Vince Grippi

All Stories

Sports

A Grip on Sports: High school football recruiting is still the key to success, though not as much as it was pre-transfer portal and NIL days

Thu., Dec. 4, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Want to know how college football programs build winners? Recruiting. Enticing the best players to their campuses. Of course, there are different roads leading to TitleTown U. these days. Wednesday’s high school classes are less important on the journey than they have ever been.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Today is a celebration day for high school football players headed to the next level, one that has changed quite a bit recently

Wed., Dec. 3, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Everyone needs a catch-all phrase. Something to latch on to in times of dire need. Like “live long and prosper” or “don’t have a cow, man.” Ours? “Recruiting never stops.” Today, it is actually relevant. Though not as relevant as it was only a short while ago.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Everyone is being snowed under by college football coaching news and, considering the local weather, we decided to pile on

Tue., Dec. 2, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ya, when I looked outside this morning I uttered the “S” word. After all, there is about 2 inches of the stuff outside the house. Snow in early December? What a shock. Though what was shocking was how bad the roads were last night as I drove home from the North Side of Spokane. There were three or four times when I exclaimed “oh snow, oh snow” trying to stop.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Seahawks’ defense played well enough Sunday to defeat Minnesota all by itself, which is good and not-so-good

Mon., Dec. 1, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • You know what’s lower than zero? Nothing. Not on a scoreboard anyway.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Giving the ever-changing nature of college athletics these days, it is quite possible WSU and Oregon State are headed down the rivalry road, though they haven’t arrived just yet

Sun., Nov. 30, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Did you know college football’s Rivalry Week – the capitalization courtesy of ESPN – just finished? How could you not, the way the self-proclaimed WorldWide Leader pounded you over the head with it for the past seven days? Did you buy in?

Sports

A Grip on Sports: The revamped college football rivalry weekend continues, though locally the future is more important in some regards

Sat., Nov. 29, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • I am sure you have plans for today. They probably include watching a lot of college football. It is rivalry Saturday after all. At least it is for traditional ones not decimated by realignment.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: When Black Friday arrived not that long ago, we used to line up to buy gifts and then head home for an unsurpassed weekend of watching college football

Fri., Nov. 28, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • When I crawled out of bed this morning halfway through the 5 a.m. hour, it hit me. There was a period of years when getting up at that time was de rigueur on the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday. Standing in the cold, lined up at Walmart or Target or the White Elephant. All to save a bundle on that one toy needed to make Christmas complete. Good times.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Is it a cliche to be thankful on this holiday? Of course it is, though it is too important to skip just because it is expected

Thu., Nov. 27, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The subject matter for this column is always clear the final Thursday of November. Thankfulness. Who am I to break tradition? Bend it, sure. Break it? No way.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Money has always held sway in college sports, sure, but what the Players Era hoop tourney illustrates now is the athletes are getting a large, and deserved, share

Wed., Nov. 26, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The shots were falling, inside and out. The bench provided a lift. And now, after two wins in Las Vegas, a chance for – put you right pinky against your lip and use your Dr. Evil voice here, as it is appropriate – “one million dollars” awaits. Man, Michigan looks really good.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: As Thursday’s meal prep rolls on, there is one more thing you should prep as well – your sports thankfullness list

Tue., Nov. 25, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s time to begin putting together your list. No, not the Christmas one. That better have been finished – some assembled is always required – weeks ago. Your Thanksgiving list. The things for which you are thankful. No one wants to be tongue-tied as everyone from Uncle Ron to little Navaeh stares at you.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: It took us years to realize numbers are nothing to fear, even as we still have trouble figuring out our car’s gas mileage

Mon., Nov. 24, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • As my boys were growing up, I used to watch Sesame Street with them whenever I could. My least favorite character? The Count. He scared me.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Despite another close road loss to a ranked team, WSU football still has a chance to reach a lot of goals this season

Sun., Nov. 23, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ya, I got pulled back in by the Cougars yesterday. Watched just about every minute of their 24-20 loss at 21st-ranked James Madison. And realized this might be one of the school’s gutsiest teams.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Just a simple man asking for a simple way to spend a Saturday watching a simple game

Sat., Nov. 22, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Let’s keep it simple, shall we? After all, Cougar fans have a morning date with their football team. And everyone else probably has a full to-do list to finish off before noon.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: As traditions fall this time of year like so many maple leaves, everyone who wants to just sit back and watch college football can hope it gets better next year

Fri., Nov. 21, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Remember the days of #Pac12AfterDark? Where fun once flowed freely in the late hours of Saturday nights during football season, realignment put a crimp in the hose. Replaced, it seems, by #BrunchWithTheWest. Ya, I know. Not nearly as catchy. Or fun, either.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: We are asking a lot of the best air freshener in the world to overcome the odor underlying college athletics these days but it comes through

Thu., Nov. 20, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is a lot of junk involved with college athletics these days. That’s undeniable – and easy to illustrate in just a couple of mouse clicks. But the smell of the refuse has been sprayed over recently by the best of what college sports has to offer. Competition. Upsets. Joy. And just plain fun.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Not every sports take is a winner, something ESPN showcases every day, but a few times a year everyone posts a W

Wed., Nov. 19, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Every day brings us good news and bad. Highs and lows. Hot takes and cold assertions. Why should today be any different?

Sports

A Grip on Sports: James Madison presents the WSU Cougars with multiple challenges – and vice-versa – as the Dukes hope to impress the CFP committee

Tue., Nov. 18, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • A quick spin around the dial on this Tuesday morning? Sure. Why not?

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Handing a win to the Rams wasn’t the best thing to do on a Sunday afternoon but it also wasn’t a fatal blow to the Seahawks’ goals

Mon., Nov. 17, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Well, at least the defense was good. After a slow start. The Seahawks’ offense, which handed the Rams 14 points in a 21-19 loss? Treasonous might be the right word.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: The Cougars move one step closer to a bowl bid, though that last one won’t be easy to scale

Sun., Nov. 16, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Watching a Saturday of college football these days seems designed to highlight the great divide in the sport. On one hand, every game featuring a school with a number before their name is breathlessly described as some sort of playoff elimination game. The rest? Bowls are mentioned. Maybe.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: It was sort of a TV sports watch party last night though everything may not have turned out as you wished

Sat., Nov. 15, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If it is true that everybody is working for the weekend, and why would Loverboy lie, then work is over. It is the weekend. And all that entails.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: The A.L. MVP news was not surprising, being the numbers weren’t in Cal Raleigh’s favor even before the voting, but at least it’s in the past now

Fri., Nov. 14, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Cal Raleigh didn’t win the American League Most Valuable Player award Thursday. Not that anyone with a sense of history expected it to happen. At least baseball had the courtesy to disappoint the Northwest before the weekend, clearing the decks for football and basketball.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: WSU’s new president decides to change the athletic department’s direction by firing the school’s most-loyal employee Anne McCoy

Thu., Nov. 13, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It took me years to realize Pete Townshend lied to everyone. The new boss is not the same as the old boss. Not always. And sometimes the new boss is actually a lot worse.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Gonzaga shined bright Tuesday night but were practically luminescent on defense in the second half

Wed., Nov. 12, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The Northern Lights were in full glory last night. Even visible in Spokane. Just not in the way one might think.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: Yes, we stick to the column title today, though we roam a bit farther afield due to the holiday

Tue., Nov. 11, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Holidays come in all shapes and size. In different days. Celebrated different ways. There is one today that often flies under the radar. Honoring folks who actually did fly under the radar. And did a million other missions. For us.

Sports

A Grip on Sports: It’s Monday and we look at the Seahawks’ quarterback, but it isn’t the typical Monday morning second-guessing

Mon., Nov. 10, 2025

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It is Monday, after all. Time for Monday morning quarterbacking. Or it wouldn’t bear that disparaged designation. Today, however, is different. Who wouldn’t want to be Sam Darnold right now? Life is easy. Well, at least in the first halves of Sunday’s games.