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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Grip on Sports: Whatever Kam Chancellor’s future holds, Seahawk fans have some hard-hitting memories to fall back on

Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor will miss the rest of the season due to a neck injury he suffered earlier this month, coach Pete Carroll said Monday. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Think back to your youth. What athlete who was forced to retire early affected you the most? For some of us, it’s an easy call. For others, a tough one. Read on.

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• Why are we thinking about Sandy Koufax again? In an odd way, because of Kam Chancellor.

We were listening to the radio yesterday morning when Pete Carroll opened up about his 29-year-old strong safety’s future. This year is over, Carroll said. And the future? That will be up to Kam.

That doesn’t sound good.

Chancellor has been the Hawks’ enforcer, their physical conscience, since they drafted him in the fifth round back in 2010. If there is one player that defined the boom in the Legion, it’s been Chancellor.

He threw his body around with abandon. He made it tough for opponents to attack the middle without some trepidation. He made calls, he acted as a fourth linebacker, helping Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright lock down the middle near the line of scrimmage, allowing Earl Thomas the freedom to roam the deep areas.

And now, four months after signing a $36 million contract extension, it could all be over?

That seems to be the case.

All indications are Chancellor is dealing with similar problems that have sidelined defensive lineman Cliff Avril and led to surgery for the veteran. Carroll was forthcoming about Avril’s problem, a spinal cord issue, but was hesitant to speak to the nature of Chancellor’s.

He called it “respect.” No one has earned more than Chancellor. Even when he held out for more money, refusing to honor a contract he signed in good faith, Seahawk fans didn’t lose their respect for Chancellor. The way he played, the way he presented himself, the way he is, it all contributed to that.

And now he may be done.

All I can think of is a 12-year-old somewhere with a No. 31 jersey in his closet and maybe a picture or two on his wall.

Kam Chancellor is the football player that 12-year-old wants to be. Nothing wrong with that. But to have that hero pulled away so suddenly, there is something wrong with that.

It’s not a done deal, sure. We may not know for months if Chancellor will be able to play again. Maybe he’ll be back roaming the secondary again next season. Or maybe not.

If it’s the latter, it will have happened too soon.

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WSU: With the 9-3 regular season done and the bowl invitation still not in the mail, Theo Lawson takes some time away from football to catch up with the 6-0 basketball team. And to explain his top-25 votes. … Mike Leach did a radio interview yesterday which, as one might expect, covers a lot of ground. … Former Washington State star Deone Bucannon was injured in the Cardinals’ game over the weekend.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, we have more power rankings and more notes from the weekend that was. … There is just one game this week, the championship one Friday from Santa Clara. Does Stanford’s proximity to the game balance out USC’s bye week? … How is the conference’s bowl lineup shaking out? A lot depends on who wins Friday night. But it affects almost every conference member. Not Colorado though … The biggest news yesterday came out of Westwood, where Chip Kelly was introduced to UCLA’s big-time boosters – and a smattering of media members. Whether or not he will be successful is still to be determined. … His appearance in the Pac-12 South makes the division even tougher. … And we still don’t know whom Arizona State will hire.

Gonzaga: Johnathan Williams had himself a pretty nice Thanksgiving weekend. Not only did he earn all-tournament honors at the PK80, he was also named the WCC player of the week. Jim Meehan has both stories. … The Zags’ 2-1 showing at the PK80 boosted them in the polls. Jim has that story as well. … … The volleyball team had two plays earn all-conference honors. … Around the WCC, the Zags are once again the No. 1-ranked mid-major school in the nation. If, you know, you consider them a mid-major.

EWU: Around the Big Sky, we thought we should catch up with what’s been going on in the conference, including a new basketball agreement with the Summit League. … Montana reportedly interviewed former coach Bobby Hauck for its vacant football position. … Idaho State is in the market for a new defensive coordinator. … In basketball action over the long weekend, Northern Colorado won a tournament, but Montana State, North Dakota, Southern Utah and Idaho State all suffered defeats.

Seahawks: We shared the Chancellor news above, but there is also news on Seattle’s top draft pick. My reading from this: Don’t expect to ever see him in a Seahawk uniform. … Dwight Freeney shared some thoughts on being cut by the Hawks. … Russell Wilson made sure there were no sacks last weekend. … Philadelphia may have the NFL’s best record, but they come to Seattle this weekend with something to prove. … The Eagles are favored. … Chris Carson could return in the near future.

Mariners: Hisashi Iwakuma is going to get one last chance to prove he has something left – with prove being the operative word.

Sounders: Seattle has the rare chance to win a playoff series at home.

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• There are times when you are forced to purchase an item that comes with “some assembly required.” I hate those times, unless I can hire someone else to put it together. Or force one of my sons to do it. I’m trying the latter today, though force is too strong a word. Bribe, or maybe even pay, would work better. Until later …