It isn’t cheap to be a spectator
A GRIP ON SPORTS
What's in your wallet? It better be a boatload of money if you want to sit in the cold and watch the Super Bowl live. Tickets are going for a whole heck of a lot. And then there is the expense of getting to New York and staying nearby. None of which is cheap. Still, for the experience, isn't it worth it? Read on.
• Nope. I don't believe it would be. Let's say you spent $4,000 on tickets – no one wants to see it alone, right? – just to have a poor seat in Met Life Stadium. It will probably cost you almost that much for a plane ticket somewhere within driving range of New Jersey. Then there is the hotel, a huge cost in the New York area even at the best of times. What does that get you? The chance to watch the game through binoculars, quite possibly while enjoying a nice snow shower or two and a bite-through-your-coat wind. Cool. Now think of the television you could buy, complete with sound system and massaging chair for your comfort. I guarantee it won't snow in your living room and, here's the kicker, the only ice you'll have to deal with is the stuff in your glass. Which sounds better to you?
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• WSU: The Cougars are off until this weekend when Oregon comes to town trying to end a five-game losing streak. But Jacob Thorpe keeps churning out the items, including a couple of blog posts yesterday, one on football recruiting and the other on free throws in Pac-12 games. He also has a morning post today with links. ... Klay Thompson is part of the pool from which our Olympic team will be selected. ... If you thought there were more conference games on Sundays, you would be right.
• Gonzaga: The Zags got all they could handle last night from USD, but were able to hold on for a 59-56 win over the Toreros. Yes, Gonzaga scored just 59 points. And won. Jim Meehan tells you how in this game story and late-night blog post. He'll also be back with a day-after post later today. ... Colin Mulvany has a picture story. ... The contrasting game of the night? That would be Portland's 114-110 triple-overtime win over BYU. The Cougars' Tyler Haws scored nearly as many points himself (48) as USD did as a team. ... St. Mary's had to hold on but the Gaels got past Pepperdine 80-74 at home. ... The Gonzaga women were pushed to overtime by Loyola-Marymount but thanks to Haiden Palmer's career-high 32 points, pulled out a 91-82 victory.
• EWU: Perfection is a hard thing to achieve. Give a guy a chance to shoot 20 free throws in a practice gym and few would make all 20. Try doing that in a game. The Eagles' Tyler Harvey did it Thursday night and Eastern needed all of them – and all of his 36 points – to get past Southern Utah, 90-83. Jim Allen has the game story. ... Montana got past Idaho State on the road but Montana State couldn't do the same at Weber State.
• Idaho: Grand Canyon isn't even a full-fledged NCAA member yet but that didn't stop it from defeating the Vandals 86-73 last night. Josh Wright has more in this blog post.
• Chiefs: Who says the Chiefs don't trade with Tri-City? Well, not often. Chris Derrick has more in this story and blog post. ... The guy the Chiefs sent to the Americans for Marcus Messier (pictured) is having some domestic problems. ... Tri-City is trying to get faster.
• Preps: The Battle for the Bone played out last night at University High and it couldn't have played out much better for the Titans. Mike Vlahovich has the story. ... Chris was at the gymnastic meet last night that probably decided who will win the GSL title. ... We also can pass along a roundup of other sports.
• Seahawks: Really, there are so many stories to pass along I'm not sure anyone, not even me, could read them all. I wish there were one spot I could send you and let you pick and choose, but I realize I'm supposed to supply that spot. Darn it. Well, here goes. ... We start with the injury reports because they don't include a guy who talked with the media yesterday, Percy Harvin. The wide receiver is frustrated with how the season has played out but believes it has made him a stronger person. And one game isn't going to fix everything. It could go a long way toward making our lives better, though. ... With Harvin sideline, guys like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse had the opportunity to show their worth. ... The Hawks won't be losing any of their coordinators for a head-coaching gig. ... The Seattle defensive backs are a group with a cool nickname (Legion of Boom). They also have a healthy dose of respect for Denver's Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning (pictured). The aforementioned Manning spoke with the media for a short time yesterday as did Bronco coach John Fox. So did some of the defensive backs in Seattle, including Kam Chancellor. ... If the weather turns nasty in New Jersey, will the kicking game be affected?
• Mariners: If when the Macklemore or Lou Piniella bobblehead night is important to you, then yesterday was a big day. If who is running the front office is important to you, then ditto. But if the team getting better on the field is all you care about, then maybe not so much. Though new manager Lloyd McClendon knows whom to study to get better. And which young pitcher to pump up.
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• I'm usually a glass half-full type of guy, if that glass contains Diet Coke. But lately my optimism has been shaken a bit. By my fellow man (or woman). We are down a car right now following a pre-Christmas accident that probably could have been avoided if a turn signal had been used in a timely manner. Then last night someone either tried to break into our truck or, just for the "fun" of it, shattered our passenger-side window while it was parked downtown. So I will be spending the day trying to get the window fixed. I will use that word "fun" again though I'm not sure it applies. Anyhow, if I can get it done in time, I'll be on the radio with Keith Osso and Rick Lukens again. We are scheduled for between 3 and 6 p.m. You can listen here. Until then ...
