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

Grip on Sports: Sunday mornings are still a time to connect with the world

Seattle’s Nelson Cruz leads the American League with 112 runs batted in. (Ted S. Warren / AP)

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The British Open is on the television. The computer is filled with sports stories to read, from the Mariners’ walk-off win to Clint Dempsey’s record-tying goal. It’s a pretty nice Sunday morning. Read on.

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• Though high school students of today may not believe this, Sunday mornings not that long ago used to include about a hour or two reading newspapers the size of Jack Russell Terriers – and just about as exciting.

Sundays still contain the largest ink-on-paper newspaper of the week, filled with stories from business to sports to entertainment and everywhere in between, but, like everything connected to journalism, things are different today.

Not worse, necessarily, just different.

Back in the day, when print was, if not king, then at least crown prince, Sunday mornings meant opening up newspapers filled with in-depth pieces in every section.

That still happens. It just takes an adequate computer and a fast internet connection.

Sure newspapers have downsized. The business model has forced the change. But those same market forces eating away at the core also has opened a world of possibilities every day.

As we search the web for sports stories to pass along to you each day, we are amazed at the good journalistic work still being done all over the country. We may link the best sports pieces with connections to our area, but that doesn’t stop us from reading others on subjects that just catch our eye.

It makes each morning fun.

But Sunday is always the best. Whether it’s a piece on California history or the next big celestial event, there is always something to take me away from my appointed task.

Usually we just bookmark things we want to read until the work is done and then return to it. After all, with all the sports stories to pass along, we read a ton of words before we hit the send button.

So Sundays are still a day for slow reading, for percolating on the week’s events, for enjoying some downtime. There may not be a 300-hundred page newspaper strewn all over the living room floor anymore, but the news is still there to be ingested in a different way.

Not better, not worse, just different.

• The top sports story on this Sunday morning? If you are talking live events, then it’s Jordan Spieth’s putter failing him in the British Open’s early holes.

If you are referring to what happened yesterday, then it’s the Mariners winning in the bottom of the 10th against the Yankees.

There is something magical about an extra-inning home win. The crowd on the edge of their seats, the pitcher vs. hitter battle, the sprint to the plate, the safe call. And the celebration.

The M’s got the chance to have one of those last night. But it seemed to be more of a relief than anything. After two consecutive home losses to New York, a third against a team also in the wild-card hunt, may have been too much to bear.

Robinson Cano, with a late home run, and Nelson Cruz, with the game-winning hit, made sure that didn’t happen.

And the M’s live to fight another day. A Sunday. It only makes this day better.

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WSU: It’s the calm before the football storm in Pullman, with the start of training camp not too far away. But there isn’t much in the way of news right now. Around the Pac-12 however, there are a few things to pass along. Jake Luton (pictured), Oregon State’s newest quarterback, dealt with a mysterious ailment recently. … Utah owns its state’s other football power. … Arizona State is looking to bounce back offensively. … Allonzo Trier has some unfinished business.

Gonzaga: Few Good Men once again fell in the round of 16 at The Basketball Tournament.

Indians: After getting blown out Friday, Spokane found its bats yesterday and pounded out a 11-4 victory at Hillsboro. Johnathan Curley has the game story. … Around the Northwest League, Tri-City dropped Eugene in the 10th inning, 2-1, and Everett defeated Boise 8-5.

Shadow: The women’s team opens the Northwest Premier League playoffs this evening.

Preps: Former Coeur d’Alene star Caelyn Orlandi is going into basketball coaching at her college alma mater.

Mariners: Ben Gamel doubled to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning, the M’s tied with the Yankees. Cruz came to the plate and delivered a single to left. The Mariners had a 6-5 victory. … The win showed resilience. … The bullpen is still under construction. … Finally, the trade made Friday isn’t going over well.

Seahawks: So what’s on the agenda for today? How about Michael Bennett doing another good deed and another piece on Jimmy Graham?

Sounders: It was huge day yesterday for Clint Dempsey, and he didn’t even start the U.S. team’s 2-0 Gold Cup semifinal win against Costa Rica. But he assisted on the go-ahead goal and then iced the game with a record-tying 57th international goal. That tied him with Landon Donovan for the most in team history. … Dempsey’s MLS team has a problem. One that coach Brian Schmetzer wants them to take care of themselves. … The MLS soldiered on yesterday, with Los Angeles losing in New England and Real Salt Lake drawing with Sporting Kansas City.

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• So we are done this morning. Now it’s back to reading the stories we saved. Yes, it is Sunday. Until later …