Grip on Sports: What’s on your TV when you have a choice?

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you had your choice between watching a World Series game, a NFL regular-season matchup, a college football contest or an early season NBA game, which would you choose? Read on.

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• There are variables, of course. Some of us are enamored with one sport or another. And others are more in tune with teams they root for – and against. So a Cougar fan might pick the World Series game unless Washington State was on TV.

(As an aside, did you see the fan atop the Green Monster last night with the home run ball? He had a WSU pullover on. The reach of the Cougars this week is pretty remarkable.)

But if all things are equal, which would you watch?

There was a time I would have said the World Series, no doubt. It is the ultimate championship series, no matter the sport. It has tradition dating back to not just the last century, but the early part of that last century. It seems as if it is must-see TV.

This year, though, I’m not so sure. The game has slowed down so much it seems to take forever to get from Point A, the first pitch, to Point B, the final out, as to be almost unwatchable.

Part of it is replay, which has injected a handful of stoppages into every game, some taking a couple minutes or more. Part of it is the way pitchers are used, increasing the likelihood late innings will be broken up multiple times. And part of it is the way the game is played, with more movement on the defensive side, more patience at the plate and more strikeouts, leading to longer, slower innings – and less action.

At least it seems that way.

Maybe it’s not true. Maybe the game hasn’t changed that much. Maybe the enemy is other sports.

Basketball and football, especially at the college level, have improved offensively to the point they just seem so much fun to watch no matter who is playing.

And the NFL, despite all the hair-pulling about long-term injuries and off-the-field nonsense, hasn’t seemed to slow hardly at all, at least in the public’s eyes.

Maybe we asked a question that really has no definitive answer. And that, in itself, may be a change.

• I have been playing golf since I was 13 years old. In all that time I’ve come close – a few inches – from a hole-in-one only a couple of times. It’s something I’ve always hoped would happen but never have felt really would.

So someone with multiple holes in one, as shared by Jim Meehan in this story, seems undemocratic. Selfish even. … Just kidding. More power to Frank Capehart. But, honestly, could you just throw one my way?

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WSU: It was another busy day in Pullman, what with practice – Theo Lawson has post-practice videos of interview with coach Mike Leach and players Jahad Woods, Renard Bell and Liam Ryan – and the awards – Gardner Minshew won another one – rolling in. … Theo has his Pac-12 power rankings, with another new No. 1., and the skinny on another offensive lineman committing to WSU. … Did you watch College GameDay from home? If you did, you weren’t alone. Some two million people did. Theo has more in this story. … My buddy Brian Floyd was at GameDay and wrote this for CougCenter.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, the conference is in a bit of disarray, and it shows in the football results. … Washington and its relentless defense will face California missing its best offensive lineman. … Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is focused on Arizona – not next year. The Ducks want to run the ball better. … Oregon State, with an offense in shambles, is headed to Colorado. … Speaking of shambles, that describes USC’s quarterback situation heading into the matchup with Arizona State. … Utah has the nation’s best rush defense. UCLA may just decide to go over the top of it Friday night.

Gonzaga: The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released yesterday and Rui Hachimura just missed making the first team. Jim Meehan has that development covered in this story. … The Zags were a topic of conversation between myself and Larry Weir on Larry’s latest Press Box pod.

EWU: Is this week’s game with Idaho a rivalry one? Ryan Collingwood examines that question through the eyes of an Eagle player who has a family history. It’s part of Ryan’s Eastern notebook. … Around the Big Sky, Montana State’s changes in the coaching staff will be tested by Idaho State. … Weber State has reached record heights. … Montana and UC Davis have been close before. But this might be the best Aggie team to face UM.

Chiefs: Spokane has named a couple of co-captains, and one of them just returned to the team.

Preps: Don’t look now, but the fall seasons are winding down. After Tuesday’s action, there are some sports headed to the postseason. We have roundups from volleyball and soccer. And then Dave Nichols has a roundup of the major football races. … University won the GSL slowpitch title with a win over Mt. Spokane. … Finally, a sad story out of Utah. A former Pullman High track star, Lauren McCluskey, was murdered in Salt Lake City this week.

Seahawks: With the Lions the opponent this weekend, the Hawks seem to be getting their act together.

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• And no, my thoughts about the World Series have nothing to do with the Dodgers losing. I didn’t watch much of it even with them playing. Life is sometimes too busy to be defined by sports viewing. Until later …