A Grip on Sports: The holiday season is always busy, with the sports world adding its share in 2022

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We’re winding down here. Not quickly, mind you, but slowly. Inexorably. Maybe it’s the cold. Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe it’s the time of man. Whatever. The year is almost over. But 2022 in the world of sports is going out with a louder noise than usual.

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• A Woodstock reference? What, are you, like, 80? No. We’re just an aficionado of Joni Mitchell’s work. And of sports in December.

What’s not to like (about either)?

College hoops up the nose. The NFL’s stretch run. Bowl games. More bowl games. The Hot Stove League. The NBA. The NHL. And a million games for the PS5, all waiting for you to open your wallet and purchase for Christmas. Then make a Tic-Toc of your child’s reaction.

Holy smokes, what a time of year.

It’s almost impossible to go to bed by 8, what with the nights filled with top 10 basketball matchups and such powerhouses as Western Kentucky and Eastern Michigan showing their football chops on ESPN. OK, so bowl season isn’t what it used to be – then: rare, now: saturated; then: a celebration, now: opt-outs – but college hoops has taken up the slack. Heck, last night we were surprised to find Hubert Davis and Juwan Howard playing one-on-one. At least that’s what the ESPN broadcast made it seem like, as the coaches had their own little box in the corner of the TV screen. Davis’ North Carolina team got the better of Howard’s Michigan squad in a hard-fought, up-and-down game but that seemed immaterial.

But we are rambling a bit. We wanted to make a point here. It’s a simple one. The holiday season has become a cornucopia of televised sports. And that’s a gift. One we get to unwrap day after day as the year winds down.

• One addition to the holiday season comes courtesy of the NCAA. The organization began an early signing period for football a few years ago – the traditional period still happens in February – and now has it pegged for a few days before Christmas.

But one thing hasn’t changed. Never in the history of college football, from John Heisman to Knute Rockne to Nick Saban, has a college football coach welcomed a new class of recruits that wasn’t A) The best ever or 2) Fits the program perfectly or IV) Is an exemplary group of young men who will lead our esteemed university to gridiron success.

We rant about this every year but we wish some coach, with a $12 million buyout in his unbreakable contract, would just tell the truth just once.

“Hey, we worked hard, talked with a bunch of really talented kids, and only could entice one or two to come to Whatsamatta U. The rest of the class isn’t good enough to win right now, but we will coach ‘em up, add a few pounds in the weight room and we’re hopeful we can get to 6-6 by next year.”

Now that would be a Christmas miracle we could get behind.

• It was cold in Spokane overnight. Down to -8 according to our weather app and even colder in nearby communities. But that cold weather is going to be scoured out by an approaching storm. A storm that is supposed to dump an additional 6 inches of snow on the foot-plus we have sitting on the ground.

Out of the freezer into the sink, as the old saying goes.

But there is hope. Before the year is out, we are expected to bask in the glow of high temps in the 40-degree range. Glory be. May have to wear shorts to the New Year’s Eve party.

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WSU: OK, sit down. We don’t want you to faint. But we got some news. The Cougars signed a great class of recruits Wednesday. Ya, surprising. Not. Actually, though, Jake Dickert, reading the transfer tea leaves, went big into the JC ranks. Washington State needs some players that can contribute next season. Colton Clark has more in this story. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, we have signing news to share from every school. Instead of trying to get cute, we’ll just throw the links out there. Stories covering the Washington Huskies, the Oregon Ducks – who flipped a bunch of recruits on signing day – and Oregon State Beavers. Stories about the Utah Utes, the Colorado Buffaloes, the Stanford Cardinal and the California Golden Bears. Stories with the news concerning the UCLA Bruins, the USC Trojans, the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats. Yep, every school in the conference had an outstanding recruiting haul. A national title must just be right around the corner. … Some USC players will not be available for the Cotton Bowl. … In basketball news, Jon Wilner in the Mercury News ranks the best of the west while he also shares a Pac-12 women’s basketball power ranking. … Washington was part of a lackluster day for the conference, losing to 23rd-ranked Auburn. … Arizona State got run out of the gym by USF. … Oregon State got past Denver. … Tod Boyle has won more games than any Colorado men’s basketball coach. … No. 20 TCU handed Utah a home loss. … California picked up its first win of the season. … UCLA won an early afternoon game over UC Davis. … USC handled Colorado State in Phoenix. … Arizona is happy to be past the whole NCAA investigation uncertainty. Now the Wildcats play Morgan State.

Gonzaga: The women finished the nonconference portion of their schedule last night with a hard-fought 82-67 win over visiting Montana. Jim Allen was at the Kennel and has this story. … Jim Meehan not only rewinds Tuesday’s win over Montana he also has a progress report about the season thus far, all in one story. … Elsewhere in the WCC, USF blew out Arizona State. … Steve Lavin is bringing some recognition for San Diego. … Saint Mary’s handled Wyoming easily.

EWU: The Eagles put together a recruiting class (these days, that also includes transfers) who are expected to help right away. But with four quarterbacks coming in, there has to be at least a couple of players who will be watching. Dan Thompson has more in this story. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana and Montana State attracted attractive football signing classes. … The Griz are losing an assistant. … Weber State named assistant Mickey Mental head football coach Tuesday and introduced him Wednesday. … In basketball news, Sacramento State lost to Cal State Fullerton.

Idaho: The Vandals went for quantity and, hopefully for Jason Eck, quality as well in their class. UI added 39 players in this year’s group. Peter Harriman has the story. … The basketball team went to Southern California – where it had to be warmer – but lost to host Long Beach State 82-75.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Wednesday’s prep action.

Seahawks: With Tyler Lockett out, all eyes, including those of Kansas City’s defensive coordinator, have to be on DK Metcalf. Is he up to the task? … Franco Harris, who died Wednesday at 72, had a brief stint in Seattle. … Pro Bowl picks are out. For the 12th consecutive season the Hawks have three or more selections. … Will Kenneth Walker III play? No one knows. … Geno Smith’s tight spirals are admired by many.

Mariners: More questions, and answers, about the upcoming season and roster.

Kraken: Seattle seems to have figured some things out just in time for a tough stretch.

Sounders: The Sounders passed along their top pick for allocation money – is a big signing coming soon? – and then passed on a UW player in the next round.

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• We always take Christmas Day off. And we will again this year. But we’ve also decided to take Saturday as well. We need to rest up for our big night. We’re filling in for Saint Nick this year. He searched the world for someone who could fit his costume and we were the only choice. It’s quite an honor. And comes with a great perk. Unlimited cocoa and fudge for the entire trip. Sweet. Until later …