Dave Trimmer

It would appear the Eastern Washington University football team has been rowing in circles since Paul Wulff became skipper. The Eagles have gone 6-5, 7-4, 6-5 and 6-5 since Wulff was elevated to replace Mike Kramer after seven years as an assistant. In the Big Sky Conference, Wulff's Eagles have been 5-3, 3-4, 3-4, 3-4. But there are other numbers that indicate the Eagles have done more than float aimlessly about. After his first year, when the Eagles played a pair of I-A bowl winners (Oregon State and Boise State) and a I-AA finalist (Montana) tough, Wulff and his staff have rebuilt the ship.

No one in the Seattle Seahawks training camp has more motivation than Ken Lucas. And it shows.

For someone who has put up the numbers he has in his first four years to earn the kind of numbers he got in the off-season, Darrell Jackson has kind of slipped under the radar at the Seattle Seahawks' training camp so far. "That's Darrell. Darrell's never been a boisterous guy on the field," Seahawks wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell said. "He's a worker. He comes out and does his job. He's a professional, he's really a true professional. When he steps on the field it is all work."

Darius Washington is one of the few who get a second chance at a last chance. That's why he was one of the easiest players to spot when the Eastern Washington football team began fall practice this week. "I've been waiting so long for this, I'm the most energetic and excited person out here," Washington said, flashing a megawatt smile after Tuesday's initial workout. "I thought my career was over. I tore my MCL at Idaho and I thought I was done."

Marcus Tubbs might have been the only Seattle Seahawks player in uniform to think he was in paradise on Tuesday afternoon. The first-round draft choice out of Texas was on the edge the practice field at Eastern Washington University after signing a contract in the morning and he was all smiles after doing some conditioning work.

It was kind of quiet at Seahawks training camp in Cheney on Monday and the big Seattle news was Mariners' legend Edgar Martinez announcing his retirement. That will change today when the Seahawks' first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, is expected to arrive at Eastern Washington University.

Rival coaches have picked Eastern Washington to finish second in the Big Sky Conference football race. That's not surprising, considering the Eagles are only short a handful of starters from last year's 6-5 team, their fifth straight winning season, and have many reserves coach Paul Wulff believes could start.

The first known All-Star game in the 50-year history of the Northwest League started 20 minutes late at Avista Stadium on Tuesday night, and if it wasn't for Chris Carter and his walkoff home run, it could have started much later. Carter, a first baseman for the Yakima Bears out of Stanford, won the Home Run Derby sponsored by The Spokesman-Review without using his full complement of swings.

This was the kind of game that makes rookie league baseball legendary. The Vancouver Canadians clubbed the Spokane Indians 12-8 Monday night at Avista Stadium, getting nine unearned runs in the process.

The Spokane Indians didn't hit the baseball often Sunday night but when they did they hit it hard. Travis Metcalf and Mike Nickeas belted home runs and John Bannister was sensational in relief as the Indians beat the Vancouver Canadians 5-0 to stay in first place in the East Division of the Northwest League.

It seemed like a good plan to Dave Oakes. Let his young sons take a few lumps riding bulls and they'll turn to bareback riding.