Grip on Sports: With Cooper Kupp headed to Los Angeles, another choice needs to be made

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Pro sports can test one’s loyalty a bit, can’t they? Say you are an Eastern Washington University football fan. Yesterday you were rooting for Cooper Kupp to get drafted. He was. By one of the Seattle Seahawks’ rivals. Well, that’s awkward. Read on.

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• Such an event tests one’s fandom, doesn’t it? Heck, there are a lot of folks in the Inland Northwest that root for the Eagles and the Hawks. Now, twice a year, they face the real possibility of one of their all-time favorite Eastern players making plays that could cost the Seahawks a win. Or a championship.

That’s a bummer.

We’ll rationalize it, of course. Say things like “I hope Cooper catches 10 passes but the Hawks win,” and things of that nature. But honestly, we have to make a choice.

Especially the way the rest of the NFL West has stockpiled area talent.

Kupp has a shot of playing in Los Angeles. Deone Bucannon has been helping Arizona for the past couple years. Now he will be joined by UW’s Budda Baker. That covers the Pac-12 schools in the state. And all were popular players with their universities, making it tough to root against them.

Up the road in San Francisco, the 49ers have, well, nobody. At least we have that going for us. Until today, when, if the trend holds, the Niners will draft Gabe Marks and he’ll make the team. Or next year they’ll go all in for Luke Falk.

It’s not a new phenomenon, of course.

The best players in the history of Washington schools have made their marks away from the area in the pro ranks. And not just in the NFL. You think if the Sonics were still around, WSU fans would be all in with Klay Thompson knocking them from the playoffs?

There aren’t any territorial drafts these days. Just because a player matriculated in Seattle or Pullman or Cheney or Moscow doesn’t mean they get to make the mark professionally in the region.

But it’s so much nicer when they leave the area. Michael Roos was an all-pro for year. In Tennessee. He hardly ever played against the regional 11. Same with Keith Millard or Ryan Long.

That’s the way it should be. In a perfect sports world. But when Bucannon makes a play for Arizona – and he does it a lot – it may have adverse effects for the Hawks.

And that makes our Sundays poorer as a result.

But we have no one to blame but … well, John Schneider. He passed on the guys to take some under-motivated moose from Wossamatta U.

Let’s string him up.  

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WSU: It was quiet in Pullman yesterday, but elsewhere in the Pac-12 it wasn’t. For example, the Huskies’ defensive secondary has been pretty darn good the past few years, and it showed in the draft. … Colorado also had defensive backs picked. … Oregon will hold its final spring scrimmage today. … So will UCLA and the Bruins won’t be touching Josh Rosen. … Drew Rasmussen returned to the mound for Oregon State. … Oregon’s Final Four loss will hang around awhile.

Gonzaga: John Blanchette wrote about Eli Morgan in Friday’s paper. Later last night, Morgan gets beat up a bit by Saint Mary’s, snapping the Zags’ eight-game winning streak. Coincidence? You decide.

EWU: Kupp’s draft watch ended in the third round yesterday. Jim Allen has more on his selection in this story. And the Los Angeles papers have more as well.

Idaho: The Vandals finished off spring football with their Silver and Gold game yesterday and it was a mismatch. The offensive starters were way too tough. That’s a good thing, right? Peter Harriman has the coverage.

Preps: Mt. Spokane is still undefeated. Only one more game remains. Dave Nichols has this piece on the Wildcats’ quest for an unblemished baseball regular season. … One of the oldest prep events in the area is this weekend. Steve Christilaw has an advance on the Inland Empire tennis tournament.

Seahawks: So who did the Hawks’ take with their multiple picks Friday? They stayed on the defensive side of the ball for the most part, though there was one offensive lineman chosen – that stays with a recent trend – and a receiver with an amazing backstory. But the defense had the biggest infusion of talent. … Seattle moved back so often, it made it easy to wonder if they skipped players they should have taken. … There is a new addition to the Seahawk family.

Mariners: Dave has a Mariners Log this morning. We have the links there.

Sounders: The record isn’t all that sharp, but the Sounders haven’t been home much in April. That all changes, starting this weekend.

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• Remember, we won’t be writing here tomorrow. We will be back Monday. See you then …