A Grip on Sports: The way the Mariners have been hitting, we all may need the calmness of golf on TV to keep our blood pressure down this weekend
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Not that anyone probably wants to stay inside this weekend – it is April, it will be decently warm and there are no showers in the forecast – but what if you are forced to be in front of the TV set? What’s on? I’m betting the answer won’t surprise you one bit.
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• My go-to the second weekend of April has been unchanged for the past 40 or so years. The Masters.
Ever since moving north to Spokane, with its winters that can include everything from mounds of snow to electrical-wire-destroying ice, the hope that springs from golf’s most-well-known small village in Georgia basically has been eternal.
Even as the way it is supplied to our viewing devices has been anything but.
It’s no longer the back nine in the early afternoon on CBS, as it was a long time ago. And only on the weekends. That’s a positive. But the heyday of Masters’ television, which this time may just be, also includes having to roam every type of broadcast provider if you want to experience the azaleas blooms, listen to bird calls or see one golfer flip a different type of bird at a water hazard.
Today’s round, which is underway as my fingers fly across the keyboard, is available in some degree online at Masters.com. The coverage really begins at 10 a.m. on Prime. At noon it switches to ESPN where it finishes around 4:30 p.m.
Saturday the earliest coverage (outside of the Masters’ online site) is on Paramount+, beginning at 9 a.m. CBS takes over at 11 and runs until 4. That’s the same schedule available for Sunday’s final round.
• As I sat with my eldest son yesterday watching the first round, one weird fact hit me. I may know Augusta National’s fairways and hazards and greens and wind better than I know any other course in the world. And, of course considering my penchant for ditch digging while I play and my less-than-exalted financial station, I’ve never played it.
Then again, as he pointed out, I may not have played any course as often as I’ve watched the Masters. That’s not exactly true. As a high school student, I played Eaton Canyon’s 9-hole track more than 100 times. And I know I’ve played Indian Canyon at least 50 times over the years.
But watching a TV broadcast is different. You probably see shots numbering in the triple digits on each hole. And I’ve watched the tournament pretty religiously since the 1970s. It’s possible I may have seen every weird bounce a ball can take on the grounds.
Yes, I know, it’s impossible to understand the ups and downs of the place without walking it, which is something I probably will never do unless someone who reads this invites me along some year. But I’ve walked the Canyon, from the tee at 17 to the green on 18 so often, I believe I understand elevation change. At least my knees tell me that’s true.
• Knee pain? That’s nothing like the pain of watching the M’s lineup flail about thus far this season. The numbers are awful. The results the same. Which brings up one salient question: Isn’t it time to flip some guys around?
Brendan Donovan has been fine getting on base as a leadoff hitter but Cal Raleigh seems out of place in the second spot. How about moving Julio up? Drop Raleigh back. Flip Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena. And see if it works.
It certainly seems it can’t be any worse.
• By the way, the M’s host the Astros and a healthy Yordan Alvarez this weekend. Friday’s game starts at 6:40 p.m. on CBS (in Spokane) and Mariners TV. Saturday’s first pitch is the same time but only on Mariners TV (Comcast channel 1261 if you’re like me and still have cable). Sunday is the same though the game begins at 1:10 p.m.
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WSU: There is a rhythm to football practice over time. One day the offense shines. The next it may just be the defense’s turn. As it was Thursday in Pullman. Greg Woods tells us Trent Bray’s group was in charge when the two sides of the ball clashed. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Oregon State welcomes back a defensive back who missed a season with a foot injury. … Kalen DeBoer is no long Washington’s football coach. But there is a DeBoer still doing standout work for the Huskies. Spring football is also going on, though a running back will miss the rest of it. … John Canzano has a notebook with a couple Pac-12-related notes. … Oregon is happy with the development of quarterback Dante Moore. And a wide receiver. … Colorado is happy with the ongoing development of the new-look offense. … Utah used a formula to target portal transfer cornerbacks. … A Colorado State transfer will play a big role for Arizona State’s defense this season. The Rams have their share of incoming transfers too. … A new name, a new role for an Arizona receiver. … San Diego State believes added depth and experience will mean an improved offense. … UCLA seems to be settling in after a week of practice.
• In basketball news, Jon Wilner has a column in the S-R this morning explaining how Arizona’s new deal with Tommy Lloyd is going against the inevitable tide of college athletics. It’s football’s world, isn’t it? … It seems to be at Oregon, as Dana Altman explains the roster turnover, blaming, in part, a lack of NIL funds. … One has to wonder if the same thing is happening with the Duck women, as another player enters the portal. … Stanford’s men are losing a freshman the old-fashioned way. Ebuka Okorie is headed to the NBA draft. … Colorado State has an opening on its basketball staff. … Jaden Bradley also said goodbye to Tucson this week. … UCLA’s women added its first transfer.
Gonzaga: Theo Lawson tells us today the Zags are one of two schools considered frontrunners to land Arizona State transfer center Massamba Diop. The other? St. John’s. Diop, a 7-foot shot blocker with offensive skills, would pair perfectly with Braden Huff. … Here is the link today to Theo’s Pac-12 transfer portal tracker. With the other transfer news, it seemed the best place to put it. … Jalen Suggs is one of Gonzaga’s biggest fans. And has some thoughts about the Bulldogs. And other subjects.
EWU: The NCAA is still finding novel ways to say no to players, even in this revolutionary time. A revolution that came about because the organization so rigidly applied its rules it triggered court fights, most of which the NCAA lost. Such is the case with Eagle basketball player Andrew Cook. Dan Thompson explains why Cook’s name is in the portal though the NCAA says he’s out of eligibility, even if he didn’t play the extra year he was granted because of an injury. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, recruiting never stops for Montana football. … Neither does basketball transfer portal losses, at least this week for the Montana State women. … Idaho State’s men seem to have a plan to replace its losses, including Pullman High’s Jaedyn Brown. … Northern Colorado began spring football practice this week.
Indians: Spokane’s record fell back to .500 following Thursday night’s 6-4 walk-off loss at Hillsboro. Dave Nichols followed all 10 innings and has this story.
Mariners: The M’s worst start in years, especially at the plate, is as bad as you probably thought.
Kraken: Changes have been made. More may just be on the way. And should be. But for now, Seattle still hasn’t been eliminated from the playoff hunt, even though the chances are slim. The Kraken picked up a 4-3 shootout win over Las Vegas last night.
Seahawks: John Schneider learned an important draft lesson the last time Seattle won the Super Bowl.
Storm: It looks as if Seattle is losing one of its key inside players via free agency.
Golf: Rory McIlroy won his green jacket last year. Completed the career Grand Slam. And started this Masters with a 5-under 67, to tie for the lead.
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• I’ve been trying to decide what to do with my coverage of old Pac-12 schools. You know, the ASUs and UCLAs and USCs of the world. The impetus for this reflection? The rebirth of the Pac-12 on July 1. As of now I am leaning toward either dropping coverage completely or starting a stand-alone section that covers those schools. Let me know what you think. Until later …