A Grip on Sports: With fireworks behind us, it’s time to look forward to some big summer blasts

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The Fourth is in the rear view. Up ahead? The heat of summer. And all that entails.

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• Not that there hasn’t already been plenty of fire events – is that the right way to use that term? – this summer. Wait. There really haven’t been. No, the Nationals firing their World Series champion general manager and manager Sunday doesn’t apply, though I do know one S-R sports staffer who probably would disagree.

Summer’s big events are still to come.

Wimbledon’s dénouement is the first one, if you are an American. Or love tennis, which seems to be one of those Venn diagrams with little overlap among the two circles. Certainly smaller than the one showing American soccer fans and the people who thought Mexico should have been called for a handball in Sunday’s Gold Cup final.

That it wasn’t and El Tri took home the ensuing 2-1 victory – and a record 10th trophy – were obviously related. That’s the truth new U.S. Men’s National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino pointed out over and over in his postgame comments.

Pochettino, who grew up in Argentina, masked his criticism of the match official with statements like “I’m not going to cry” before doing just that.

He’s going to fit in this country’s sporting culture really well, isn’t he?

But, no, Mexico’s win is not the first fire event of the hottest season.

Baseball’s All-Star Game and all its accompanying events? Maybe.

Heck, the fact Juan Soto wasn’t selected as a reserve Sunday was greeted with more noise from New York than Joey Chestnut’s return to Nathan’s hot dog eating contest last week. And Chestnut’s win was an event for the ages if you believe the New York media world.

Outside of New York? Mariner fans are left wondering how their oft-criticized young centerfielder can earn an American League backup nod while their venerated veteran shortstop wasn’t.

If you aren’t tuned in to M’s social media, we’re referring to Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford. The former is having a typical year – a .247 average with 11 home runs, a disappointing 43 RBIs and a .694 OPS – which tracks, considering he’s made the A.L. team for three of his four seasons. The guy is an exceptional centerfielder, the newer stats, like WAR, love him and so do baseball fans around the country. Plus, TV executives think he’s cool.

Crawford, on the other hand, is having a career year – .284, six, 31 and a .763 OPS – and still wasn’t named to his first All-Star team. Well, there is still a chance he’ll be an injury – often a “I’ve gone to the game too often and want the time off” excuse – replacement but let’s face it. Solid, consistent, quiet isn’t what the TV show that is the All-Star game wants.

All that being written, and considering baseball’s place in the nation’s sports hierarchy, next week’s All-Star festivities could better be considered warm, not fire.

The same could be said of the Open, golf’s last major tournament. If a J.J. Spaun clone wins it, its result could be considered lukewarm at best. But considering the Open is in Northern Ireland this year (Royal Portrush), maybe a Rory McIlroy win, and the ensuing “is Rory an all-time great” debate could boost it into perdition territory.

But let’s face it. All of summer’s sporting events, while interesting in their own way, are overshadowed pretty much by two September conflagrations.

The start of college football and the NFL seasons. You can do a spit take with your coffee or not, but the power of the oblong ball is too great to ignore. When the Seahawks return to Renton for training camp en masse later this month, you’ll stop and pay attention, won’t you?

Same with the Cougars, Eagles, Vandals, Huskies or whomever you follow on the college side, especially in this first summer when schools will be playing their players directly.

Football is the Johnny Storm of the America’s comic-book-like sporting culture.

Everything else is just smoke, mirrors or some other minor D.C. character.