This column has been interrupted by a weather warning
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It can be really hard to concentrate on a football game when it is constantly – and consistently – interrupted by warnings of an upcoming apocalypse. I did learn one thing, though, thanks to my Twitter feed. Seahawk fans would rather watch their team destroy the 49ers then hear about any possible tornadoes and the like. Safety first? Only if it meant Colin Kaepernick would be tackled in the end zone. Read on.
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• That one Seahawk touchdown? Didn't see it. The screen was black, except for a stencil-looking thing – note to government: we pay enough taxes for you to afford a better font, say Franklin Gothic or something – letting us know, for the 74th time, this was an official warning from the National Weather Service. Yes, I get that the storm was moving. And I get that new people needed to be warned. But every couple minutes? Isn’t that a bit of an over reaction? Besides, the people who were watching the Hawks' dismantling of their archrivals in this week's "Battle of the Century" weren't really listening anyway. Or they couldn't hear the warning over the din of complaints over the interruptions by the people sitting next to them. They should have had the Guinness people out to register the volume in our TV room when the black screen appeared for the ninth time in 27 minutes.
• Remember last week when I wrote I don't dislike Jim Harbaugh? You know, the post that made it into Sunday's paper in a conspiracy by my boss to make sure all the Spokesman's readers hate me? Well, I was thinking about writing a retraction last night. It was after the umpteenth 49er had hit someone, mainly Russell Wilson, with the crown of their helmet. The hypocrisy of the 49ers trying to take out an athletic quarterback with barely legal hits just stuck in my craw. Wasn't it Harbaugh who complained about Clay Matthews and the Packers' plans to hit Kaepernick? Wasn't he the one who challenged the NFL to protect his guy? Then I remembered "what's your deal" and couldn't be mad at him anymore. Too much entertainment. Besides, Wilson stayed healthy, the scoreboard was tilted toward the Hawks and Harbaugh was probably wondering if Alex Smith would be available soon after Kaepernick's third interception. So I decided to not hold a grudge. Though really Jim, graduated lens glasses changed my life and could change yours as well.
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• WSU: I barbecued hot dogs during the rain delay last night, but the Weber was too hot to put away right after. So I had to go out in the middle of the wind storm and cover it. I didn't get out there, however, before it was coated with dust from the Palouse. I could only imagine what the weather was like in Pullman, where Christian Caple was enjoying another Cougar practice. He used the time well, talking to defensive coordinator Mike Breske afterward concerning his group's hot start to the season. That's part of this story and the centerpiece of this blog post. Christian also has his blog post from this morning and a post on WSU's statistical rankings. ... ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog still has the Cougars headed to a bowl game, though it is still the one in New Mexico. (If I had my way, it would be one of the ones in the Golden State.) They also have WSU in the middle of the conference power rankings. ... There were some lessons learned this past week, most of them positive (but not this one).
• Idaho: With the Vandals playing in Pullman this weekend – and, unlike a couple times in the past, it won't be a Idaho home game – there will be lots of UI news in the Washington State section. There is this today.
• Mariners: Yes, the M's are still playing (see our poll). But it is pretty funny when the News Tribune's Ryan Divish sends out a Sunday tweet and ends it "return to your football." Talk about a guy knowing his audience. Besides, it could have been the middle of June and a blowout like the 12-2 one the Cardinals administered yesterday would have made a change of channels necessary. ... Brad Miller is out and Brendan Ryan is in New York. And the bullpen is straight from Tacoma.
• Seahawks: What do you want to know about? The game itself, a 29-3 rout that had everyone in CenturyLink, including Richard Sherman, dancing? Except the 49ers, of course. ... Or do you want to know about the hour-long delay, during which Wilson took a shower and reloaded his mental revolver? ... The running game? ... Or how about the world record? ... Maybe you want to know what Sherman had to say afterward, or Pete Carroll or Wilson? ... How about the play of Anquan Boldin?... Or maybe you are interested in Cliff Avril's debut and how that went. ... Are you curious to learn about the reaction in the Bay Area and how the 49er fans are dealing with another blowout loss to Seattle and the loss of four starters to injury? (Note to Chronicle headline writers: CenturyLink is one word.) ... Heck, maybe you just want to read John Blanchette's column.
• Sounders: Seattle may be atop the standings, but there is a lot of season left.
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• Another week begins. This one should be much cooler than the preceding one, though I'm not about to complain about heat. Not knowing what is just down the road, temperature-wise. If there is Halloween candy in the stores – and there is – then freezing temperatures can't be far behind. Maybe this is the winter I take a trip to Arizona or California or Hawaii or somewhere. Until later ...
