A Grip on Sports: The Seahawks’ offseason is dealt another surprise as new cornerback Dunbar faces armed robbery charges
A GRIP ON SPORTS • What was it my dad used to say about luck? Something about bad luck or no luck at all. He wasn’t talking about the Seattle Seahawks, but he could have been. He also used to mention screen doors in submarines and using his belt for something other than holding up his pants, all of which could apply to the Hawks right now as well.
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• The Seahawks’ John Schneider had thought he had answered his team’s issue at cornerback opposite Shaquill Griffin recently. A trade with Washington had brought Quinton Dunbar to the Northwest and, more than likely, into the Hawks’ starting lineup.
Oops.
Wednesday night an armed robbery in Florida upset those plans. Mainly because Dunbar was alleged to be a part of it. Details are sketchy, as they tend to be when an armed man and two others upend a table and steal a bunch of money at a card game, but Dunbar and New York Giants defensive back DeAndre Baker are facing armed robbery counts, along with another unidentified man. (All of the particulars are in this Bob Condotta story.)
It could be a case of Dunbar being caught up in something a knuckleheaded friend decided to do on the spur of the moment. Or it could be a case of premeditated payback. Or it could be a case of everyone having the wrong guy. But no matter what the case is, it’s not good. And in a time when there is little to distract folks on the field, this off-field incident will be a big deal for a long time.
Let alone the terror the folks robbed must have felt, the thought of people gambling at a party in a time of pandemic – only in Florida, right? – and whatever fallout there might be.
Not only was Dunbar expected to be a missing piece to the Seahawks defensive backfield puzzle – he spoke with the media yesterday and there was some thought he might end up playing the nickel spot – his presence, via trade, probably changed Seattle’s outlook in the recent draft.
Now it’s awful late if the Hawks need to replace him.
Just another thing for Schneider and Pete Carroll to worry about in an offseason filled with worries.
• In early April we were bombarded with stories and shows and what-not related to the Masters. That’s even though the event, the first golf major of each year, was not canceled, just postponed until November.
Did you know this week was supposed to be when the golf world’s eyes were on San Francisco and the PGA Championship at Harding Park? Well, I did. But only because, while mowing the lawn Tuesday I wondered about it and looked it up.
But even a cursory look this week allows us to underline something we’ve known for a few decades: The PGA is the fourth of golf’s four majors. And it’s not close to the other three.
Finding a story about the tournament-that-shall-be-played-later isn’t easy this week. Did you know the weather in San Francisco is great this week? And the Golf Channel, which isn’t overflowing with live content right now, isn’t showing full replays of PGA’s past, as it did with the Masters during the originally scheduled week.
Seems odd, considering the hubbub around the Masters. Yes, the PGA Championship is still expected to go on the first week of August. And yes, the tournament just moved to May recently, so it’s not ingrained in our minds like April and the Masters. But, really? With little in life sports to watch, wouldn’t it be nice to be taken back to 2009 and Y.E. Yang running down Tiger Woods at Hazeltine? Or John Daly winning at Crooked Stick in 1991? Or Rory hitting to the green in the gloaming at Valhalla 14 years later?
So CBS is showing the 2018 final round Saturday, the one Brooks Koepka won. And Tiger dueling Bob May at Valhalla in 2000 is on the network Sunday (of course it is). But that’s it. Not really the royal treatment, is it?
But if you like rodeo, hey, that’s on Saturday.
• Larry Stone spent some time writing about Dave Grosby, the Seattle sports radio legend, and his fight with Parkinson’s. It’s a disease that has struck close to home for me. Even know, I have a good friend dealing with it. The story is worth your time today, even if only to raise your awareness of Parkinson’s.
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Gonzaga: Around the WCC, Tanner Toolson, of Vancouver’s Union High, has committed to BYU, though he will take his LDS mission first.
WSU: Around the Pac-12, money is going to be an issue with every athletic department. Washington is going to be dealing with budget issues, even with its deep resources. … The uncertainty of the season is weighing on the coaches. In the final Pac-12 webinar, Oregon coach Mario Cristobal delved deep into the virus issues beyond football. He was joined yesterday by California’s Justin Wilcox and Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin. All are playing a guessing game. As are athletic directors. … The UCLA football coach of my youth, Pepper Rodgers, died this week. He was 88. … Arizona State welcomes in a transfer punter. … In basketball news, if Utah’s Both Gach doesn’t stay in the NBA draft, he’s going to transfer. That came as a surprise to coach Larry Krystkowiak.
EWU: We mentioned money in the section just above. And we are going to highlight it here. Eastern is dealing with a loss of revenue that will result in budgets being cut some 20-to-30 percent. Ryan Collingwood has more in this story. … Larry Weir spoke with Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistrcill for the latest Press Box pod. … Around the Big Sky, Montana expects to have some sort of workouts soon. … It’s not easy recruiting for Idaho State in the best of times.
Preps: Next up on the senior story parade is North Central. Dave Nichols tells the school’s story through the experience of two members of the dance team.
Seahawks: Of course the Dunbar news dominates the cycle, as it should. … Quarterback Geno Smith re-signed with Hawks.
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• Folks, I need a day off. A day in which I can sleep past 6. A day of lazily getting out of bed and not thinking. OK, that last one happens all the time, as the results in this space attest. But tomorrow I’m making it official. I’m skipping out on you. I’m not telling Kim, so keep it under your hat. I’m getting up at the usual time and going to make her breakfast. Pancakes I think. With bacon. Orange juice. An egg or two. She’s been working so hard, she deserves a surprise. Heck, I might even clean up afterward. And by “clean up” of course I mean “let the dogs lick the plates and frying pans and call it good.” (Just kidding.) Until Sunday …