The future may come into focus today
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Trivia question time. Who said "the future is now?" Were they talking about the first Wednesday in February? Read on.
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• OK, everyone reading this raised their hands in unison and said "George Allen." Thanks for playing. And, no, old George (pictured) wasn't referencing Signing Day, the first day of the football signing period that's grown into a capitalized holiday all its own. Back when Allen was trading draft picks for veteran players, signing a letter of intent to play college football wasn't all that important. But that was before recruiting services, highlight tape and ESPN. Heck, it was even before fax machines, an outmoded technology that seems almost groundhog-like these days, popping up in early February to tell football fans if their winter is over or will continue for the next four years. We've put an awful lot of stock in five stars and four stars and the like, that's for sure. But I read somewhere the other day that some 22 starters in the Super Bowl were two-star recruits or below coming out of high school. Which just goes to show you the future is still the future, not now. And it isn't written yet, no matter how many stars are next to a guy's name. Yes, recruiting is important. It's the lifeblood of any college program, football or otherwise. But it's not the five-star recruits who make up most programs. Heck, anyone can pick those guys out of a crowd. They're the ones wearing the Alabama hats. But it's choosing wisely among the three-stars and below that makes or breaks most football programs. Getting guys who fit is crucial to success. Kids who buy in, who want to work to make themselves and the team better. You might think it is easy but it's not. Miss too often and you're no longer a head coach, you're a position coach somewhere in the middle of fly-over country. So today is important. For most fans, it's important to tally up the stars and the rankings and the opinions. Then they can brag about their school. For the coaches it's more important to tally up names and take a deep breath. They know the real work is just beginning.
• By the way, today's the day. The day we finally hear a coach say, "this class isn't the best one we've ever had." Or "we came really close to having a decent class." I know it. Someone, somewhere won't be effusive in praise of the recruits they signed. Ya, sure. That will happen. Maybe Nick Saban could get away with it but probably nobody else.
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• WSU: Just because we like to poke fun at the circus surrounding today doesn't mean we ignore it. Jacob Thorpe has a blog post where he is updating the signings as they come in. He'll do that throughout the day. He also has a feature on one of the newest Cougars. ... Jacob had a blog post yesterday on WSU's recruiting budget and where it stands as well as a Q&A with basketball coach Ernie Kent. ... ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog highlights a two-star WSU recruit that hit it big. ... Expect USC's class, its first full one in a while, to be ranked high. ... The Pac-12 is not going to get a whole bunch of teams in the NCAA tourney this season.
• Gonzaga: It was just a couple years ago the Zags were the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. This year's team, with some of the same players, is beginning to resemble that group. That's the thrust of Jim Meehan's story in today's paper. ... Tom Clouse has a women's basketball notebook that leads with former GU coach Kelly Graves' first basketball trip back to the area this week.
• EWU: The Big Sky Conference is exploring the option of a permanent site for its basketball tournament. Spokane and Cheney have joined together to make a bid. Jim Allen has more in this story.
• Whitworth: It was a bad night in Walla Walla for the Pirates. Both their basketball teams lost to Whitman.
• Chiefs: It was not a good night for the Chiefs either. They lost to Everett, 3-2 at the Arena. Chris Derrick has a story and blog post on the game.
• Preps: Leading by 11 headed into the fourth quarter, it looked as if Mead High's girls would post a road win at Lewis and Clark last night. But the Tigers roared back and won 59-56 in overtime. Greg Lee has the story and what the win meant for LC. ... We can also pass along a GSL boys roundup and roundups from boys and girls action in the area.
• Seahawks: The Hawks cleaned out their lockers yesterday and they vowed to stick together despite the heartache of the last seconds of the Super Bowl. ... Russell Wilson spoke about that game, the last pass and his future. His representatives and the Seahawks should begin hammering out a contract extension soon. Wilson did say he wants to be in Seattle forever. ... Byron Maxwell is a free agent and will have to figure out his best deal. ... Pete Carroll was also pretty busy yesterday, speaking on the radio and saying goodbye to his players. ... ... The injuries the Hawks suffered during the game may have had a bigger effect on the outcome than any play call. ... The loss was a team effort, that's for sure. ... If you still want to torture yourself, we have some links to pieces on the last play.
• Mariners: It's almost here. Spring training. Ryan Divish has a quick look at the M's roster heading into the spring.
• Sounders: Seattle is preparing for the upcoming season, though there are some holes due to injuries and national team duties. So some young guys are getting long looks.
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• We'll be on the radio for the next couple afternoons, starting today from 3 to 6 with the whole gang from 700 ESPN. We're going live from Northern Quest, site of Eastern and WSU's signing day get-togethers. You can listen here. Until then ...
