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Seattle Mariners

Grip on Sports: If the Seahawks win another Super Bowl some day, will the rest of the country be in mourning?

Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby (2) reacts after making the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Packers beat the Cowboys 34-31. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

A GRIP ON SPORTS • So what are your holiday plans? You have any sporting events you must see? Or are you still in mourning, professional football variety? And I’m not just talking to the Seahawk fans. Read on.

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• I saw a pretty darn funny graphic on Twitter last night. And if I could find it again, I would share it. But that would take more time than we have this morning so I’ll just describe it.

It was a pie chart. Most of it was Packer green. A small sliver, a really, really, really small sliver, was gold.

The headline for the pie chart: People happy about the Packers’ win over Dallas.

The label for the small sliver: Packer fans.

The label for the green area: Those happy to see the Cowboys lose.

I’m paraphrasing here, because I’m relying on a memory that isn’t as good with yesterday’s events as it with those that happened in, I don’t know, 1974, but you get the picture.

The Cowboys are loved by a whole bunch of people – and hated by many more.

I’m sure the same chart could have been put together about the Hawks’ defeat on Saturday.

The little sliver would have been Falcon fans, of course. The other segment would symbolize the growing number of people in other parts of the country who have begun to hate the Hawks.

Now some of you might be asking, why would folks hate Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and the rest of the guys?

You’re seeing them through Hawk-green-colored glasses.

Other folks see them through a different prism, one that is tainted by jealousy, sure – success, especially consistent success, does that – but also one that is a lot clearer than those around the Northwest.

Seattle Times’ columnist Matt Calkins took on the subject today. Usually, I’m quick to dismiss Calkins’ writings, ever since I discovered he attended my arch-rival high school. (And yes, I’m joking … sort of.) But today’s piece is too spot on – in spots – to not pass along.

Some of the actions Calkins points out have happened before – remember the end of the Patriots’ Super Bowl win?

And some of it is new. But the Hawks have always been somewhat sore losers. Which isn’t always a bad thing. Wasn’t it Vince Lombardi who once said “show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser?”

But there is also a time to be gracious. And to not yell at your teammates and assistant coaches. Or the media.

Russell Wilson is unfailing polite. And he’s a winner. A role model, too. To all of us. Doug Baldwin, Cliff Avril, they are as well, in different ways.

Yet, I’m sure, if the Hawks win another Super Bowl with this group, there could be a pie chart put together that would include a small sliver, about 1 percent or so. It would be labeled “those who are happy with Seattle winning.”

And be 100 percent true.

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Gonzaga: The basketball polls will be released today and the Zags will not be No. 1. That’s the consensus, including from our Jim Meehan, who has this piece about the rankings. We talked about them some the past couple days, including before the Saint Mary’s game. The problem is the Zags aren’t even in the top five in some West Coast voters’ minds. … After Saturday’s win, the Twitter machines began working overtime. Michael Gulledge has a story on what was said. … Around the WCC, there is more than a little grumbling coming out of Provo these days. BYU needs a signature win. When do the Cougars play GU?

WSU: The Cougar women are really beat up. It showed in their one-point loss at Arizona yesterday. … Speaking of the Wildcats, they are losing their highly regarded athletic director, Greg Byrne (pictured), to Alabama. … Oregon picked up an assistant football coach from the Crimson Tide. … The Bruins let one of their assistants go. … California’s new coach will bring some changes. … On the basketball side of things, USC went into Boulder and handed Colorado its fifth consecutive loss to open Pac-12 play. … Utah feels it missed a golden opportunity when it let a win against UCLA slip away Saturday. … The Civil War rout has to be behind the Ducks.

Chiefs: The road trip continued Sunday with a loss against the Thunderbirds.

Seahawks: This season is over. The offseason is underway. It’s kind of sad for the players. And probably pretty scary for the free agents to be. … There will be changes made.

Mariners: As his votes pile up, Edgar Martinez is actually interested in Wednesday’s Hall of Fame announcement.

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• See you Tuesday. It’s supposed to be warmer. One can only hope. Until later …