A Grip on Sports: Some folks can rest easy today but for others – including Seahawk fans – the future’s uncertainty weighs heavy

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is something soothing about having an NCAA bid secured. Or getting a key arm back for your bullpen as the season begins. Or having your university’s athletic director tapped to help define college athletics’ future. But there is the opposite of those comforting thoughts, too. Want an example? Whatever it is the Seahawks are doing this offseason.

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• Let’s start with that last one, shall we? After all, football is king and we have to bow down and pay fealty, even in the offseason. Even if the Hawks seem to not want to pay anyone who plays inside on the offensive line.

The Minnesota Vikings, who were unable to protect new Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold all that well last season, have bolstered their unit, signing Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Same with the Tennessee Titans, who gobbled up Kevin Zeitler. The Bears added Drew Dalman. The Seahawks?

Nothing yet. No one seems to be cheap enough. All that cap space the Hawks saved by replacing Geno Smith with Darnold? Isn’t where it was supposed to go?

Well, they did sign DeMarcus Lawrence on Wednesday but his main role will be to make life miserable for other teams’ offensive linemen. If he is healthy, having missed most of last season with the Cowboys with a foot injury.

But the biggest – literally – position group that needs improvement is the Hawks’ offensive line. Specifically, the three inside spots. And thus far, crickets.

There are still players available, most of which would be an upgrade. Though with the contracts being signed – Chicago gave former Falcons center Dalman $42 million for three years – it is hard to see the price coming down. Maybe the market will stabilize, drop even. And John Schneider will look like a genius.

Maybe.

• The NCAA and the five conferences involved with the House settlement – set to be approved, or disapproved, by a federal judge next month – announced their Settlement Implementation Committee on Wednesday. The group of 10 athletic directors is charged, according to the Associated Press story, with “figuring out how to enforce new rules that will come into play when terms of the landmark $2.8 billion antitrust settlement reconfiguring their industry go into effect this summer.”

Seems simple enough. Or not.

The Pac-12, which has been shunted aside by the Power Four, is still a defendant in the House suit. As such, it is responsible for implementing the changes as any of them. Which means Washington State athletic director Anne McCoy (and Oregon State’s Scott Barnes) have a seat at the table.

What an honor. Or not. It sounds like a lot of work. Never-ending work.

One funny fact. With Pat Chun also on the committee, three of the 10 members have worked as ADs in the Inland Northwest. McCoy, of course, and Chun at WSU, Barnes at Eastern Washington.

• Matt Brash threw live batting practice for the Mariners on Wednesday. That’s a big deal for a guy who hasn’t thrown a pitch near full velocity in nearly a year. And a big deal for the M’s bullpen.

Brash isn’t the team’s closer. That’s Andres Munoz’s undisputed role. But he’s a key element in getting the ball to Munoz in the ninth, bridging the gap between baseball’s best starting rotation and Munoz’s 100-miles-per-hour fastball.

Brash wasn’t there last season. And it showed. He will be sometime early this season as he continues his rehab from elbow surgery. His presence, and his overpowering stuff, makes the bullpen better.

• What’s better than waking up five days before Selection Sunday and knowing your place in the NCAA’s premier event is secure? Not much. But that’s how the Gonzaga men’s team spent their Wednesday. Reveling in a low-scoring, brick-laying, dig-deep West Coast Conference championship game win over archrival Saint Mary’s.

After having accomplished the feat in a somewhat un-Gonzaga-like manner.

The program of Kevin Pangos, Blake Stepp, Richie Frahm and Corey Kispert did it while make one 3-point shot. In 15 attempts. And being out-rebounded by 15.

Instead, they harassed the usually sure-handed Gaels into 18 turnovers, turned them into 20 points and won 58-51.

It may not have been Nolan Richardson’s 40-minutes-of-hell defense from his Arkansas days but it certainly felt like it to Saint Mary’s. And sent the Gaels to the purgatory of waiting to find out their at-large spot.

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WSU: The baseball team came a lot closer to eighth-ranked Oregon State on Wednesday but still lost. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, the Washington men’s basketball team has three questions to answer before the transfer portal opens. … Oregon opens Big Ten tourney play today against Indiana. … Stanford moved on in the ACC tourney Wednesday. And Kyle Smith’s  Cardinal did it by ending California’s season. That’s what we like to call a two-for-one win. … Surprisingly, Colorado is still playing after upsetting West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament. … Will Utah continue on in a secondary tournament? … UCLA’s Mick Cronin has earned this title. … USC won in double overtime and moved on in the Big Ten tournament. … Bobby Hurley is looking for more depth for Arizona State. … Arizona has a quick chance to avenge its recent loss to Kansas as it opens Big 12 tournament play. … Utah State’s coach feels he can be a success in Logan. But can the Aggies cement an at-large bid at the Mountain West tournament? … Boise State plays San Diego State today. Is it an NCAA elimination game for both schools? … Colorado State opens with Nevada. … In women’s hoop, California is headed to the NCAA tourney, earning its coach a contract extension. … It looks as if Oregon is in the tournament. … In football news, recruiting never stops, not for Washington in its state. … Oregon State is spending a lot on its assistant coaches. … Oregon will be revamping its secondary and developing linebacker depth during the spring. … Colorado is back on the practice field. … USC held its Pro Day in the rain. … San Diego State practiced yesterday with the running backs taking center stage.

Gonzaga: Braden Huff was one of the few bright spots offensively in Tuesday’s title win. In fact, after having found himself in the starting lineup, he had the Zags’ only made 3-pointer. Jim Meehan talked with him and has this story. … Huff took Ben Gregg’s spot in the lineup. But Gregg picked up an honor Wednesday anyway. Theo Lawson tells us Gregg is one of 20 student-athletes named to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Good Works Team. And explains what that means. … Gonzaga’s win also put them in the national spotlight once again.

EWU: Spring football is about to start. The Eagles will practice 14 times between now and April 18, when it will finish workouts with the Red vs. White Game at Roos Field. Dan Thompson has a preview. … It happened. Former Eagle wide receiver Cooper Kupp’s tenure with the L.A. Rams is over. He’s a free agent. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana’s men are headed back to the NCAA tourney after topping Northern Colorado last night. … The Montana State women are NCAA-bound after hitting a buzzer beater to end Montana’s Cinderella run. The Griz have to decide on a new coach. … How many Idaho State men’s players will enter the transfer portal? … Portland State fired its women’s coach. … Cal Poly is in the middle of spring practice and its linebackers are in the middle of the defensive effort.

Preps: We linked this story on Tyson Degenhart, the Mt. Spokane grad, yesterday in the Boise Statesman. It ran in the S-R today.

Chiefs: Spokane had a chance last night in the Arena to chip away at Everett’s U.S. and Western Conference WHL leads. The Chiefs didn’t take advantage, losing 3-2. Dave Nichols was there and has this coverage.

Velocity and Zephyr: The USL ownership in town has signed a partnership agreement with the Spokane Tribe of Indians. That news and more is contained in John Allison’s notebook.

Special Olympics: A Spokane snowboarder won a gold medal Tuesday in the Special Olympics World Games 2025 in Turin, Italy. That news leads off the S-R’s most recent local briefs column.

Seahawks: We mentioned above the Hawks agreed yesterday to a contract with Lawrence. But that’s not the only free agent they came to terms with. The other one? Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Here’s what I wrote yesterday morning: “My guess is the last guy on this Athletic list of possible receiver free agent signings is the guy the Hawks will grab. Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Seems to fit their philosophy.” We don’t get many predictions right, so when we do, we are legally obligated to point it out. … They have to stay aggressive.

Mariners: Another good sign for Seattle fans? Julio Rodriguez is swinging the bat well. He hit a grand slam yesterday. … The Yankee fans have to get to know Dave Sims, the former M’s broadcaster who is now on their radio team. It is a good fit. …

Kraken: Seattle earned an overtime win yesterday. Well, overtime lasted an NHL-record four seconds, the least amount of time ever. Thanks to Brandon Montour.

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• All done for the day. We survived the late-night rain, the wind that hit this morning and our own worries about everything from finances to the roof. With the inclement weather, our Thursday may just consist of watching college hoop and golf. Seems likes a good idea. And checking to see if the Seahawks signed any offensive linemen. That seems a bit of a fool’s errand but, you know. Until later …