Bill Pierce's almanac: Jack Blair started CV's run in girls basketball
Jack Blair was born in Chicago but grew up in Spokane and Chewelah. He graduated from Chewelah High in 1960. He attended Stanford University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree.
TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2016
Josh Hawkinson to headline Pac-12 All-Star team 1
The Washington State forward will travel with other select Pac-12 players to compete in Australia.
Idaho hoops heads for China to play Atlas Challenge
The University of Idaho men's basketball team leaves for China on June 10 to take part in the Atlas Challenge, an eight-team tournament featuring national teams from eastern Europe and Asia.
Gonzaga earns its first NCAA baseball at-large berth, which isn't an easy task
A GRIP ON SPORTS • College baseball has its challenges in this area. Weather is No. 1 on the list, of course, but lack of recognition is another. Which is why what happened for Gonzaga yesterday was such a big deal. Read on.
MONDAY, MAY 30, 2016
Memorial Day will always mean more than just the beginning of summer
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Today is Memorial Day, the day we remember and honor those who gave, in Abraham Lincoln’s never-to-be-forgotten words, “the last full measure of devotion” to protect our freedoms. Read on.
SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016
Yogi was right about one thing, 3-pointers are worth more 2
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Where were we? Oh ya, talking about the how Klay Thompson and the Warriors were still alive in the Western Conference finals even though they were down 3-1. Read on.
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2016
If chasing a little white ball around is your idea of fun, you are in luck around here
A GRIP ON SPORTS • You interested in golf? Then today is your day. Read on.
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016
No one is more than mostly dead in the NBA playoffs just yet
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Do you watch “Game of Thrones?” If you do, then you know that no one, it seems, is ever completely dead. And most everyone’s name has a magical feel. There are some parallels to sports right about now too, and we’re not talking about the length of the NBA playoffs. Read on.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016
WSU releases 2016-17 nonconference men's basketball schedule
Matchups against Creighton and Kansas State highlight Washington State's non-Pac-12 opponents.
Clifford, Hawkinson and Iroegbu will return to WSU
The trio tested the NBA draft waters, but all three have elected to return to Washington State for their senior seasons.
Big news on a big man, a big win, a big loss and a little change
A GRIP ON SPORTS • One news cycle. That’s all it took to change our perspective on the week. Yes, yesterday was that big. Read on.
TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016
Pac-12 to reduce late football starts
The Pac-12 announced a number of reforms on Tuesday, including attempts to reduce the number of 7 p.m. or later kickoffs.
From errant throws to errant kicks, we cover the wide world of sports today 1
A GRIP ON SPORTS • When in doubt, it’s always best to include a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Read on.
MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016
WSU basketball announces two-year series with Kansas State
Washington State and Kansas State will play a home-and-home series beginning next year.
We've asked this question before ...
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Is it time to hitch a ride on the Mariners’ bandwagon? Read on.
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016
Sunday seems to be a good day to reflect on the week that was
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Why does this have to happen? It’s the weekend, the time when most people are off work. The two out of seven days when the job doesn’t dominate life. And it’s raining. Hard. Oh well, it makes a good excuse to sit and watch the M’s. Or golf. Or read this blog, which is debuting a new feature today. Read on.
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016
Rain, rain, go away ... so that everyone can play
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It is late May. Yet, from Cincinnati to Boise, rain was part of yesterday’s sports story. Read on.
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016
It is supposed to be the other way around
A GRIP ON SPORTS • OK, I understand I’m the one who is supposed to have all the answers. But there is something I don’t understand and am hoping you can explain to me. Why are the M’s so much better on the road? Read on.
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016
Spokane's minor league baseball history is rich and so is the present 7
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Triple A baseball was gone from Spokane when I arrived, spirited away from the town by my brother-in-law’s old high school coach. For years a vocal segment of the population campaigned to get it back, though at no time loudly enough to get it done. Last night offered a good example of why it is never returning. Read on.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
Another part of the past falls victim to the guy with the longest unbeaten streak ever, Father Time
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There’s a curse associated with growing older, one your parents may not have told you about when you were young. It has to do with your childhood sports heroes and what happens to them. Read on.
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2016
WSU center named to Rimington watch list
Washington State center Riley Sorenson is an early candidate for the Rimington Award, presented annually to college football's "most outstanding center."
Flipping back and forth is always enjoyable ... until you miss the biggest play
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There are not a lot of mandates for this space. Only one, really. It needs to be filled with interesting items. We’ll try not to fail you on that point today, though it won’t be easy. Read on.
MONDAY, MAY 16, 2016
Usually baseball fights include a lot of standing around. But not always
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There was a baseball fight yesterday. A real one, with punches thrown and everything. But no baseball fight ever compares with one from back in the day. Read on.
Bill Pierce's almanac: Legend of Mary Lou Petty
Mary Lou Petty grew up spending her summers swimming at Liberty Lake. By age 6 she was doing trick diving at the Spokane Interstate Fair. By the age of 13, she was already the talk of the Spokane swim world. She set many local records...
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2016
It's time to change the plot because we know how this movie ends
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is a line in “Groundhog Day” in which Bill Murray laments he couldn’t re-live over and over a day he spent in the Virgin Islands. We understand. Read on.
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