A Grip on Sports: There are weekends that challenge the best of us in many varied ways

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Life, like golf, is full of traps. Little ones that are hidden as you look down the fairways. Big ones that loom in the distances, seemingly easily avoidable but snag you just the same. Such are our thoughts on this Friday.

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• No reason, except we love the way Wright Thompson writes (and talks) and we wanted to mimic him in some way this morning. The highest form of flattery, right? We wonder, though, how even someone with his talent – on display daily with ESPN’s Masters coverage – would handle this space on a Friday in early April.

We are, in a way, between seasons. College basketball is over and the NBA hasn’t begun its playoffs just yet. The NHL playoffs also loom. Baseball’s season-opening glow has worn off and we’re beginning the long trek until the legends revealed in fall. Sure, the Masters is on, and that will fill the weekend – if you are a golf fan – but there is little else of consequence to focus upon.

Heck, with rain in the forecast around these parts, it might even be difficult to plan yard work with any certainty. That’s a competitive sport in your neighborhood too, right?

With the forecast what it is – TV and weather – we’ve tried to mine some gems for you.

The M’s are in Cleveland in what may be a key series come October. The Guardians won three of four in Seattle, which means the Mariners must win all three to hold a tiebreaker come the postseason. That could matter in the wild-card race, which seems so distant as to be hidden from view.

Sort of like that fairway trap on 16 we couldn’t get out of last summer. The game times vary but all three are day games and all are on Root.

Basketball has a buried treasure Saturday as well. Really buried. The Nike Hoop Summit in Portland is available for watching – if you can access NBATV. The men’s game, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., features two players with local ties. Lake City High’s Blake Buchanan will be the first player from the state to appear in the international competition, making a short stop before he heads off to Virginia this summer. And Gonzaga recruit Alex Toohey, a 6-foot-7 forward from Australia, is part of the international team.

• Our long NHL playoff drought is finally over. The regional team, after experiencing an interminable stretch without reaching the postseason, clinched a spot Thursday night with its win over Arizona.

A whole season went by without Seattle appearing in the playoffs. At least, that’s one way to look at it. The other way? Well, it’s been forever. Figuratively. After all, Seattle held Lord Stanley’s Cup in its possession in 1917. But the Metropolitans are no more and the NHL franchise declined to pursue the nickname for whatever reason.

It’s the Kraken now and they will be carrying the region’s banner into the postseason in only their second year. It took the M’s almost two decades, while the Seahawks and SuperSonics took eight years to reach that level.

We’re guessing tickets will be available but they’ll cost the equivalent of a month’s rent for an apartment in Bellevue.

• An intriguing name is entering basketball’s transfer portal. Ryan Nembhard, who we last saw being cited for an iffy foul at the end of Creighton’s loss to San Diego State in the NCAA tourney, is leaving the Bluejays.

The name is intriguing because the 6-foot point guard’s older brother, Andrew, was a key contributor on two highly successful Gonzaga teams and is enjoying considerable success in his NBA rookie season. The elder Nembhard also transferred into GU, leaving Florida and heading north.

Will history repeat? No matter if it does or not, Nembhard’s decision adds a layer to the transfer portal interest the next couple weeks.

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WSU: Speaking of interest, after Thursday’s practice, the Cougars’ eighth of the spring, Colton Clark shared some thoughts about the receiving positions. He examines the options both inside and out after all the offseason changes in Pullman. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and nationally in football, every school uses the transfer portal these days. Washington focuses on filling holes created by recruiting misses. … Jon Wilner has his Friday mailbag in the Mercury News. As has been the case lately, he covers the media rights news. … Oregon has to rebuild its offensive line. … Spring at Oregon State is about players taking on bigger roles. … Colorado’s defense is going to be improved, though one star will play both ways. … The newest Utah defensive player transferred because he liked the fit in Salt Lake City better. … A Colorado player was headed home to California and stopped to take a look at the Utes. … A transfer has caught Chip Kelly’s eye at UCLA. … Another defensive back has shined this spring for USC. … Arizona State has a healthy defensive lineman ready to make an impact. … Arizona is through 11 spring practices. … In basketball news, can Utah build a Final Four caliber team following this season’s template? … Jaime Jaquez Jr. is leaving UCLA as expected. … On the women’s side, what happened with Haley Jones’ draft stock. The Stanford star may not be a WNBA lottery pick.

Gonzaga: We linked Jim Meehan’s story about Ryan Nembhard above and do it again here.

Idaho: The Vandals will have two new head basketball coaches in the fall. The women’s position came open yesterday when the school fired longtime coach Jon Newlee after a second consecutive losing season. The men’s position was recently filled by Alex Pribble. Peter Harriman has the story on Newlee’s surprising departure. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the rosters at Montana State have been in a state of flux in women’s and men’s basketball. … Practice is over but Montana still has its spring scrimmage to finish. … Idaho State wants to build its reputation on the offensive line. … Northern Colorado has a new offensive coordinator.

Preps: Justin Reed introduces us this morning to West Valley goalkeeper Jasper Marsh, who has rediscovered his passion for the game.

Indians: We didn’t pass along information about attending games in Spokane this weekend because the Indians won’t be here. They’ll open the Northwest League season in Vancouver. The home opener comes Tuesday night at Avista. Dave Nichols fills in any other gaps with this story.

UFC: The best-known Spokane UFC fighter? More than likely that is Michael Chiesa, who has been in the spotlight for years. Injuries, however, has kept him out of the cage for a couple years. He’s filled the time with some broadcast work. Charlotte McKinley caught up with Chiesa recently for this story.

Mariners: We mentioned the stakes this weekend earlier. But no matter what, patience may be needed before the season turns around.

Seahawks: New safety Julian Love thinks he’s found the perfect fit for his talents. … The defense Seattle plays will be different than what Bobby Wagner remembers.

Kraken: The 4-2 win came before a charged-up crowd at Climate Pledge Arena. Now Seattle can set its sights on the next phase of the season.

Masters: The weather was perfect in Augusta on Thursday. It seems pretty nice this morning as well. But it will change. As will the leaderboard. … Phil Michelson may not be in the news for his golfing success lately but he’s still in the news often.

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• Hopefully, we didn’t fall into any traps today. With the way our game is, getting out is mostly luck. No, we’re not talking about golf, though that too. Until later …