A Grip on Sports: There are times when song lyrics are right on the money even when you are on the run

A GRIP ON SPORTS • What would you say to a day without a lot about sports? If we spent this fine Tuesday chatting about music or politics or something entirely different? Yes to the first, no to the second and, if it includes the M’s or basketball, sure. That would be our answer, though it defeats our stated purpose.

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• Actually, we’re afraid we’re getting a bit loopy. The endless heat will do that, right? That and rock and roll.

This time some 50 years ago, the smart kids in our high school began thinking about the 1974 Alvernian, our year book. It needed a theme. And Pink Floyd was there.

“The Dark Side of the Moon” was released on March 1, 1973. A seminal rock and roll album. Teenage angst and all that. Included in the British band’s wailing was one song that hit home to us: “Time.”

It spoke of wasted minutes. And lack of direction.

“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way”

Perfect. Except …

“You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.”

It was a commencement speech written by those in the audience. Aimed at the person sitting next to them. If they were smart enough to understand it.

Don’t wait. As Robin Williams would say 15 years later, carpe diem. Hopefully, the class of ’74 did.

• Speaking of wasting time, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the 2023 Seattle Mariners. Seven games shy of 100 into the season, the M’s are one game to the good side of .500. And yet they are just 4.5 games out of a wild card spot, with two American League East teams and the hated Astros between them and another postseason berth.

That’s the positive spin. Want more? OK. How about they rallied last night and took a one-run decision against the A.L. Central-leading Twins? Sounds good, right?

Sure, if you ignore the slow start and the bullpen almost coughing up a four-run edge in the ninth.

• One of our favorite Cougar basketball players the past 20 years is Aron Baynes. Not for what he did in Pullman, though he was a big dude who dominated around the basket during a time when the Pac-12 had a lot of really good players inside. Nor was it because his dad could drink more beer than just about anyone we ever met.

What always impressed us about Baynes was how he made himself into an NBA player after he left Pullman. He just kept working, embraced his strengths, improved his weaknesses and became an integral part of the Spurs, Celtics and Suns over a nine-year career.

It’s a roadmap we believe Gonzaga’s Filip Petrusev has followed, even if Petrusev started in a bit different place. Whereas Baynes, an Australian, spent four years in Pullman, Petrusev, from Serbia, left GU early and went back to Europe to play. And develop.

Now, four years removed from Gonzaga, the former WCC player of the year is taking a real shot at the NBA. He signed a contract with Philadelphia this week. Is this his moment?

We’re sure of one thing. Petrusev hasn’t been frittering away the hours in an offhand way since leaving Spokane. He’s been working on his game. It shows. And he showed the 76ers enough to get an extended look in training camp.

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Gonzaga: We mentioned Petrusev above. Theo Lawson has more in this story. … Theo also has this story on another school set to visit Spokane during the non-conference portion of next season, Mississippi Valley State.

WSU: Around the Pac-12 and the nation, Arizona State’s football gamble with Kenny Dillingham has looked good so far. … Colorado gambled a bit with Deion Sanders as well. After a mesmerizing offseason, the Buffs aren’t recruiting 2024 at all. … Cam Rising wants to be back on the field for Utah in its opener. … Now we know for sure UCLA is headed to the Big Ten. The Bruins are paying an assistant football coach a million dollars. … Arizona basketball alum Azuolas Tubelis signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, a former Montana football player has found a home in Nebraska.

Preps: Former Mt. Spokane golfer Megan Billeter earned an academic honor her final year at Western Washington. That news leads off the latest S-R local briefs column.

Baseball: We usually put all baseball-themed stories in the next section, under the Mariners’ label. But Jim Price’s story today on Al Lawson is worth its own section. If only for this line from the San Francisco Examiner from in 1891, the year Lawson spent some time with a Spokane team: “Whoever told him he could pitch has committed a great crime.” Turns out being a failed pitcher is only one aspect of Price’s subject. Don’t miss this story of an American, albeit British-born, original.

Mariners: We also mentioned Seattle’s crooked march to victory Monday night. In the end the M’s picked up an important 7-6 victory. … A group of key farmhands watched Monday’s game from the T-Mobile stands. … A pursuit of a .400 season is supposed to be nerve-wracking. No one tell the Marlins’ Luis Arraez.

Kraken: First-round pick Eduard Sale signed with Seattle yesterday.

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• We were part of the yearbook staff in high school. Not a key part, though. We worked on the athletics section. You know, football, basketball and, well, not much else. Spring sports always got the short end of the stick, thanks to deadlines. And the fact the sports guy was busy with baseball. Until later …