A Grip on Sports: The first full weekend of the football season ends tonight with a grudge match

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We’re not sure when the word “takeaways” became a thing but it certainly is now. As in, “we have takeaways from the weekend’s games.” Do we? Heck yes. But we also have lookaheads – is that a thing too? – to tonight’s Seahawks’ game.

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• Before we go delve into any other football, we want to that the powers that be once again for the RedZone Channel. We realize it isn’t world shattering but on our ballot of greatest inventions ever, it is in the top 25. Probably somewhere in the middle, a couple spots behind doughnuts.

We didn’t realize how much we cared about the Falcons game with New Orleans until we kept seeing it in a double-box yesterday. In the end, Atlanta did Atlanta things. As did Scott Hansen, the RedZone’s indefatigable host.

By the way, our son invented a fun game. Every time he saw some unknown backup linebacker make a play, he would utter the words “he’s better than Nick Bellore.” He must have said it a dozen times. And was never wrong once.

• We were so enthralled with the first Sunday of the Zone, we sort of forgot about the Mariners. Though, while out shopping for the supplies needed for our chili verde – tonight’s Denver-centric meal – we did listen to the radio broadcast praise Marco Gonzales’ effort as if it was the second-coming of Felix Hernandez’s perfect game.

We then watched a couple innings after we got home, realized the M’s were in control and lost contact during the commercials. Until we checked our phone and saw what the Braves had done in the top of the ninth. (Insert bad words here.)

Being a bit masochistic, we turned it on again. And railed against Sam Haggerty’s decision to bunt. But that was the end of the “we’re ticked off” segment of the day. By the time Eugenio Suarez was stomping on home plate – giving Seattle the type of win that propels a late playoff run – we were in full celebration mode.

• Speaking of celebrations, they probably continued for a while yesterday in Pullman. A win like Saturday’s will do that for a program. But by the end of the day we’re pretty sure everyone had realized the sobering thought there is a lot to work on. And a game coming up against Colorado State that seems to fit the trap-game bill near perfectly.

A big win in the rearview mirror. Everyone jumping on the bandwagon. The hated Oregon Ducks coming to town in a week. Yep, the perfect trap-game scenario.

Time to get back to work.

• Work tonight will be eating the aforementioned chili – Tums are somewhere on our list of great inventions as well – and hoping the Hawks keep the game close. After all, they have to defend their position as NFC West leaders, right? No matter what happens the rest of the season, at least Seattle spent a day in first place. And it would be just like Russell Wilson to ruin it, like he did that one Super Bowl.

Just kidding. The past nine years were great. Wilson did some phenomenal things, especially when he was young and mobile. Fran Tarkenton-like things, except he actually was the quarterback of a Super Bowl-winning team. He was the face of the franchise, though others deserved to be known as the heart (Bobby Wagner) and soul (the Legion of Boom).

Then Wilson grew old. OK, older. He’s not what he was. The Hawks weren’t good enough to be a Super Bowl contender without his old ability of making something out of nothing. He wanted to be a Super Bowl contender again. Seattle wants to be as well. it wasn’t going to happen together.

A parting of the ways, in hindsight, was inevitable. And leaves us with tonight’s game.

If we were sitting in Lumen Field’s upper deck tonight, we would give the guy a standing ovation when he took the field for warmups. Acknowledge his contributions and accomplishments. Say thanks for the wins, the charities, the hospital visits. And then never stop making as much noise as possible in an attempt to make his return a miserable experience for him and his new team. That’s sports.

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WSU: Yes, Colton Clark has a final look at the 17-14 win in Madison. That’s what he does. But there is more today. Jacob Thorpe, who spent a couple years in Pullman for the Review, has a column about Jake Dickert’s team. And how it is different. … The Athletic picked Saturday to do a you-are-there story on Wisconsin’s radio play-by-play man. It’s worth reading. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner anoints Washington State his team of the week in the Mercury News. He also voted them into his top 25, though most didn’t. … By the way, Dickert is already making lists of names to bandy about when there is an opening, like there is at Nebraska. … John Canzano also celebrates the Cougar win. … Washington will welcome No. 11 Michigan State to Husky Stadium on Saturday. The Huskies are on a roll. … Utah scored 73 points, won handily and dropped a spot in the polls. That was because Florida lost Saturday. … Oregon is back in the top 25 after the win over EWU. The Ducks face 12th-ranked BYU this Saturday in Eugene. … The top-ranked Pac-12 school? That would be USC. The Trojans are seventh and host Fresno State on Saturday night. … Dumping Clay Helton improved USC and gave Helton a better opportunity to succeed. … Oregon State’s win didn’t lift the Beavers into the top 25 but they are receiving votes…. UCLA is not even getting that recognition. … Colorado is in trouble. … If they don’t improve, so are the Sun Devils. … There are takeaways to be had from Arizona’s home loss to Mississippi State.

Gonzaga: Julian Strawther, Hunter Sallis and Nolan Hickman as the most intriguing players on the Bulldogs’ roster? We will allow it. Even if our choice would be Anton Watson.

EWU: We wondered where the heck Kendrick Bourne was early Sunday. Turned out the Patriots didn’t use him until the second half. He leads off the S-R’s look at local players in the NFL. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Weber State was extra motivated against Utah State. … Idaho State had some issues with San Diego State. … Northern Colorado’s grades were better than the final score. … Montana’s defense is really good. The other aspects need improvement.

Indians: The season is over. Done. Finished. No more nights at Avista. No more worrying about who is headed up the ladder. No more wondering if the smoke will ever clear out. No more baseball. Now we can worry about the stadium and whether there is the political will in an election year to bring the darn thing up to MLB’s standards. That’s the game Spokane really needs to win. Yesterday’s season finale? The Indians lost that, 4-3 in Pasco. Dave Nichols has the final game story of a season in which Spokane finished 64-66.

Seahawks: We shared our thoughts on tonight’s game. Dave Boling has his. He’s a bit more connected, so trust him. … The focus tonight will be on Wilson, Pete Carroll and the game itself. Probably in that order. … Lest we forget, the Hawks received a couple players for Wilson. They also face their former team tonight.

Mariners: The Julio Rodriguez ninth-inning, game-tying home run was a rocket. Suarez’s was more of a dud, but it did get over the fence. And that’s all that mattered. … Despite his ill-advised bunt, Haggerty is making the case he should be in left field most days.

Storm: Is Sue Bird retired yet? As a basketball player, yes. As someone with a social conscience, probably not.

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• See you Wednesday from somewhere on the Oregon coast. It’s time, now that school is back in session and the prime vacation spots have cleared out some, to hit the road. Time to enjoy our free time. We’ll brew a cup of coffee, take the laptop out on the deck and run down stories for everyone. The venue may be different, the outcome won’t be. But before we can do that, we have to get where we are headed. That’s why there won’t be a column tomorrow. We’re pulling out of Dodge early so we can take our time. When you’re our age (or if you already are), you’ll understand the “take our time” narrative. Until later …