A Grip on Sports: Odd times, odd places but the same old crowded weekend for sports fans

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Like everyone else in America, we enjoying looking forward to the weekend on Friday. There’s a comfort to knowing the next 48 to 72 hours is filled with sporting events. This weekend, though, some of the most-anticipated ones are scheduled for odd times – and places.

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• By the time those of you who read this in The Chronicle, Gonzaga’s basketball game with Michigan State will have been decided. It tips at a weird 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) on a holiday Friday.

So, those reading this column this evening will know whether or not the Zags’ first big test of the season turned out to be positive or negative. But even without knowing the outcome, we do know a few things.

A Veteran’s Day – thanks dad, now and forever – game on an aircraft carrier is really cool, even if it may not always produce artistic basketball. Playing outdoors in San Diego in November is preferable to playing outdoors in Spokane or East Lansing at this time. And the Spartans/Bulldogs mini-rivalry is just another reason why college basketball is so fun.

We’re also assuming as we write this neither team shot very well from beyond the 3-point line. When there were carrier games in 2011-2012, the four men’s teams playing in the two full games combined to shoot 8-of-54 from beyond the arc. That rivals the awful outside shooting you see on Sprague on the Sunday morning of Hoopfest.

The Zags haven’t shown a propensity to light it up beyond the arc in its exhibitions or games thus far, so not being able to put a pea in San Diego Bay might not bother them that much. Especially if Drew Timme does Drew Timme type of things down low. Then again, without the threat of the 3-point shot, Timme might not find space to maneuver.

Whatever happens on the court, however, what rival the goosebumps we will feel as the national anthem is played. And that’s why this game is special.

• Speaking of weird times, the Cougars are playing another mid-afternoon game tomorrow. Yep, a 12:30 p.m. kickoff in Pullman against Arizona State on the Pac-12 Networks.

What ever happened to Pac-12 After Dark? Is that not a thing for WSU anymore? Not that we are complaining, mind you. But we do feel for those of you who want to attend in person. The tailgating is limited to breakfast, right? And the adult beverage of choice has to be a Bloody Mary. The Busch Lite will have to wait until the postgame.

Driving U.S. Highway 195 in the morning hours can be a bit slippery. But, to be fair, it’s better than driving home at 1 a.m.

• The early nature of the WSU game allows all you Cougar fans who double as 12s on Sunday the opportunity to get some sleep. As opposed to, say, Oregon State fans who will have to stay up after 9 (Pac-12 Networks) to see if their team can get past California. Who are we kidding? That’s a given. The only game in Oregon tomorrow that is up for grabs will be in Eugene. And it starts at 4 (Fox). Even if the Huskies and Ducks battle for four hours, their followers could be well rested when the Seahawks kickoff in Germany. Then again, the losers will be hungover from drowning their sorrow and the winners from celebrating. Such is the way of rivalry college football games.

• That the Seahawks’ game starts at 6:30 (NFL Network) in the morning is one of those good/bad things. The bad part is obvious. You have to get up darn early to watch. Plus, breakfast is the only real meal to eat during the game. The good news is more subtle. The rest of the NFL Sunday is all yours.

Nap, sure. Watch a bunch of RedZone, of course. Root for Dallas and Green Bay to both lose, somehow? A given.

All made possible by the game against Tampa Bay being in Munich.

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WSU: If there is any one Cougar player who has made bigger strides this season than cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, they aren’t on defense. The third-year player has taken a huge jump, as Colton Clark documents in this story. … The Sun Devils will probably enjoy the weather. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner has a weekend preview in the Mercury News. … Washington’s rivalry with Oregon has changed over the years. But then again, so has college athletics. Transfer quarterbacks lead both teams. … Oregon State shouldn’t have much trouble with the Bears. … The weekend begins tonight in Los Angeles as USC hosts an overmatched Colorado squad. The Trojans need to get better tonight against a Buffalo group that has struggled. … UCLA hosts Arizona tomorrow night, hoping to stay healthy and earn another victory. … Same with Utah as the Utes host a struggling Stanford squad. … In basketball news, the Stanford men’s season doesn’t have the anticipation level of the women’s. … Wilner has his power rankings of the men’s teams. … Colorado is at Grambling State. … People have low expectations for Utah. … Last night, Arizona State topped Northern Arizona. … USC powered past Alabama State.

Gonzaga: Yes, the Zags face Michigan State on today’s Veteran Day holiday. Theo Lawson has a preview and the key matchup. But considering the holiday, it’s appropriate there are a couple stories with military themes. Theo has one on Malachi Smith’s background, which includes a mother who served. And Jim Meehan catches up with former Gonzaga staff member Doug Wojcik, who served in the Navy after playing at the Academy. … The women’s opened the season for real last night, hosting Long Beach State. Jim Allen was in McCarthey and has this game story on the 80-54 victory. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Thursday was a really good night for the conference’s Bay Area schools. All three won. … BYU has a tough assignment: San Diego State.

EWU: Montana may be ranked 16th while Eastern is miles away from the rankings anymore, but the Griz expect a battle from the Eagles. Dan Thompson has all the details in this preview. … Dave Cook has an update on how the Eagles in the CFL are faring in the playoffs. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana has a team barber who hopes to slice up Eastern. … Montana State’s defense needs to play a bit better. … Northern Colorado is ready to host Northern Arizona. … In basketball news, Weber State picked up an easy win. So did Idaho State.

Idaho: The Vandals are doing just fine offensively this season. Actually, they are really good. Peter Harriman tries to explain how good prior to their game this Saturday against surging UC Davis in the Kibbie Dome. … The basketball team routed Walla Walla 122-48 last night. Peter has that story as well.

Preps: It’s a State football weekend and Dave Nichols has a preview of all the games featuring local schools. … Dave also has a roundup of yesterday’s State 2B and 1B volleyball tournament.

Chiefs: Spokane, mired in a tough period, made a trade yesterday.

Mariners: Julio Rodriguez won his first Silver Slugger award. … A bunch of Seattle players had surgery already.

Seahawks: Just like the NFL. The Hawks wanted to do something fun but the league wasn’t having it. Rules are rules you know. … It should be wild and crazy in the stadium. At least the Seahawks hope so. … They will have fans there, though one of the biggest is no longer with us. … There is a lot to watch. … The Hawks have embraced this trip. … Russell Wilson still casts a giant shadow.

Sounders: And expansion draft is coming and Seattle could lose one of nine players.

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• We’re not doing TV Takes on the Gonzaga games this season. Maybe in the NCAAs but not during the regular season. We have other basketball responsibilities that will take up too much of our time. We’ll talk about them at some point. Until later …