A Grip on Sports: The fan experience is in a state of flux that seems never ending
A GRIP ON SPORTS • One of the best parts of any sporting event is the joy and agony it brings to those observing it. Yes, both. The highs would never be as high if it weren’t for the lows.
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• Stoicism goes against the nature of the typical sports fan. Thankfully. Why follow a team or individual if that was the case? It’s all about investment, not just a financial one (though that is always a perquisite these days) but of the heart. Which is why, it seems, when your team or school or club or player decides the business aspect trumps all, fans fall to pieces.
We have been reminded of this truism again this week. About 1,174 times this week, to be blunt.
Part of that comes from the death of former Washington State football coach Mike Leach, whose presence in Pullman led to a revival of the Cougars’ fortunes – everywhere but in the Apple Cup. His passing got us thinking about the relationship we have with coaches and players and teams and such, all because of sports.
That quickly morphed into thoughts about coaches, free agency, new jobs and permanence. A thing of the past, right? Not necessarily. Mark Few has been at Gonzaga for a couple decades-plus. We don’t think Jen Greeny, Washington State’s volleyball coach, will be going anywhere. Pete Carroll will coach the Seahawks until his New Balances rot away.
But for the most part, coaching at almost every level is a transient occupation. To move up, most of the time you have to move on.
And that impermanent state of affairs has seeped into the world of the athlete. It’s been that way for decades among the professional ranks, with few athletes putting down deep roots in a community. Heck, even the NFL, for the longest time the bastion of a long-lost team-ethos, has morphed into a salary-cap driven free-agent marketplace.
That’s the way of a capitalist society. Supply and demand. Whether it works how it’s supposed to – leveling the playing field for everyone – is debatable but it is the system professional sports has come to accept.
Fans have come to peace with it. Ask your next-door neighbor (when you see them again in the spring) who their favorite Seahawk of the past decade has been and one of two answers will probably emerge: Russell Wilson or Bobby Wagner. Then asked them if they were devastated when they moved on and the answer more than likely will be something about “at first,” but they got over it.
It’s only business.
That, however, hasn’t been the way of college athletics. At least outside of basketball.
The NBA’s long-standing one-and-done requirement hit fans of that sport hard, but they adjusted. Mainly because it didn’t impact every level of the sport to a great degree. The Blue Bloods? Sure. The Average Joes? Not so much. Besides, your school’s football team, what with the NFL keeping hands off until an athlete had been on campus for three years, was stable. You knew the freshman linebacker that caught your eye was going to be in crimson or purple or red or gold for long enough for you to learn all about them. Maybe even get to know them, personally. Meet your kids. Sign an autograph. Become, metaphorically, part of the family.
No more. Akin to families being torn apart by financial pressures, the college football experience is in flux. Players are flying out – and parachuting in – by the droves, helping program sales but destroying part of the tie that bound the fan with the school.
The name on the front of the jersey is still key but the name on the back is losing its importance. And fans are losing something integral to the joy of the experience.
We are in a dip in that regard. Change is never easy. Or clear. Where this is all headed is a mystery. Maybe – hopefully – when NIL and transfer portals and the new free agency shake out something better will be the result, not just for those who play the games but those who support them as well.
And then the highs will seem even higher.
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WSU: At the bottom of this section, we’ve broken off the stories about Leach, as his unexpected death is national (and regional) news. … Colton Clark delves into the new challenges Washington State faces from name, image and likeness in the hands of better-financed programs. … The Cougars have a more pressing current challenge: play their bowl game Saturday after their two coordinators have taken other positions. Colton has this story on Eric Morris leaving to become head coach at North Texas. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, today is the day the UC Regents are scheduled to make a final decision concerning UCLA’s move to the Big Ten. The smart money, including Jon Wilner, is on allowing the change but asking for a contribution for California’s benefit. … Oregon State is facing some of the same issues WSU is. The Beavers are trying to come up with ways to deal with them too. … There have been comings and goings at Oregon as well. … A former Colorado player, passed over by his alma mater, is the new Purdue coach. … The two coaches in Arizona are being paid well. … In basketball news, Wilner has his power rankings for the conference. We can pass along another one as well. … Washington trailed Cal Poly most of the night but Keion Brooks Jr. took over down the stretch and led the Huskies to a victory. … Colorado had a long wait for one player to make his debut. … Just how good is Utah? The Utes won again last night. … So did Arizona, 99-61, even with its point guard out sick. … UCLA has a big two-game swing though the East this week. … USC is still defending despite its roster change. … Arizona State has been successful despite a tough schedule. … Oregon is still trying to get healthy.
Mike Leach: The reminisces were everywhere yesterday, including in this column. … Jacob Thorpe added his voice as a former beat writer who covered Leach’s WSU team for a couple seasons. … Dan Thompson takes a look at Leach’s tenure in Pullman. … Larry Stone has his thoughts. As do a few Seahawks. … Kyle Whittingham and Leach became good friends. … Leach’s storytelling will be missed. … Everyone has a Leach story. … His coaching tree is tall and deep.
Gonzaga: Players get attached to their shoes. More than they should, actually. Jim Meehan delves into that a bit in his most-recent Gonzaga rewind. … The WCC women’s schedule begins this weekend so Jim Allen took some time to look at how the conference’s schools have fared. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Santa Clara struggled by got past Portland State at home.
EWU: The Eagles went to Lubbock, Texas and gave Texas Tech everything it could handle before falling 77-70. Dan Thompson has the coverage. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky Conference, Sacramento State promoted Andy Thompson to head football coach. … Weber State doesn’t have a head coach. Now it doesn’t have a quarterback. … In basketball news, Northern Colorado has mined an Australian talent vein.
Idaho: The Vandals’ Hayden Hatten earned first-team All-American honors from Hero Sports. That news leads off the latest local briefs column from the S-R.
Preps: Dave Nichols and Colin Mulvany were at North Central last night for the boys’ game between the Wolfpack and Mt. Spokane. Dave has the game summary as part of this roundup and Colin has this photo gallery.
Chiefs: Steve Witiuk, who played in the NHL after playing in Spokane for a variety of teams, died late last month. Howie Stalwick has his obituary.
Seahawks: Believe it or not, the Hawks play tomorrow night in Seattle, hosting the 49ers. San Francisco has a chance to clinch the NFC West title with a win. … Geno Smith thinks he was too aggressive against the Panthers. … Richard Sherman will be on the broadcast and of course he has lots of thoughts.
Kraken: Seattle lost in Florida thanks to a lost second period. … The newest Kraken player is happy for the opportunity.
Sounders: Seattle added a goalkeeper to the roster, one with UW ties.
World Cup: Lionel Messi will play for the championship of the only major tournament that has eluded his grasp. He earned that opportunity Tuesday by leading Argentina past Croatia 3-0 in the semifinals.
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• How’s the Christmas shopping going? Not well, but thanks for asking. Hope it has better for you. Until later …