Grip on Sports: It is spooky how well this World Series has played out as we earn another Game Seven
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Anything worth watching on television last night? With the more than 110,011 costumed candy seekers that came to my door last night, I was too busy handing out huge chocolate bars to enjoy a night of television. Read on.
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• Wait, I got that number wrong. It was 11 trick-or-treaters that came to our door last night. Eleven. There have been years in the not-so-distant past 111 would should up. Now less than a dozen. What happened to the Halloween I used to know?
Call it the aging of a neighborhood – there are eight empty-nesters on our cul-de-sac alone – and leave it at that.
Which means there is a lot of candy left for tonight. It will either be employed to celebrate another World Series title for the team of my youth or as a sugar-filled way to eat my sorrow.
That’s what Game Seven of the World Series is. Sudden-death. Sudden elation. Sudden heartbreak. A winter of discontent or a glorious winter of sunshine.
It’s something I hope my sons, Mariner fans both, will experience some day.
The last time it happened to me, the Dodgers won in Minneapolis. I was nine, so pardon me if I don’t remember much of it.
All I can remember is being so happy I was screaming and running around the house with my dog Tootles. My mother yelled at me. Maybe she wasn’t much of a baseball fan.
But back to the present. This will be the second consecutive season the Series has gone the distance. Last year was magnificent, with the Cubs winning on the road in extra innings and breaking some sort of curse.
Will the Dodgers, who haven’t won since 1988, break the Curse of Kirk Gibson’s Fist Pump? Or will the Astros, who have never won, break the curse rained down upon them by Ralph Lauren the first time he saw those multi-colored 1970s jerseys?
Whatever happens, sit down and enjoy it tonight. At least the doorbell won’t be continually ringing.
Though, if a couple missionaries make the rounds tonight, it will be as busy at our house as it was last night.
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WSU: You like candy corn? Then you and Mike Leach may need to talk. He’s not a fan. Theo Lawson has that nugget and more from yesterday, including a bunch of interviews on our WSU football page. … Theo also has his conference-wide power rankings, the chances Stanford’s Bryce Love plays and some thoughts on Washington State’s spot in the playoff rankings. … Leach’s battle with Texas Tech over his contract is still a big deal in that state. … Former WSU star Shalom Luani had a pretty good starting debut for the Raiders. … Cardinal coach David Shaw will be the one to make the decision if Love plays. … Shaw uses a gut feeling when it comes time to decide which quarterback plays.
Elsewhere in the Pac-12, the first playoff rankings seem to signal little in the way of a chance for the conference this season. That’s reflected in the power rankings and notebooks from up and down the West Coast. … This weekend’s games begin Friday night in Utah, where the Utes will host UCLA. Both teams are struggling with their offense and need a win badly. The Bruins may be using a backup quarterback. … Colorado travels to Arizona State. … California will host a revived Oregon State team still looking for its first conference victory. OSU quarterback Jake Luton returned to practice yesterday after his broken neck suffered in the WSU game. … The rivalry game of the week is in Seattle as Washington hosts Oregon. … The best game of the weekend may be the last one, with USC hosting Arizona trying to slow Kahlil Tate and the Wildcat rushing attack.
Gonzaga: BYU coach Dave Rose talked about guard Nick Emery and Emery’s NCAA troubles yesterday.
EWU: If you are a college football coach, it’s Halloween and you want to lighten the mood around practice, what do you do? I’m not sure it’s what Aaron Best did yesterday, but whatever works. Jim Allen has a story. … Eastern soccer player Chloe Williams was named yesterday the Big Sky’s offensive player of the year for the third time. … Around the Big Sky in football, the most intriguing matchup this week may be winless Portland State visiting winless Cal Poly. Not the best, the most intriguing. … The best may be in Missoula where conference-leading Northern Arizona hopes to get past a beat-up Montana squad. … Montana State has no qualms about trying to convert fourth down. Idaho State was the Bobcats’ latest victim. … In basketball, Southern Utah has a transfer that figures to help.
Chiefs: Portland is struggling to score. Maybe it’s because it played Everett last week and the Silvertips’ new goalie is good.
Preps: Some GSL football teams have to play an extra game just to get into the playoffs. In the 4A ranks, the winner in a three-way tiebreaker was Mead. Dave Nichols has the story and Jesse Tinsley the photo report. In the 3A ranks, Shadle Park got past Kennewick. Dave also has that story. … There were other sports in play on Halloween as well, most notably girls’ soccer. … A couple of blasts from the past: Dave Trimmer writes about former U-Hi star Angie Bjorklund.
Seahawks: The trade that sent Jeremy Lane to Houston for left tackle Duane Brown? It doesn’t include Lane anymore. The defensive back failed his physical and the deal had to be restructured. What that means for Lane, the Hawks and their salary cap situation is unknown. … How big a deal is it adding Brown? … Russell Wilson had a future as a comedian. Well, maybe not. He did restructure his contract so the Hawks could grab Brown, though.
Mariners: Jerry Dipoto must be tired of being asked about Chris Taylor.
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• Back in my day, kids used to trick or treat until 1 or 2 in the morning. By themselves. In the snow. Or 100-degree weather. Or both on the same night. What’s wrong with these millennials anyway? Until later …