’s a month of rebirth. Football rebirth. The local college teams spend the month getting ready for the regular season. Everyone is undefeated and has dreams of glory.

The Seahawks begin training camp. They have a legitimate chance to win another Super Bowl.

The month should be filled with nothing but hope. Unlike the past couple. They have been filled with disappointment. And, whenever Mike Zunino steps into the batter’s box, despair.  

  Wednesday: It’s that time of year again. The time of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

In other words, college football conference’s media days. Oh sure, they are fun. It’s always fun to hear college coaches answer the same questions over and over again. How did the summer go? Which position group improved the most since last season? Where did you vacation? You know the drill.

And then there are the preseason polls. Last year’s best teams are this year’s best teams. Team A has 21 returning starters off a 6-5 team so it will be really good. Team B lost its quarterback, so it will finish down in the standings. It’s all a guess. An educated guess, sure, but there are so many variables between now and December, it’s hard to get it right.

Still, something needs to satisfy our football Jones between now and the beginning of practice, so there are media days. And they are a growth industry. All the major conferences – and many of the minor ones – have stretched the festivities over multiple days. The more (publicity) the better.

At least for the next few days there will be fewer stories on oral commitments by 17-year-olds.

Tuesday: Were you rooting for anyone in particular yesterday during the final round of the British Open? Were you disappointed?

If someone asked me the same questions I would have to answer yes and yes. It’s simple. I wanted Jordan Spieth to win. I believed it would have been incredible to have Spieth tee off at next month’s PGA with three majors in his back pocket. Having someone with a chance to win the Grand Slam is just too good a story not to be rooting for it.

But it wasn’t to be. Spieth four-putted a par 3 on the front side, regrouped, but couldn’t pull it off Monday. The field was just playing too well. OK, so Zack Johnson ended up being the one who played too well, winning the title in a four-hole playoff. But Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman were in the playoff too and a dozen or so other folks had a legitimate chance at one time or another Monday.

Yet all eyes were glued on Spieth, and not just those of his native Texas. The kid – he’s still just 21 – has so much game, so much moxie (it seemed as if every time he made a bogey this week – and he made a few – he followed up with a birdie) and so much, well, likeability, that he’s simple to root for.

That could change as he matures and changes into an older, more-seasoned professional athlete, but let’s hope not. We’re going to see Jordan Spieth’s name on the leaderboards at majors for a long time. And it’s nice to have someone there who you want to win.