A Grip on Sports: Slides were fun when you were a child and there was a nice cushion at the end, something sports fans aren’t guaranteed

A GRIP ON SPORTS • As the week winds down, we thought it might not be a bad day to focus our attention of other, sports-related, entities that are winding down as well. And how they might reverse the trend.

•••••••

• The most high-profile team in our region in the middle of downward slide is … well, take your pick.

You can choose the Kraken, which were expected to be among the NHL’s best teams, but is instead an easy mark most every night. The Mariners aren’t losing games right now, but instead are trying to lose the hearts and minds of everyone who has ever bought one of their jerseys in the past two decades.

But, if we’re looking for the Pete Rose Headfirst Slide of the Year winner, we’ll have to go with the Seattle Seahawks. Talk about a face-plant.

Just a few weeks back, Pete Carroll’s team was 5-2 and was projected by ESPN with an 80% certainty of making the NFL’s postseason. Lo and behold, the Hawks went for the 20%.

In the little more than a month since that high point, Seattle has won once – a last-second home win over Washington, which hasn’t won since.

Included in its four losses are margins of 34 (at Baltimore), one (at the Rams), 18 (vs. San Francisco) and six (at Dallas). Now comes the rematch with the 49ers, in Santa Clara. And, in what should be a rivalry game, the worry in Niner circles the team will be “looking past” Seattle.

Talk about insulting. And, to most Seahawk fans, something for which to hope. Anything to help right the ship, right?

Looking at the stretch run, Seattle may be favored in two of its final five games. Heck, the Hawks are a 10.5-point underdog Sunday and may be a double-digit dog again in their Monday night meeting with Philadelphia. After that, the more-than-likely 6-8 squad should still be favored at Tennessee, a home dog against Pittsburgh and, possibly, a road favorite to finish the season at Arizona.

If Seattle does finish 8-9 and out of the postseason, what should be done? Blow it up? Start over? Or trust the process?

• One change that needs to be made: say goodbye to Jamal Adams.

John Schneider has made some great trades over the years. His decision to add Adams to the roster three years ago was not one of them. In fact, it might go down as the worst.

Adams’ play has slowly slid into mediocrity, done in by injuries and an attitude of entitlement that has shown from the beginning of the former All-Pro safety’s tenure in Seattle. The latest example of the latter? His social media spat with a beat writer. A Jets beat writer. Adams may not be the battering ram he once was on the field but he sure knows how to destroy his career off of it.

Schneider, who has to regret sending two first-round and third-round draft pick to New York in 2020 for Adams and a fourth-round pick, has been given a get-out-of-this-idiocy-free card. The on-field issues are being overwhelmed by the virtual ones. As the rebuild begins, Adams needs to be one of the first to go.

• We were not alone in expecting Washington State’s recent history of sliding down the Pac-12’s basketball hierarchy to continue this season. The Cougars, coming off a mediocre 17-17 season, lost their stars over the offseason and replaced them with not-as-touted picks from the portal. But it seems to have worked for Kyle Smith. Well, that and smart nonconference scheduling.

The new-look Cougars needed a schedule that allowed them to learn how to play together and how to win together. Thus far, they have. Of WSU’s 11 non-Pac-12 games, only one is against a Power Six foe. Turns out, Mississippi State is the “1” in the Cougars’ 7-1 record. No matter. Smith’s strategy is working.

A week ago, UC Riverside invaded Pauley Pavilion to play UCLA. The Bruins won 66-65. And needed a little luck to get there. Wednesday night UC Riverside ran onto Friel Court. And almost immediately run off it. The Cougars won 86-49 but it wasn’t that close. Comparative scores may be the last refuge of the uninformed, but there is a little truth in this one. The Highlanders were competent enough to stay with UCLA, even if the Bruins didn’t have head coach Mick Cronin on the bench. They were not good enough last night to hang with WSU.

The Cougars, ranked 24th by the NCAA’s way-too-early NET ratings, have two tough tests remaining before opening Pac-12 play Dec. 29 at Utah.

They play Santa Clara in Phoenix in nine days and Boise State in Pullman Dec. 21. Then we’ll see if the scheduling strategy was the right one to prepare for the last run through the fracturing conference.

•••

WSU: As we mentioned above, the latest basketball win came in Beasley last night. Greg Woods has the game story. … We’re going to focus a bit on Pac-12 volleyball but our emphasis here are the Cougars. Jim Meehan previews their Sweet Sixteen matchup tonight with regional top seed Pittsburgh on the Panthers’ campus. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, does begging fans for NIL money work? … Oregon and Oregon State have worked out a way to continue playing, whether the rivalry series is called the Civil War or not. The schedule changes, thanks to the differing conferences in 2024, also may impact Washington State, at least next season. … Whether the Beavers will have any players for their bowl game is starting to come into play. … Washington is gearing up for the playoffs. But the Huskies are also looking toward next season by mining the portal. … Deion Sanders is enjoying his time in Colorado. Some assistants? Not so much. But there are replacements on the way. … Utah always likes versatile players. They do not always like Utah though. … A UCLA player won the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. … This season’s Alamo Bowl may be long remembered at Arizona. … In basketball news, Jon Wilner ranks the Best of the West in the Mercury News. Arizona is his No. 1. … Arizona State rallied to another win last night. … The Arizona women prep for a UC San Diego team with many connections. … In NCAA playoff news, Stanford is one of the volleyball favorites. So is Oregon. … Oregon State preps for the men’s College Cup.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs’ latest rout allowed for some rest for the GU guards. That nugget is part of Theo Lawson’s look back at the easy win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. … The Zags are moving up the national power rankings. … Elsewhere in the WCC, USF picked up a big win.

Idaho: The Vandals are in the FCS playoffs’ final eight, which means the school is seeing almost immediate returns from the hiring of Jason Eck as head coach. That’s the thrust of Colton Clark’s story this morning, one that also looks at this Saturday’s visitor to the Kibbie Dome, defensive-minded Albany. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana is ready for another home playoff game. … In basketball news, the Montana women won again. … As did Northern Arizona. … Weber State won for the first time. … The Portland State men rolled.

Preps: Yes, we have a roundup to pass along as wrestling season began in Washington. … But there is more today. Lots more. There are stories previewing the winter seasons, from boys and girls basketball to gymnastics to wrestling. … Dave has the basketball capsule previews for boys and girls as well as this feature on Robert Sacre filling in at North Central. … He adds stories on Teryn Gardner and Brynn McGaughy, who star for Mead and Colfax, respectively. … Dave also has a story on two of the Greater Spokane League’s best boys players, Evan Stinson and Ryan Lafferty. … Greg Lee has a story on West Valley’s new basketball coach, Mike Hamilton. … Madison McCord has a feature on two Rogers female wrestlers. … He also has this piece on Mead’s top wrestling duo. … There are also wrestling capsule previews. … Charlotte McKinley introduces Cheney diver Alma Smith. … Ridgeline’s Bella De La Rosa loves the relaxed atmosphere of high school gymnastics. Samantha DiMaio has her story.

Mariners: We can pass along Jerry Dipoto’s thoughts from the S-R today. … Will the team wait to make more moves? … Juan Soto is headed to the Yankees. New York is back to being the Death Star again, isn’t it?

Kraken: As the season starts to melt away, Seattle has decided to call up a reinforcement.

Seahawks: Adams was given the opportunity to walk back his social media personal attack on the New York writer, but decided to double down. … The Hawks just don’t seem able to handle the 49ers’ offense. … Bobby Wagner is the team’s man of the year nominee. … DK Metcalf’s gesture meant a lot for the deaf community.  

•••       

• It’s raining outside. Again. Fine and dandy. But let’s hope it’s snowing in the mountains. Snow pack and all that. Plus, we know there are many of you who want to hit the slopes. Maybe even tomorrow. Good luck. Until later …