Grip on Sports: Seahawks and others doing their best to give Thursdays a new outlook

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s unanimous. Something weird happened with the All-Pac-12 football team. That, and other items, make this a hodge-podge of a Thursday. But then again, most every Thursday is like that. Read on.

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• Friday has its own acronym. Saturday and Sunday are the stars of the week. Monday wears the black hat. Tuesday seems to have about 35 different food deals. Wednesday has a nickname that sounds a bit racy.  But poor old Thursday, what does it have going for it?

It’s gotten so bad people want to throw it back, like a puny fish or something.

That’s not fair. Thursday needs some new PR. Maybe NBC can actually find a few winning comedies and/or dramas and play them on Thursday, as it used to do. Or maybe, just maybe, we can help with a little of this and a little bit of that.

Though I’m not sure it will matter all that much …

• Yes, Cody O’Connell is a unanimous All-American. The Washington State offensive lineman picked up that honor yesterday when the football coaches of America including, you know, some of the same guys who didn’t vote him either first- or second-team All-Pac-12, named him to their team.

Jason Hanson. Cody O’Connell. Those are the two Cougars who have been unanimous All-Americans. That’s it. That’s the list.

• Speaking of the Cougars, their opponent in the Holiday Bowl will be without about 10 percent of their squad for the week in San Diego.

The stories out of Minneapolis aren’t all that nice to read, but, in a sports-sense, the bottom line is the Gophers’ secondary has been pulverized. Not many team can withstand losing four defensive backs that contribute.

Heck, the Cougars were missing one, Shalom Luani, suspended for the season-opener against Eastern Washington, and it hurt deeply.

• John Blanchette turns his biting fingers toward a proposal in the state legislature that would allow guns to be carried into public sports venues.

Sorry folks, but this is one bad idea. And I’m not sure why anyone would think it is necessary.

The scenarios John thought up sound like satire but I’m not sure they wouldn’t actually come up.

Now a new state? That’s a grand idea. I’m thinking the block I live on could be its own state. Though I’m afraid I might be elected governor. Way too much work.

• What the heck? College basketball players have to worry about finals? What are they, students or athletes?

All I can say is this week has been devoid of college basketball games around here and I’m tired of it.

It’s time for Gonzaga and Idaho and WSU and Eastern and Whitworth folks to get back on the courts. We want to be entertained.

• It will be cold in in Cheney on Saturday. But not as cold as the shoulder Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini is giving the media after reports surfaced some of his players might be suspended for failing random drug tests.

But that’s probably to be expected.

Pelini lost his job at Nebraska after the Big Red faithful had turned on him. But don’t forget, he turned on them first. (I’m sorry, but I can’t link the audio because it is so profane.) And then ripped the athletic director on the way out of the state.

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WSU: Of course Jacob Thorpe has a story on O’Connell’s awards as well as Minnesota’s troubles. He also has an in-depth piece on how bowl games seem to beget more bowl games. … Yesterday was the first day junior college players could sign letters of intent and Washington State and Idaho each signed some key guys. Jacob has that story as well. … We can also pass along Stefanie Loh’s story on O’Connell’s honor and a story from Dale Grummert from Lewiston via Tacoma on WSU’s bowl prep. … Around the Pac-12, the Cougar running back corps was rated third-best in the conference. … Though Colorado is denying it, multiple reports have Oregon hiring away the Buffs’ defensive coordinator, Jim Leavitt, another former USF head coach. … Speaking of the Ducks, they need to change their attitude. … Washington’s Chris Petersen is up for a major award. … Will Scott Barnes end up moving back West and becoming Oregon State’s athletic director? Stay tuned. … California is trying to bolster its defense. … Utah also has a unanimous All-American. … Is Adoree’ Jackson returning to USC next season? … On the basketball side, UCLA remained unbeaten with an easy win over UC Santa Barbara and Arizona was able to get past a game Grand Canyon team.

Gonzaga: Though it’s quiet on the GU front, Saint Mary’s got back at it last night and started quickly in a blowout win over visiting Western Kentucky.

EWU: Jim Allen takes a look at Youngstown’s State’s offense, which revolves around a couple guys. He also has more items in this notebook.

Chiefs: Spokane made a four-player trade yesterday, picking up a forward, a defenseman and a draft choice in a deal with Saskatoon. … Portland won last night.

Preps: It’s a wrestling type of day, with Greg Lee advancing the prestigious Tri-State tournament that is this weekend as well as covering U-Hi’s win over North Central. … We also can pass along a roundup of basketball action. … Bill Pierce looks back at one of Spokane’s most successful high school basketball coaches, Dave Robertson.

Mariners: All the wheeling and dealing and roster manipulation lately cost the M’s a player. … There is always a player or two who is coming off a bounce-back season.

Seahawks: Hey, I know what happens today. The Hawks get back on the football field, hosting the coach-less Los Angeles Rams tonight. It will be cold in Seattle, which has to cause the Rams some problems, right? … The big question is will Russell Wilson bounce back from his awful game Sunday? … A quick turnaround can’t see to hurt the Hawks, who will clinch the NFC West with a win tonight. … Seattle could use a little more help for the draft than it has received lately.

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• Hope your Thursday goes well. The best part of it is, despite the cold and the snow, it will only last 24 hours. Promise. And then it is Friday. “Thursday, the day that gets us to Friday.” Sounds like a slogan to me. Until later …