Grip on Sports: At least we found where Pete Carroll draws the line with Frank Clark

A GRIP ON SPORTS • When Pete Carroll scans the horizon, he may be able to see the imaginary line he’s established when it comes to discipline issues. Carroll may need binoculars to see it, but it’s out there. So when even he feels a player has crossed it, it must be something big. Read on.

••••••••••

• It may not surprise you, given his history, it was Frank Clark who found out just where Carroll draws that elusive line.

Clark came into Seahawk camp as a rookie with baggage filled with a domestic violence arrest. He played with a barely controlled passion the last two seasons. And Thursday, as the Hawks’ training camp began the slog it always becomes before the first preseason game, Clark’s tendency toward idiocy boiled over again.

This time it earned Clark a time out. A remainder-of-practice time out, actually, after Clark decked tackle Germain Ifedi with a punch following a dustup.

Ifedi’s helmet was off. Clark’s right hand found the offensive lineman’s jaw. Down went Ifedi. And off to the locker room went Clark.

Afterward, Carroll spoke about the incident with the Puget Sound media.

“There’s no room for fighting in football,” Carroll said, though, he like a lot of coaches, don’t seem to mind the occasional dustup among players as long as no one is hurt. “It is not part of this game. It’s not supposed to be part of this game, and we frown upon that very heavily. Real disappointed that that happened today. We have to learn and get better and be right.”

There is some irony, here, of course.

Clark slipped to Seattle out of Michigan in the 2015 draft mainly because he was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in a hotel room. The Hawks took the heat for the draft pick, but Carroll and general manager John Schneider explained it away with all the right statements. The furor, like all furors, died down. Short attention spans win out again.

Last year Clark’s play overshadowed any rumblings of his past mistakes. Ten sacks have a way of making football fans either forget the past or rationalize it.

But hit a teammate? Knock him to the ground? That’s grounds for dismissal.

From at least one practice.

And, boy, Clark better get 12 sacks this season. Or he’s in real trouble.

• Speaking of real trouble, the way Carroll have been talking about top draft pick Malik McDowell’s injuries – reportedly caused by an offseason ATV crash – makes you wonder just what is up.

“I really don’t have much to report for you,” Carroll told the media, “but it’s going to take a while to figure it out.”

So what is wrong with McDowell? No one is saying, not even Carroll. Heck, Carroll won’t even confirm how the injuries occurred or what part of McDowell’s body was injured.

There has been speculation, sure, but all we know for sure is McDowell is meeting with doctors, undergoing tests and is on the Non-Football Injury list, which means he counts against their 90-man roster but probably won’t be on the field anytime soon.

•••

WSU: In happier news from Pullman, Mike Leach confessed something yesterday. He confessed that, up until recently, his tweets were not completely his own. But now they are. Maybe he’s decided to try to keep up with his friend, President Donald Trump. Whatever the reason, they have been Leach unfiltered of late. Theo Lawson explores the Leach Twitterverse today as well as looking at three position groups that merit special consideration. … The first of the major polls came out yesterday, with the Cougars receiving votes in the coaches’ survey. … The past is the past and the WSU receivers are tired of hearing about it. … Around the Pac-12, Christian Caple bids adieu to sports journalism with a trio of stories on Washington’s fourth practice. … The Huskies, with a new secondary, are ranked seventh in the coaches’ poll. … USC, despite an unsettled receiver situation, is the top-ranked conference school, checking it at No. 4. … One of the staples of early practices is players switching positions. It’s happened at Oregon. … Oregon State’s defensive line must be more productive. … Colorado has a veteran quarterback back but lost a budding star after just two days. … Utah is ranked 25th, in part because its defensive line is solid again. … Stanford has a first-class medical facility, but Keller Chryst’s recover is still hard to fathom. … Thanks to the NCAA’s new rules – Leach talked about them the other day – UCLA’s players are having long, long days. Again with the unintended consequences. … Arizona State’s quarterback is working to become more in tune with his teammates. … There is a new group of receivers in Tucson.

EWU: The Eagles began preseason practice yesterday in Cheney, and Jim Allen was out “enjoying” the heat. He has a story on the camp’s start and another on one of the main reasons why Eastern’s expectations are so high: quarterback Gage Gubrud. … Around the Big Sky, Montana State opened practice yesterday – the Bobcats’ first game is in Pullman – with a lot of new faces. … North Dakota, which tied Eastern atop the conference standings last year, has a lot of returning faces. … Idaho State, with a new coach, has some players who expect to break out of the crowd. … Northern Arizona has a bunch of transfers. … Southern Utah’s defense should keep the Thunderbirds in games. … In basketball news, Weber State is going to retire Damien Lillard’s number.

Indians: It’s nice for Indian fans to check the Northwest League standings these days. Atop the North Division’s second-half are the Spokane Indians, 7-1 since the season reset. They got to that mark with a 2-1 win over visiting Eugene last night. Whitney Ogden has the game story. … Drew Gerber has a piece on Avista Stadium’s groundskeeper winning a toothy award. 

Chiefs: Everett has added to its depth in goal.

Mariners: The four-game set in Kansas City is a key one for the Mariners, coming as it does against a team with a foot in the wild card door. For the M’s to pick up ground, they knew they needed to win three of four. After last night’s bullpen mess, the M’s now need to win three consecutive games to pick up any ground. Kansas City rallied for a 6-4 win and now holds a 2.5 game edge over Seattle in the wild card race. Dave Nichols has more on the game in his Mariners Log, which also contains the links to the other stories.

Seahawks: Yes, it was the fourth day of practice for the Hawks. … Jimmy Graham loves to fly, so this story shouldn’t be surprising. … Who will be the next Seahawk to make the Hall of Fame?

•••       

• It’s going to be a busy day. From an oil change to a vet visit, we’re on the go in the heat today. We should start the day with a good breakfast, right? The most important meal of the day? So I’m thinking of heading out and getting a doughnut or six. Eat to win is my motto. Until later …