A Grip On Sports: The NCAA does one thing really well – making everyone wait while the organization drags its feet

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The NCAA’s bureaucracy moves in strange ways. Slowly, too. That hasn’t changed despite the earthquakes that have hit the organization in the past decade or two.

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• Need convincing? You shouldn’t, but we will oblige. With a local example.

Tyon Grant-Foster. Remember him? He played for Grand Canyon the past couple years. Played for the Antelopes in the NCAA tourney here. He wants to play for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs in this upcoming one.

Has wanted to since the transfer portal opened in the spring. In fact, he told everyone in May. And the folks in GU’s athletic administration submitted the paperwork to make that happen back then.

Since? Crickets from Indianapolis.

OK, Grant-Foster, a do-it-all-guard, has some baggage. Or, at least, his baggage has more travel stickers on it than the NCAA would like. He played at two universities and a junior college before heading to Phoenix and stardom.

In the past, that travel itinerary would have meant his college journey was over last season. Except, you know, just about everyone who wants an extra year these days gets one. All they have to do is stand in front of a judge, cite NIL opportunities, mention the anti-trust laws and, bingo, go home with an injunction.

Grant-Foster hasn’t done that. He’s followed the NCAA road map for another chance at the money college players can earn these days. And waited at a Phoenix rest stop until he heard either way.

Wednesday the NCAA came off the mount and handed the Zags a tablet. Except this commandment only allowed Grant-Foster to practice with Gonzaga. Not play in games. That’s still under review.

Thanks for that guys, but, really, what’s taking so long? Either Grant-Foster deserves another year or he doesn’t. Make up your mind. Since May, there have been dozens of high-profile decisions about similar cases. Most of them had a tinge of litigation hanging over them. This one?

Crickets. Until the half-full (or half-baked) announcement Wednesday.

• While watching the baseball playoffs the past couple days, I realized once again how lucky Mariner followers are. To be able to watch the best catcher in the game do what he does on a daily basis.

Not just in the batter’s box, where he led baseball with 60 home runs and drove in more than 100. Not just his presence behind home plate, where he’s baseball’s best in every aspect of the game’s toughest defensive position.

There is more. It’s quite possible we are all watching the prime years of the best catcher the game has ever seen.

Presentism? Are you kidding? I’m a guy who still carries a Johnny Bench baseball card in my wallet. Have for almost 50 years.

In my lifetime I’ve seen Bench, Carlton Fisk, Pudge Rodriguez and many, many more who deserved Hall of Fame consideration. Raleigh has a great chance to pass all of them in every way before he’s done.

Heck, as a kid my dad watched Mickey Cochrane play. Bill Dickey. As a young man saw Yogi Berra. Everyone who ever wore a L.A. Dodger uniform. And he felt, adamantly, Bench was the best he ever saw. And it wasn’t close.

His son agreed. But not anymore.

Raleigh’s just finished the best offensive season a catcher ever had. It came on the heels of a season in which his peers determined he was the best defensive player in the game – not just the best catcher.

Maybe the next few weeks he’ll have a signature moment that resonates nationally. Like Fisk did in 1975, waving his game-winning home run fair. Then maybe the media mavens that populate the I-95 corridor will begin to recognize his greatness isn’t defined by his oversized rear end. And its memorable nickname. Sure, Raleigh may not win the American League Most Valuable Player Award this season. Aaron Judge has been special and wears pinstripes. An imposing combination that doesn’t change one important fact.

Raleigh is the best there is – at the game’s toughest position.

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WSU: Yep, the Cougars have a bye. So what do we have for you? How about Jon Wilner showing how badly CBS screwed up by not keeping the SEC right? That’s in the Mercury News. … If that isn’t interesting to you, how about more by John Canzano on the stakes in play between the Pac-12 and Mountain West? … Still looking? Oregon’s bye week has some drama thanks to a running back’s request to redshirt. At least the injury report turned out OK for Dan Lanning’s team. … Arizona State has a clutch quarterback.

• Here is the schedule for (current, old and future) Pac-12 teams this week, listed chronologically. All games this week are Saturday unless noted. The schedule below also includes any game in which mining news about turned out to be nearly impossible.

– Colorado State at San Diego State (Friday, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network): Sean Lewis shared his thoughts on playing Colorado State on a short week. … Everyone has injuries this time of the year.

– Oklahoma State at Arizona (noon, TNT): The Wildcats will have to fill a couple spots this week due to injuries.

– No. 7 Penn State at UCLA (12:30 p.m., CBS): As if it’s not hard enough to play a top-10 team. Coming off a home loss. Angry. But the Bruins have to do it while dealing with another change to their coaching staff. At least they are at home and will be playing in front of dozens of people wearing their color blue.

– Boise State at No. 21 Notre Dame (12:30, NBC): The Broncos are relying on a freshman. And he has come through.

– Washington at Maryland (12:30, Big Ten Network): We linked this Times story on the Huskies’ secondary yesterday. It ran on the S-R site today. … Half full or half empty? Christian Caple wants to know.

– Oregon State at App State (12:30, ESPN+): Boise State shut down App State’s passing game. Can OSU do the same? … The Beavers have to stay engaged for the entire game.

– Texas State at Arkansas State (1, ESPNU)

– Colorado at TCU (4:30, Fox): The Buffs’ offensive line is playing better this season.

– Duke at California (7:30, ESPN)

– Nevada at Fresno State (7:30, CBS Sports Network)

• In basketball news, Tommy Lloyd has a James on his roster. And Bryce James’ presence will be a focal point all season.

Gonzaga: We mentioned the Grant-Foster news above, and linked Theo Lawson’s story as well. We do it again. … Theo has another story on a surprise in the recruiting realm. A German guard announced he’s headed to Spokane next season.

EWU: This has been another tough season for the Eagle football program. As Dan Thompson tells us, the players are facing some tough truths after another blow-out loss. … Elsewhere in the (current and future) Big Sky, it’s always good to have coaches’ kids in a program. Ask Montana. … Idaho State has a meaningful football game. At home. Will the fans turn out? … Weber State’s starting quarterback broke his leg last weekend. … UC Davis and Cal Poly face off for the Golden Horseshoe. … In basketball news, Kyle Owens, a former UM player, has died at age 24.

Preps: It may be hard to believe but we are five weeks into the football season. Well, the fifth week starts tonight. Dave Nichols takes a look at what’s ahead this week. … Dave also has a story on the MODE basketball program in Liberty Lake. … We can pass along a short roundup of Wednesday’s action.

Seahawks: Myles Gaskins, one of the University of Washington’s all-time best running backs, is now a member of the Hawks’ practice squad. … Matt Calkins admits he got some things wrong about the Hawks. … The NFL gave Seattle an anniversary gift. … Pete Carroll is still working. … There will be no change in the kickoff time Sunday. … Baker Mayfield impressed Cooper Kupp.

Mariners: As we mentioned, Ichiro played right field during the scrimmage yesterday. That’s cool. … There is no better catcher in baseball than Raleigh. … How is Bryan Woo doing? … It was easy to mistake this M’s squad for others.

Kraken: The last preseason game turned out about as well as possible for Seattle. Except there have been too many injuries.

Sounders: A veteran will be missing about a month due to injury.

Storm: The WNBA is at a crossroads. Which is interesting considering the league should be poised to break through.

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• This column was brought to you by the fine folks at Alaska Airlines. The company’s wi-fi, at least. Which I had to pay for. Kim and I are headed to Southern California for her 50th high school reunion. And a couple of other special moments. An early flight meant I was finishing everything as we floated over Oregon and the state just south. Tomorrow will be easier. Until later …

k