A Grip on Sports: Without the NFL on this Sunday, what can we do? There is a seemingly endless list of possibilities and none of them have anything to do with the Pro Bowl

A GRIP ON SPORTS • This is the first Sunday without pro football since September. Which opens a world of possibilities.

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• No, I don’t consider the Pro Bowl actual football. Not sure the players do either. So don’t get on my case.

Which means you will have to get by today without a football fix. It’s probably a good thing. Going cold turkey after next Sunday might be almost impossible if you didn’t get this one as a practice day.

So enjoy it.

Go for a walk. Even in Spokane it’s going to be in the low-40s, which is a heat wave for late January. You can pick your way around the remaining snow piles in the neighborhood and play a cool game we call “what is it?”

The idea is to try to identify the flotsam and jetsam that has emerged now the snow is melting. I usually default to “dog doo” if I have no idea.

Watch something different on TV. No, we’re not talking about binging the last season of “Impractical Jokers.” We’re pushing you toward, say, Oregon vs. Oregon State in women’s hoop.

Two of the top teams in the women’s game meet in Corvallis this afternoon, the second time they will have played in less than 48 hours. The fourth-ranked Ducks won the first time. My guess is the seventh-ranked Beavers will have a different – read: more physical – game plan at home.

If that doesn’t float your boat, which should probably still be in storage anyway, then try bowling or rodeo or figure skating or bowling, all of which are being broadcast somewhere today.

Is this a great country or what?

Watch a local basketball game or something of that ilk. If you were too busy yesterday and had the good sense to tape any of the local hoops games, or the Senior Bowl, then watch them today.

If you are a Washington State fan, all you need to really watch of the football game is the second half. Anthony Gordon dominated the third quarter. If you are a fan of local kids, then watch the whole thing. Evan Weaver had a great day and was even once compared to Buzz Lightyear. Talk about a highlight.

Gonzaga fans probably watched last night anyway, but if there is a way to see the women’s game, we recommend it. Despite missing two key players, they dominated Loyola Marymount in the second half and raised their record to 20-1. Combined with the men, GU’s teams are 41-2, which seems pretty good.

Almost as good as seeing streets clear of snow in late January.

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WSU: Even if you have time, you probably shouldn’t watch the Cougars’ loss in Salt Lake City. The circumstances leading to the defeat, or putting it another way, dealing with life on the road in the Pac-12, probably would make your head explode. … However, the Senior Bowl was a different story. Gordon wasn’t the MVP, but he was really good, as Theo Lawson explains in this story. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, somehow Arizona State, which once trailed by 22 points, rallied to get past visiting Arizona, 66-65. How did it happen? … At least Washington didn’t blow another late lead. At Colorado, the Huskies were never in the game and seemed to give up. … Oregon State was blown out at home by USC and the Beavers are doing some soul searching. … Oregon and UCLA meet today. … In football news. Oregon’s Justin Herbert was named the Senior Bowl MVP.

Gonzaga: The Zags looked every bit the part of the No. 1 team in the nation, a mantle they still hold in the coaches’ poll. But the Associated Press writers stripped them of that honor this week, dropping them to second behind Baylor. John Blanchette asked around in the GU locker room after Saturday’s deconstruction of Pacific and found little in the way of outrage. … Jim Meehan focused on the relatively easy win with this game analysis and keys to the victory. … Tyler Tjomsland, whose name will appear again soon, had the photo report. … We watched from home and put together the TV Take. I found Tom Glasgow’s turn as the play-by-play voice refreshing. … The folks in the office had their usual recap with highlights. … As we said, the women won too. Dan Thompson filled in for Jim Allen and had the game story. … Tyler kicked off his day with his first photo gallery. … Around the WCC, USF seems to have BYU’s number. Yesterday it was 21, as in the number of consecutive points the Dons scored in a 83-82 win.

EWU: The Eagles were a pretty overwhelming pick to win the Big Sky basketball title. They haven’t overwhelmed many conference opponents. But they are winning. Often. And they did win last night in Cheney, though it took overtime to get past Southern Utah. Ryan Collingwood was there and has this game story. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Weber State upset conference-leading Montana in Ogden behind Jerrick Harding’s 32 points. … Montana State pulled away from Idaho State late. … Northern Arizona rallied past Portland State.

Idaho: The Vandals are sinking in the Big Sky standings. They lost again last night at home to Northern Colorado, falling to 1-6 in the conference. Peter Harriman witnessed the 74-53 loss and has this story. … The women have a 6-1 Big Sky mark after winning in Greeley, Colorado yesterday.

NIC: The Cardinals remained undefeated in NWAC play with a win in Yakima.

Preps: Lake City swept Lewis and Clark in a nonconference, cross-border basketball doubleheader Saturday. … We also have a roundup of other girls and boys games from around the area. One note from the Odessa game. It doesn’t look as if Brock Ravet’s state scoring record is going to last an entire year. Odessa’s Ryan Moffit is on pace to break it. … A former Shadle Park standout cross country runner is still going strong. It’s part of our weekly local briefs.

Chiefs: Spokane won handily in Kennewick.

Seahawks: Russell Wilson wants the Hawks to add superstars before next season. You know what would help? If he would do what Tom Brady did and take less money so the team could be better. It’s not like he would be destitute.

Mariners: The M’s lack star power. It’s a new era for them.

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• I’m not a skier or snowboarder, but my guess is all the rain we’ve received here in the Spokane River valley (a term I didn’t just invent but would love to popularize) means there is a bunch of fresh powder at higher elevations. That’s good for the snowpack and good for you folks who like to blaze trails through it. Have fun today. Until later …