John Blanchette

Eric Uptagrafft has been using vacation days and cadging time from work to pursue his ambitions as a competitive shooter. "But I don't know how understanding they're going to be when I ask them for four months off," he said. The University High School graduate has a gold-medal excuse: He's made the U.S. Olympic team.

Darren Bragg's spring training dreams came true - an opening-day start. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Short-attention span theater: Let's file away those Jim Harrick/Lute Olson testimonials. If Washington State couldn't beat a UCLA team that had Kevin Dempsey and Bob Myers gobbling up major minutes on Saturday, NCAA selectors won't and shouldn't - waste a second of valuable debate time on the Cougars today. It's easier to buy Harrick's other call - Cougs to win the NIT especially if they can ram through a no-substitutions proviso on all the teams before the tournament begins. Phil Jackson thinks Dennis Rodman should be on the Dream Team? And I'm thinking Mark Fuhrman for the next opening on the North Idaho human rights commission.

The dark horse joined the field Friday for today's U.S. Olympic men's marathon trials. Snow. As if 26-plus miles and the tension of 135 runners competing for the three available spots on the team for the Summer Games in Atlanta weren't enough, an unwelcome cold front has moved through the Charlotte, N.C., area.

Not every runner in today's U.S. Olympic women's marathon trials is necessarily aiming to make the team to Atlanta. Three open spots and 171 entrants, well, you do the math. Gayle Jacklin has.

Kim Jones closes in on third attempt at making U.S. Olympic team. The 33-year-old Spokane woman is eager to run in Saturday's trials at Columbia, S.C. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

This is a first: Dennis Erickson's team leaving town before he does. Sorry. Just a reflex, a defense. Lashing out is the only reasonable reaction in times of utter violation, and the truth is, Dennis Erickson must feel as violated as the rest of us.

1. Players and coaches remember ex-WSU coach Jack Friel as a thoughtful gentleman. File/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jack Friel stood for innovation on the basketball court. File/The Spokesman-Review

Georgetown won't play George Washington. Arkansas State never gets a sniff from Arkansas. Alabama doesn't do Alabama State. This is why: Washington State 72, Gonzaga 67 - overtime.

Brett

The working definition of a Husky fan? He's the one who wanted Jim Lambright fired last year - and the year before that - because he couldn't coach the University of Washington into the Rose Bowl. As if being on NCAA probation was any sort of an excuse.

What's the best way to kick off Apple Cup week? How about a campaign speech for the Cotton Bowl? University of Washington coach Jim Lambright strayed rather boldly from the football coach's one-game-at-a-time tunnel vision Monday in an attempt to upgrade his Huskies into a New Year's Day bowl.

What if you go to dig up a little dirt and find something already growing in it? Something already in Leaf?

For a newspaperman to suggest someone keep his mouth shut is either hypocrisy or a death wish, or both. If too many people do, we're out of business.

Hometown hero John Stockton leads the Utah Jazz into Spokane tonight to meet the Seattle Sonics in the Arena. Photo by J. Bart Raynaik/The Spokesman-Review

Make that hitless for Seattle. That's Edgar Martinez. After bludgeoning New York Yankees pitching over the course of the best-of-five Division Series, the American League batting champion has gone strangely silent against the Cleveland Indians.

Fear and loathing in Cleveland: the Indians now get their crack at Randy Johnson in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. So is Albert Belle cowering in the corner of the Tribe locker room? Has Manny Ramirez been fitted for a brace to keep his neck from swiveling? Will Jim Thome come down with Wade Boggs disease?

Peter Suthrie, 2, adds his voice to the din in the Kingdome. Photo by Associated Press

Never mind the roster switch. If there was one move it seemed like Seattle manager Lou Piniella had to make, it was benching Mike Blowers. Seattle's power-hitting third baseman has been in a dismal slump since getting sick on an August road trip to Boston and losing "a bunch of pounds." From Sept. 1 on, he hit just .226 with four homers and 12 RBIs and in the five-game Division Series against New York, he had just three feeble singles in 18 at-bats, a .167 average.

His Seattle Mariners teammates have a special affection for Edgar Martinez, center. Photo by Associated Press

Would you believe Randy Johnson one more time? Lou Piniella would. Not as a starter, mind you. But the Seattle Mariners manager allowed that if his club managed to win Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Saturday, he wouldn't have a problem with using his ace in a relief role in today's deciding game.

(From For the Record, Monday, October 2, 1995): A Nebraska fan in a Sunday photograph was Jeff Kuhnel, not Bob Parker as the caption implied. Sharry Parker of Spokane attends a tailgate party with husband, Bob. Sharry Parker is originally from Shelby, Neb., and had divided loyalties. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Time out for a little provincialism. In choosing up teams, "who?" matters and "where?" doesn't. But with football drills beginning at Washington State this weekend, we couldn't help but notice something. Spokane.

For the Seattle Mariners, it doesn't get much better than this. This past week alone, the M's have: Put together a five-game winning streak; Climbed to two games above .500 in the standings;