A Grip on Sports: This week is too good to miss even if an injury strikes you down before the first game is beamed into your living room

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Sneezing is nothing to sneeze at. As I found out Tuesday night. One explosive sneeze, one rib injury. Now the rest of the week’s activities will slow to a crawl.

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• I would chalk it up to age but that’s not it. A quick Google search sent me to stories about former MLB players Sammy Sosa, Kevin Pilar, Reed Johnson and others all sidelined for weeks at a time. All due to a sneeze causing a back injury. Or an oblique one. Or whatever. Put me in that category, as I’m off to injured reserve.

But that won’t stop me from making fun of such things. Heck, I laughed at myself last night. Until I coughed and grimaced. Great. I’m not sure there are enough drugs in the world that could mask what I felt. And right as March Madness is scheduled to start.

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley better not let his banged-up wrist slow him down. Caleb Foster better shake off his foot injury and help Duke win the title. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg can’t let a little thing like a twisted ankle keep him from helping the Wolverines, right?

After all, some of us are typing out thousands of words, all the while trying to make sure not to sneeze or cough or laugh again. Not all heroes this time of year wear basketball jerseys.

• But, actually, they do. Unless it’s a baseball jersey. Like Eugenio Suraez does. The former Mariner, twice over, lined a double to left-center in the top of ninth inning last night to lift Venezuela to a 3-2 win over the U.S. in the final of the World Baseball Classic.

It gave Venezuela its first WBC title. It extended the Americans’ agony, what with a second consecutive defeat in the final game. And it made everyone in the U.S. go looking for a scapegoat.

The probable target? U.A. manager Mark DeRosa, who has been at the helm for both finals losses. It’s hard to fathom, with all the retired MLB managers around that the country needs to put a guy in charge who has never managed in the Big Leagues before. Is a commentator for the MLB Network. And give him the keys to the world’s first- or second-best team.

But that’s what’s happened. And it hasn’t worked. In baseball, the only acceptable finish in any international competition is first place. Just ask all the Ricky Bobbies out there.

• A basketball hero resides in Texas today. Performed his hero turn in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday night. Found the bottom of the net with less than a second left to lift the Longhorns to a 68-66 win over North Carolina State in a play-in game between No. 11 seeds.

Tramon Mark’s jumper gave coach Sean Miller a play-in-game win for the second consecutive season after his Xavier team turned the trick last year against, wait for it, Texas.

This one probably won’t result in him heading to NC State but it does mean the Longhorns will be in Portland for a game against BYU on Thursday. The winner of that has a date Saturday with Gonzaga, if the Zags top Kennesaw State.

There are two more play-in games tonight.

• It was nice to see Dick Vitale finally have the opportunity to call an NCAA Tournament game. And to be able to hear him go nuts after a game-winning shot, even if after his cancer battle his voice isn’t what it used to be.

It was an exceptional gesture by TNT and ESPN to allow the veteran voice of college hoops the chance to sit courtside at an NCAA game, whether it be in Dayton or wherever. And it was made even more special by pairing Vitale with Charles Barkley, who has also ascended into iconic status within the college basketball announcing world.

• There is one more day until the Dance begins in earnest. If you want to keep up with all the preliminaries before the Gonzaga men and women and the Idaho men and women tip their first-round games, don’t miss the S-R’s R’s 2026 NCAA Tournament Central page.

One-stop shopping may seem so 20th Century, but it’s still has a place when it comes to following local teams in the tournament.

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Arizona’s No. 1 men’s seed just puts another target on the Wildcats’ back. It also secures an easier path. … San Diego State is already working toward next season. … Will being in the Pac-12 help Colorado State next Selection Sunday? … A transfer had a big hand in helping the Colorado women get back to the NCAA tourney. … Arizona State is in the first four against Virginia. … Colorado State will be without its best player in its first-round game. … Arizona added to its coaching staff. 

• In football news, Washington added a veteran running back through the portal. … Questions (and answers) abound for Oregon as spring practice begins. … One Colorado defensive back is off to a good start. … Arizona State has questions to answer including a big one at quarterback. … Arizona is looking at multiple running backs. 

Gonzaga: Jalen Warley came to Gonzaga after stints at two other schools. Florida State. Virginia. And now GU. But there is one role he’s only had to take on in Spokane. Father. Theo Lawson has more in this in-depth story. … The formula is simple. Winning NCAA games comes easier with veteran guards. Unless the youngsters are named Jalen Suggs. Mario Saint-Supery and Davis Fogle haven’t ascended to that level yet but they have their chance starting Thursday. Jim Meehan has this story on a pair of freshmen coming off their best games of the season. … Graham Ike earned third-team A.P. All-American status Tuesday. Theo has that covered as well. … Mark Few has yet to win a national title. Could it happen this season? It does not seem all that likely to this SI writer. … The women tip on Friday afternoon in Minneapolis. Against Ole Miss, a five seed. Greg Lee has more on that game. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Steve Nash wants his alma mater Santa Clara to just go for it in their first NCAA game since he left campus.

Idaho: The Vandal men wouldn’t be where they are today – prepping in Oklahoma City for Thursday night’s NCAA Tournament matchup with second-seed Houston – if not for players from their home state. I highlighted a couple of them when UI topped Montana to earn the Big Sky’s automatic tourney berth. Madison McCord goes deeper today, looking at all five Gem State players on the roster. … Madison also has this story on former NFL coach-turned-social-media-star Jon Gruden anointing the Vandals as his Cinderella team. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State will enter the fall football season with a label. It will read “defending champions.” … Cal Poly is filling out its coaching staff. … Idaho State’s women once again were hit with more major injuries than they could survive.

Preps: Local high school basketball stars gathered at Central Valley High last night for two games. Dave Nichols has coverage of the Denny Humphrey Memorial boys and Jack Blair Memorial girls all-star games.

Mariners: The WBC coverage is linked above, except this story on the M’s that participated. … In this space there is good news from Peoria, Bryce Miller is back throwing and seems to be on track, and bad, J.P. Crawford’s shoulder injury is still bothering him, so he left camp to get it checked. … Colt Emerson’s good play is making roster decisions tougher. … If your eyes tell you the M’s have a good chance to win it all, believe them.

Sounders: Seattle heads to Spokane tonight with one goal. Knock rival Vancouver from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. With Lumen Field torn up in preparation for this summer’s World Cup, the second leg of the round of 16 matchup with a 3-0 lead courtesy of the first match in Canada. John Allison has this preview in the S-R and I can link another story from the Times.

Seahawks: It looks as if the Hawks will open the NFL season, as per custom for the defending champions. However, reports have the game being held on a Wednesday night, not the usual Thursday.

Sonics: Yes, the NBA announced a major step toward Seattle regaining a franchise. And yes, it’s OK to smile and be happy. But as Matt Calkins points out, there is a long way between saucer and lip.  

Storm: A verbal agreement between the WNBA owners and players came in the early morning hours today after days of negotiations. Now the term sheet will be pounded out and the players will have to vote on it.  

Kraken: One Bobby McCann goal was not enough as the Lightning blew out host Seattle. 

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• I fell into a hole of weird injuries this morning. As far as I can recall, this is the first time I’ve been hurt sneezing. Or coughing. Or tripping over a curb. Or cutting a tomato. Or giving someone a high five. Why aren’t professional athletes surrounded by bubble wrap when they are off the field? … By the way, UC Irvine lost its NIT opener 75-72 last night to UNLV. At home. One of the nation’s best defensive teams could not get stops. Until later …