John Blanchette

Here’s what we found out about Eric Wedge, introduced Tuesday as the new manager of the Seattle Mariners (no one lasts long enough to be an old manager of the Mariners, but you already knew that): • He’s a finalist in the Stacy Keach Lookalike Contest, possibly the leader in the clubhouse.

Eyes on the prize? Tyler Johnson’s peepers have never blinked. As a Western Hockey League rookie, he was an indispensible element in the Spokane Chiefs’ 2008 run to the Memorial Cup – MVP, in fact, of the WHL’s championship series. Just last year, he played his way from the fourth line to recognition as one of Team USA’s top three players en route to the gold medal at the World Junior Championships.

PULL- MAN – When you’re No. 3 in the country – with a bullet, since Alabama just took one to the heart against South Carolina – and a homecoming spoiler, it’s easy to be magnanimous. But here’s what the Oregon Ducks avoided Saturday, beyond the axle-snapping pothole that a loss to downtrodden Washington State could have been:

PULLMAN – As can happen all too often in football, the most electrifying moment Saturday at Martin Stadium in an instant turned into the most potentially tragic. Oregon’s Kenjon Barner was headed upfield on a first-quarter kickoff return when he was hammered by Washington State defensive back Anthony Carpenter. The homecoming crowd of 24,768 summoned a deafening roar – Halston Higgins scooped up Barner’s fumble before stumbling down at the Oregon 6-yard line – but it was quickly hushed when Barner remained motionless on the turf.

Mike Redmond was in Boston during the weekend, a special guest of the Red Sox at “Mike Lowell Day” – the retirement ceremony for his close friend and one-time Florida Marlins teammate in front of more than 37,000 at Fenway Park. It was substantially more low-key in Spokane on Monday when Redmond made the end of his baseball playing career official at the age of 39 – but his memories were no less gratifying.

When he and his brothers bought the Spokane Indians in 1985 – sales price: $137,000 – Bobby Brett “figured we’d get bored with it after a couple of years” and sell. Some years after that, the brothers – Bobby, John, Ken and Baseball Hall of Famer George – added the Spokane Chiefs to their portfolio and Brett moved up from California to oversee the acquisition. He rented a house. For six months.

Bobby Brett moved to Spokane from California 25 years ago and the owner of the Spokane Indians and Spokane Chiefs hasn't left yet. Staff writer John Blanchette had a conversation with Brett that covers his time in Spokane.

Just as big as that new 360x160 red rug which, to paraphrase Coach Lebowski, really ties the campus together at Eastern Washington was the unspoken doubt advancing Saturday’s showdown with Montana. Undertow, you might say, in the ocean of delirium and tsunami of marketeering these past several months.

Eastern Washington’s new football turf? I love it. It’s wild. That ridiculous red rug? I hate it. It’s just another gimmick in a gimmicked-up world.