A Grip on Sports: If it weren’t for the Mariners, this weekend would go down as one of the worst all-time
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Can we have a do-over on this weekend? What a crummy one. Unless, of course, you only care about the Mariners. And, then, it’s party-on Garth.
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• It rained in these parts overnight. During the U.S. women’s first World Cup defeat in over a decade, in fact. Foreshadowing? Heck no. Foreshadowing has been what’s been showing up on our TVs since the tournament began. The rain was just a meteorological phenomenon.
Either way, the U.S. loss, in penalty kicks that included three American players not even putting their shots on frame, was a long time coming. Disappointing – especially for Fox – sure, but you could see it coming like a UPS truck hurtling down Interstate 90 outside Ritzville. Funny thing. Brown is the color we probably will associate with this team’s performance Down Under.
Another funny thing. The loss, as devastating as it is for fans of the team, it doesn’t even come close to reaching the level of devastation piled on West Coast college athletics in the past 48 hours.
The women can bounce back. And will. Next summer’s Olympics. The 2027 World Cup.
The Pac-12? Bouncing back will take an effort unseen in these parts since the early 1960s.
Before Washington State and Oregon State can salvage something, the two Northwest schools will have to find out if their Bay Area brethren even want to stay connected. There is some thought the Cardinal were a significant stumbling block over the years as first Larry Scott and then George Kliavkoff tried to expand the Pac-12’s footprint with a growth strategy. The Cabernet Sauvignon-drinking folks at Stanford and, to a lesser degree, California, didn’t want to associate with the beer-swilling riff-raff available.
If that is true, then some self-reflection will have to occur before the Pac-4 can become whole once more.
No options, as identified in this San Diego Union-Tribune story, are perfect. But somehow the remaining members and the Mountain West will have to make common cause to not just thrive, but in the long-term outlook most subscribe to, survive. Changes in college athletics aren’t going to stop. Anticipating them, preparing for them, being proactive, not reactive, is job one for the remaining quartet.
Can they do that? If you have a modicum of hope for the conference’s future, you should be rooting for them.
• Many of you had a modicum of hope for the Mariners’ future, even when they were 50-50 after 100 games. We’re not waxing metaphoric here. After 100 games, the M’s had 50 wins and 50 losses. Then something changed. What it is, we’re not exactly clear, but this morning the standings show them to be 59-52. That puts them 2.5 games behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Houston, the two current American League wild-card placeholders just above them.
More importantly, they have leapfrogged the Angels, the Red Sox and the Yankees recently, and have assumed the role of frontrunner in the chase to run down the Jays.
As for the West, they trail Texas by six games, which seems like a lot but really isn’t with 51 games remaining.
Especially if they continue to pitch like they have. The starters have been good to great – though a lights-out Luis Castillo returning would be welcome instead of the guy wearing his uniform lately, serving up hanging sliders and long home runs. The bullpen is going to give everyone ulcers – case in point, Andres Munoz in last night’s hang-on 3-2 win in Anaheim – but it is getting the job done.
Even the hitting, maligned all season (rightfully so) has been a bit better. It hasn’t been one player – Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suarez have heated up – but more of a group effort, with a different name popping up on the highlights most nights.
Who would have thought, when Jerry Dipoto tried to rationalize his trade-deadline decisions, this team would finally start to meet expectations as those expectations dissipated? And who would have thought we would be basing our chances for a little joy this weekend on a team we’ve grinded our teeth over for months?
No matter. We’ll take what we have. And run with it.
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WSU: What the Cougars have right now is a chance to get ready for the final Pac-12 season as we know it. The defense will have to step up for the team to compete and, as Greg Woods tells us, it did that yesterday at practice. … Jacob Thorpe brought his hammer today. And nailed the truth about college football perfectly. What’s happening isn’t bringing security to anyone. It’s just hastening the end of it for many, many schools – including the ones who may think they are safe. … The L.A. Times has a story on linebacker Daiyan Henley. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, how do you know which former Pac-12 presidents are lying? You don’t. Arizona State president Michael Crow said yesterday two schools were not on the conference’s call Friday to decide the future. He implied they were Washington and Oregon. Only then did ASU and Arizona decide to talk to the Big 12 about joining. Yet, UW’s president Ana Mari Cauce spoke of hearing the final deal available and then making a decision to join the Big Ten after. There seems to be some disconnect. Bottom line? All of them, and Utah, are leaving in 2024. And it still doesn’t feel right. … If you need a history lesson, Jon Wilner supplies one this morning in the Mercury News. So does Stewart Mandel in The Athletic. Then there are the expected winner/loser columns as well as those who feel the move, especially for UW and Oregon, won’t turn out to be the lifeboat they expect. … It is, however, every school for themselves and Oregon will tell you it did what’s best for the school. We’ll see if that proves to be true. … Will the rivalry games between the Ducks and Oregon State continue? … Colorado knows it found a soft landing by jumping early. And now the Buffs expect to win some football games. … How quickly can Cam Rising bounce back to lead Utah? … UCLA’s quarterback battle is more of a four-way one. … USC will continue to have to deal with Oregon on the recruiting trail. … Did you know Arizona State and Arizona had a legacy of success in the Pac-12? Me neither. Though ASU’s enrollment has risen substantially since joining. The Wildcats did win a national basketball title but never earned a Rose Bowl berth in more than 40 years. … In basketball news, UCLA added another highly sought-after foreign player. … The fallout from the conference’s demise might hit hardest on women’s sports at Stanford and California. Few care, however. Football is king.
Gonzaga: Let’s cleanse the palate, shall we? Gonzaga may end up someplace new someday but for now it’s all about next season. A season of change. The post-Drew Timme era. The main holdover, Anton Watson, recently covered a wide range of topics with Jim Meehan, which results in this story.
EWU: Around the Big Sky, as Montana begins practice Monday for another season, the FCS level seems an oasis of calm in the realignment storm. … There is more to college athletics than just playing sports.
Indians: After three losses, Spokane finally picked up another win in Everett. Dave Nichols has the coverage.
Mariners: Seattle has won four consecutive games and go for a sweep in Anaheim this afternoon. … Strikeouts keep rising. But so have the hard-hit balls. It’s a wash. Or not. The M’s are 20-10 since July 1. … Yes, Shohei Ohtani is going to require a record-high salary in free agency. But do historical statistics show the risk worth it? Nope. But if you have unlimited funds like some teams, the cost shouldn’t matter.
Seahawks: Camp is a week old. There have been revelations, good and bad. Bob Condotta looks at them today. … The defense, led by Boye Mafe, has taken some strides recently.
Storm: Seattle rallied from a halftime deficit to overcome the visiting Mercury on Saturday.
World Cup: We welcomed you to this column mentioning the women’s quickest exit from a World Cup. They also went through their worst scoring drought ever. And then had three players not even put their penalty kicks on frame in the loss to Sweden. Changes are coming.
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• We leave you this Sunday morning with one more story. Two, actually. Howie Stalwick takes a look at the best pro stars to come out of the region as well as the best Olympians, postseason heroes and more. Until later …