A Grip on Sports: For some reason even the NFL’s only-matter-if-someone-is-injured exhibition games will still dominate the TV scene this weekend

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you are a fan of football games that a) can end in a tie score or 2) are remembered most for who was injured or III) hearing voices of broadcasters you’ve never experienced before, then this weekend’s sports TV slate is for you. Everyone else? You better be a big-time gambler or a baseball fan. That’s about the only folks who will be excited about the schedule.

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• Sports that are available to watch every day this weekend? Well, there is auto racing. Soccer. WNBA basketball. Baseball, of course – Tampa is in Seattle, with all three games on Root. Golf. And the NFL, which is a league and not a sport, but who’s counting? The games certainly don’t.

It’s that sort of weekend. Nothing of huge importance.

Even the PGA, in the first throes of its end-of-year postseason playoffs, is holding a tournament that doesn’t count for the those at the top of its food chain. Rory McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world, isn’t part of the field in Memphis but he’ll still move on to the next round. That’s how screwed up the whole FedEx Cup format is.

McIlroy is missing this weekend because he’s either too worn out playing 15 weekends this season – his stated reason – or because he’s about to defect to the LIV Tour – the rumored explanation. Maybe it’s just because he’s tired of receiving those address labels in the mail from St. Jude’s, this week’s sponsor, and felt if he skipped they would lose his address. Good luck with that.

There is, however, a few can’t-miss events this weekend. It’s just there is never anyway I’m putting the six NFL preseason exhibition games in that category.

Last night’s result in Seattle – a tie at 23 between the visiting Raiders and the Seahawks – just cemented the stupidity of folks having to pay full-freight to watch a bunch of backups play.

If the game was about helping teams get ready for the season, there would have been overtime. After all, regular-season games have overtime. If you want your team prepared, why not practice it? Instead, the horn sounded, everyone shook hands and Pete Carroll got to walk off Lumen Field one more time without a loss.

Our importance rank for the weekend? The M’s games (tonight, 6:40, Saturday, 6:30, Sunday, 1:10); any Little League regional final (the best is tonight between Washington and Oregon, 4 p.m. ESPN); either of the Storm’s two games (tonight at Las Vegas, 7 p.m., Ion, and Sunday at Los Angeles, 5 p.m., ABC); the Reign playing at archrival Portland on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS); and the Sounders visiting the L.A. Galaxy in a Sunday MLS match (7 p.m., FS1).

• I watched some of the Hawks’ glorified scrimmage Thursday night.

Paid attention to the pregame social media posts, mainly because I wanted to see the reaction to Carroll and Geno Smith. The first drives for both teams seemed a must. And then I moved on to other, more crucial things like walking the dog and emptying the cat box.

I must admit, though, when I became aware the game was coming down to the wire, I fell for the trap. Watched the last couple minutes. And laughed more over the outcome, and how it occurred, than I did a bit later when I stumbled on a COVID-era Nate Bargatze special on Netflix.

A tie in this economy? Come on.

• The best ending of the day? That would have to be the M’s game. And not just because Dominic Canzone came through with his first career walk-off hit. The 4-3 victory was actually made possible by Jackson Kowar in the top of the inning.

The way baseball starts regular season games gives the visiting team a bit of a pressure advantage. Execute, get the automatic runner home from second and the home team is behind the 8-ball a bit.

Kowar didn’t let that happen. And he did it with flair, just blowing down the White Sox hitters with overpowering stuff. Considering he was the penultimate pitcher left in the bullpen, it was an even more-impressive performance.

This is Kowar’s first season with Seattle after three less-than-stellar seasons in Kansas City. He spent last season and the first part of this one recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He was solid in less-than high leverage situations throughout June and July, but was sent to Tacoma last week. Then Trent Thornton tore his Achilles and Kowar was back in two days.

The Sox hit him hard Tuesday in his first appearance back, but Thursday he threw nine strikes in his 11 pitches and Chicago did nothing.

The M’s will need him to be that Jackson Kowar down the stretch.

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WSU: I swear, there must be some sort of how-to-cover-college-football playbook that is available these days. It was never around when I was doing the job. I just stumbled into whatever it was I covering on any given day. How do I know? Keep reading through the links. They start with the subject of Greg Woods’ Cougar coverage this morning. The battle on the offensive line. Who is doing well, who isn’t and who just may start. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner is back and he has a column covering the changes needed in college football’s calendar. … The court battles between the Mountain West and its departing members took another turn Thursday. Three of the Pac-12 bound schools – Fresno State and San Diego State can’t be part of the litigation due to another Cal State school (San Jose State) is in the conference – amended their lawsuit to include issues with Grand Canyon joining a year earlier than planned. And NCAA money not being sent their way. … Stanford and Cal are stuck together, for good and bad, no matter what happens in the future. … Stanford’s financial issues are covered by John Canzano today. … On the field? Well, the coverage of Washington’s practice includes discussion about, wait for it, the offensive line. … The coverage of Oregon State? Guess what. Offensive line play is a big part of it. … Oregon is back in the national title picture. … Colorado’s new indoor practice facility must have been built Ford tough. Or something like that. The Buffs’ d-line is trying to show it has been built that way as well. … USC’s starting quarterback is trying to add to his game. … UCLA’s is trying to connect with his receivers. … Connections between teammates are always good things. … Arizona State has a couple Purdue transfers it is counting on. … There is competition for the punting and kicking spots at Arizona. … Boise State is trying to figure out its backup quarterback spot. … Should Colorado State extend the contract of coach Jay Norvell now? Or wait? … Utah State hired a new administrator. … Old or soon-to-be Pac-12 schools were involved in five of the games in this list of the top 25 football contests of the quarter-century. Two of the top three in fact had Pac-12 connections.

Gonzaga: If it seems as if it’s been forever sine Jeremy Jones played for the Zags, it sort of has. It was pre-COVID, if that helps. Anyhow, Theo Lawson tells us Jones is still playing and still trying to latch on to an elusive NBA spot. … Elsewhere in the WCC, there was a time when USF was the best team in college hoops. One of the Dons smaller players from that mid-1950s group has died.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Montana has to answer at least five big questions before the football season starts. … Recruiting never stops. And started earlier than usual for Idaho State. … Northern Arizona is a week into preseason practice. … The last time Portland State served as BYU’s opening game, it was tighter than anyone expected. … Sacramento State took practice on the road Thursday.

Indians: If Spokane is playing these days, it is expected the game will be a pitchers’ duel. It was again last night in Eugene, a duel the Emeralds won in the 10th. Dave Nichols has the coverage of their 4-3 victory.

Mariners: We mentioned the M’s walk-off win above. And linked the game story. We do so again here. And mention Seattle is just 1.5 games behind the Astros in the A.L. West. … One lowlight from Thursday? Josh Naylor, the M’s best base-stealing threat, left the game with a sore shoulder. … The Athletic rated the best bullpens in baseball. The No. 1? Seattle’s. That’s interesting mainly because it is obvious the M’s are at least two pitchers short there. Maybe one, if Kowar is consistently what he was yesterday. … Cole Young is settling in nicely, thank you. 

Seahawks: Yes, Geno and Pete were in town. Fun. But there were a few players trying to make an impression. Jalen Milroe for one. How did the rookie quarterback do? … It’s not college but offensive line play is part of the coverage from last night as well. Grey Zabel’s play in particular. … Marshawn Lynch was on the sidelines with a camera last night. He went Beast Mode at one point to protect it.

Storm: If Brittney Sykes is worth the cost, then she starts to show it tonight. … If you wondered why I’ve ignored the objects thrown on courts recently, here is why. I suspected it was a publicity stunt for someone.

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• Not sure what all is on my agenda this weekend, except for one chore. I have a project I have undertaken, one that has bedeviled the Grippi family for a long time. Cleaning out a couple of basement storage spots. It’s a dangerous assignment. Why? Because Kim is out of town. And I may just toss something I shouldn’t. But what is life if you don’t push the envelope now and then? Did we not learn anything from Chuck Yeager? Until later …