Yesterday seemed a bit odd
A GRIP ON SPORTS
The NFL season ends and so does our typical Sunday, or at least the way our Sundays have become since September. Didn't it seem odd to not have any professional football to watch yesterday? OK, I'll give you the Pro Bowl was on – and was, at times, entertaining – but you know it's not a real game when Marshawn Lynch runs off left tackle into a pile and basically just stands there until the whistle blows. It was a very civilized move, not something you would expect from a guy known to everyone in the league as a beast. Read on.
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• As we all know, there is still one more Sunday remaining in the NFL season. One more Sunday to sit in your comfy chair and yell at the TV. One more day to watch the RedZone ... wait, that's out. Well, at least we have the commercials. Yes, Sunday is "Super Sunday," the day when non-football fans join their football-loving friends in front of the TV and disrupt their usual pattern. When the invaders tell the locals to pipe down, the commercials are on. When the natural order of the universe is thrown into a blender and the idea of watching a replay over and over again because, you know, you can catch up during the commercials, is thrown out the window – along with the remote. But that's still almost a week away. This week we can look forward to being inundated with even more Jim and John Harbaugh news, more Ray Lewis stories, more features on the kid who caught Mean Joe Greene's jersey all those many years ago. It's Super Bowl Week, when journalism recycling is not only expected, it is encouraged. Enjoy.
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• Washington State: The cupboard isn't completely bare, as we have a freelancer's feature on the newest San Antonio Spur, former WSU post Aron Baynes (pictured). The big fella from Australia reached an understanding with the Spurs weeks ago and finally joined the team this week. ... Christian Caple has a bit more in his morning blog post.
• Gonzaga: Jim Meehan checked in late yesterday morning with his day-after post focused on GU's win over USF. ... With BYU losing to St. Mary's (at home) and Gonzaga (on the road), there is a chance no teams from the Salt Lake City area will play in the NCAA tourney. That hasn't happened in a while.
• Seahawks: I saw a bit of the Pro Bowl while sitting in a local watering hole yesterday – we followed that up by finally viewing "Zero Dark Thirty" – but I never saw Russell Wilson play. He must have done pretty well. At least, when it was over, he was pretty excited. Gotta love the guy. And you gotta love Ed Hochuli with his, "yes, there are penalties in the Pro Bowl" line. ... Even with Wilson at quarterback, the Hawks aren't going to change their course and become a pass-first team.
• Sounders: Whenever the Sounders have a need at midfielder, they seem to turn to a local product, Lamar Neagle (pictured). They made their latest move to Neagle yesterday. While comforting, the move isn't the big one fans have been hoping for this offseason.
• Mariners: Since the TNT has gone to a pay-to-read site, I haven't been able to link stories from my friend Ryan Divish. But one of his stories ran in the Tri-City Herald so I can pass it along.
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• That's what we have to kick off your Super Bowl week. One day later in the week we'll pass on some thoughts on an anniversary that I'm celebrating this week. Until later ...
