A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you haven’t had the chance to see Cooper Kupp play football in person, you may want to cajole a ticket from someone this week. Saturday’s game in Cheney could be the star receiver’s last in an Eastern uniform. Read on.

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• Wait, isn’t Kupp, who is quite possibly the best receiver ever in the Inland Northwest college ranks – and, yes, I watch Washington State’s guys on a weekly basis – just a junior? Yes, yes he is. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t headed to the NFL after this season. The possibility is there. And, as Jim Allen writes this morning, the opportunity is on Kupp’s mind. “I try not to think about that too much,” Kupp told Jim this week. That statement holds open the door Kupp is thinking about it. And why shouldn’t he? The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver has broken FCS records all year – and his entire career. Heck, he’s only three touchdown receptions away from the career mark in that category. And before you downgrade the FCS record book, remember the NFL’s greatest receiver, Jerry Rice, has his name in it. Prominently. But not as prominently as Kupp. However, FCS competition hasn’t been the only time Kupp has shined. As Jim points out, in three games against the Pac-12, Kupp has 28 catches for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. If Kupp had played at WSU or Oregon or USC, he would have been a star. He’s that good. But he was also overlooked coming out of high school and had developed into what he is in Cheney, just like Vernon Adams did at the quarterback spot. Adams decided last year to take his talents to Eugene and that was his right. The NFL wasn’t an option for an undersized quarterback with a lot to prove. But Kupp is already on the NFL’s radar and some draft sites have him on their lists. If Kupp does decide to take off after the season, he’ll need good workouts and a good combine showing to raise his stock – and earn himself a better shot at making a roster. But who would bet against him now? Such shortsightedness was why he ended up in the Big Sky and not the Pac-12, where is talent says he belongs. He does everything well, from route running to receiving the ball, to blocking, so the fundamentals are there. So is the fun. The guy is, I’ve been told, a football junkie who loves the game. And right now the game is still on in Cheney. The Eagles need to win this week against Portland State to assure another trip to the FCS playoffs. It’s not an easy task. Heck, Washington State is 7-3, ranked 24th in the nation, in second in the Pac-12 North and it couldn’t get past the Vikings. Now Eastern (6-4, 5-2 in the Big Sky) faces the same task in a do-or-die situation. And Kupp, with a new quarterback starting for Eastern (Reilly Hennessey takes over for Jordan West this week), will play a big part in whether or not the Eagles can do it. If not, his decision might come sooner than he would like. If you are looking for clues on how he is leaning, and want him to play one more year for Eastern, then the last line of Jim’s story might not be something you want to read. “I’ve loved my time at Eastern Washington,” he told Jim. And, yes, he used the past tense. So that time may be ending soon. Heck, even if he decides to spend another year in the Inland Northwest, the guy is fun to watch right now. So why not beg, borrow or scalp a ticket for Saturday and see him in person? Someday you may just be able to tell your grandkids you did.  

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• WSU: There are some guys not playing for the Cougars this season that may be in that category as well some day, and Jacob Thorpe introduces them in this story and blog post on the Thursday Night Football all stars. ... Jacob also has a morning post with links as well as an advance on tonight’s basketball game against Idaho State. ... Just about everyone is picking WSU to defeat Colorado – which always scares me – and most of the ESPN.com Pac-12 blog guys think Mike Leach should be the conference’s coach of the year. ... John McGrath thinks Luke Falk has what it takes to be a Heisman contender. ... We mentioned Vernon Adams above. The Oregon quarterback leads the Ducks against USC and a bunch of his buddies.

• Gonzaga: Jim Meehan put up a long blog post yesterday with a bunch of stuff from Wednesday night’s 91-52 rout of Northern Arizona. ... The women took over McCarthey last night and used a strong fourth quarter run to get past Eastern, 78-56. Jim Allen has the story. ... Back to the men, USF and Santa Clara both lost on the road last night. ... BYU will bounce back from its loss to Long Beach State with Division II Adams State.

• EWU: Besides Jim’s story on Kupp’s future, he also held a live chat yesterday and has a transcript available. And he has a morning post with links today. ... Weber State had an easy basketball win last night.

• Idaho: The Vandals won their first-round match in the Big Sky volleyball tournament.

• Whitworth: Not only do the Pirates have to deal with playing second-ranked Linfield on the road this Saturday in the NCAA Division III playoffs, they also have to deal with all the problems caused by Tuesday’s windstorm. John Blanchette has a column today on their season and coach Rod Sandberg. ... Former Oregonian writer Nick Daschel profiles former Linfield head coach Ad Rutschman, who is still helping out at age 84.

• Preps: Rick Giampietri (pictured) may not be 84 but he’s been around Central Valley football for seemingly forever. He resigned this week as the Bears head coach. Greg Lee has this story. ... Greg also put together a look at all the football games this weekend featuring teams from our area and there is also a list of the state soccer matches.

• Seahawks: The whispers have been out there. That Russell Wilson isn’t as dedicated as he once was, that fame and money have undercut his determination. He addressed those whispers yesterday. And said, though I’m paraphrasing here, “hogwash.” ... The Hawks will be missing a few folks when they face the 49ers on Sunday, with the list getting longer by the day. ... Earl Thomas opened up about some behavioral health problems.

• Mariners: One of the better stories from yesterday landed in everyone’s lap about 4 p.m. thanks to former M’s coach Andy Van Slyke. He had a lot to say about the Mariners last season in a radio interview but mainly he focused on Robinson Cano. ... And, oh yeah, he also set off a figurative explosion in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. ... The M’s lost a member of their family last week.

• Sounders: The Western Hemisphere’s biggest soccer tournament is coming to the U.S. in 2016 and Seattle will be one of the host sites. ... The team has to figure out its future roster. ... Real Salt Lake signed one of its stars longterm.

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• My wife told me this morning the definition of getting old is when your legs hurt because you forget to do your exercises when you got out of bed in the morning. I beg to differ. The definition of getting old is when you know everything but you just can’t remember any of it. ... Hey, I just remembered. I’m on the radio today from 3 to 6 p.m. with Keith Osso and Rick Lukens. You can listen here. Until then ...

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