Tags
Stories tagged: john blanchette

UPDATED: Sat., Dec. 7, 2019
John Blanchette: Washington State sophomore CJ Elleby’s restraint a sign of maturity
The game’s final pass went deep beyond the defensive pressure to CJ Elleby, all alone in the frontcourt with but a few unimpeded steps between himself and the ritualistic exclamation-point …

UPDATED: Tue., Dec. 3, 2019
John Blanchette: Jimmy Lake has always been ready to answer the call
The call came on Saturday afternoon, sometime in the middle of Auburn-Alabama if Jimmy Lake recalls correctly.

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 2, 2019
John Blanchette: Seahawks show knack for making plays when it counts
John Blanchette: So how does first place look on the Seattle Seahawks? Sharp. Smart. Sophisticated. “It’s a beautiful thing,” was tackle Duane Brown’s fashion review.

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 29, 2019
John Blanchette: Washington happy to let Mike Leach keep getting in Washington State’s way at Apple Cup
Sometime in the second half of Friday’s Apple Cup, a Fox camera zeroed in on a couple in the stands, the female decked out in Husky purple, the male in …

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 29, 2019
Excerpt: Washington State coach Mike Leach’s postgame exchange with Spokesman-Review columnist John Blanchette
The following is an excerpt from Friday’s Apple Cup postgame news conference in which Washington State coach Mike Leach took exception to a question from Spokesman-Review columnist John Blanchette.

UPDATED: Sun., Nov. 24, 2019
John Blanchette: Max Borghi delivers on guaranteed satisfaction
So, Max Borghi, any guarantees for the Apple Cup?

Tue., Nov. 19, 2019
John Blanchette: Killian Tillie proves good things come to Zags who wait
Killian Tillie’s belated entrée into the 2019-20 basketball season came at precisely 6:05 Tuesday evening, greeted with a clamor that made up in volume what it may have lacked in …

Sat., Nov. 16, 2019
John Blanchette: Whatever you call them, Washington State’s players are one (guaranteed) win from bowl game
The Cougars have at least put themselves in the conversation for one of college football’s many consolation prizes, though that’s barely a challenge with 39 bowls. And like every other …

Sat., Nov. 9, 2019
John Blanchette: Grad transfers Admon Gilder, Ryan Woolridge more than final ingredients in Gonzaga’s recipe for success
This grad transfer business – it’s a little like Christmas shopping, right?

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 8, 2019
John Blanchette: Kyle Smith’s new-look Cougars send clear message to fans, foes in season-opening romp
Playing actual basketball at both ends. Guarding and everything. With a … what do they call those again? Oh, right. A plan.

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 5, 2019
John Blanchette: Gonzaga’s quiet cast must learn to chat, and in a snap
There was a sitcom-worthy moment last week after Gonzaga’s exhibition game romp as a few young Bulldogs relaxed in their locker-room lounge, refueling on some grub and, well, doing what …

UPDATED: Sun., Nov. 3, 2019
John Blanchette: Time to change Hawks’ bird logo to yin/yang symbol
John Blanchette: Perhaps it’s time for the Seattle Seahawks to ditch the beloved Haida eagle logo for something more befitting the 2019 season, like the tai chi symbol. You know. …

Thu., Oct. 31, 2019
John Blanchette: Ol’ Doc Basketball has a wonderful mix of ingredients in creating the perfect Gonzaga player
Ol’ Doc Frankenstein – movie Frankenstein, anyway – had it easy.

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 30, 2019
John Blanchette: ‘Positive stubbornness’ allowed Sam Jankovich to reshape Washington State athletics
Sam Jankovich, who died in his sleep early Wednesday morning at the age of 85, was sometimes brusque, often polarizing, combustible, fiercely loyal. Also wise counsel and enduring friend.

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 28, 2019
John Blanchette: Jason Hanson’s not the type to go just halfway
Jason Hanson joins the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday as part of a splendid 2019 class in a ceremony at the Spokane Arena which, alas, he won’t …

UPDATED: Sun., Oct. 20, 2019
John Blanchette: The Seahawks have a big problem when Russell Wilson isn’t himself
His previous four passes had sailed or fallen incomplete, and 20 minutes of clock time into the proceedings at CenturyLink Field, it was apparent that Russell Wilson wasn’t Russell Wilson …

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 19, 2019
John Blanchette: With HBO cameras rolling, Washington State rolled out the red carpet for Max Borghi
Other than Wazzu’s first step into the Pac-12 win column, the best news out of Saturday’s 41-10 drubbing of hapless Colorado was Borghi amassing a career high for touches – …

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 5, 2019
John Blanchette: Gonzaga needs Killian Tillie to be whole as desperately as Tillie needs Tillie to be whole
On Thursday, the 6-foot-10 senior and presumptive drive train of these Bulldogs underwent surgery on his right knee, and a brief statement from the school said “his status will be …

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 3, 2019
John Blanchette: Russell Wilson’s rise to elite level boosts Seahawks’ fortunes
As the sure-thing kick missed by no more than the width of the hyphen between sure and thing, there was one obvious conclusion: It’s better to be lucky than …

UPDATED: Sun., Sept. 29, 2019
John Blanchette: Whatever you choose to call it, Washington State shows lack of electricity
Larry Scott can’t get his league’s games on DirecTV, and now he can’t get them on Dish, either. But apparently he has enough pull to harness lightning.

UPDATED: Sun., Sept. 22, 2019
John Blanchette: Seahawks not afraid to accept blame for blunderous effort
Safe to say that a favorite topic around Sunday’s tailgates was Saturday’s late-night Marx Brothers movie on national TV, featuring a core melt by the Washington State Cougars – turnovers …

UPDATED: Sat., Sept. 21, 2019
John Blanchette: Mason Petrino kicks up heels in Idaho’s defining win over Eastern Washington
Faux outrage is fun reserved for winners, and surely the Vandals were that on Saturday at the Kibbie Dome – 35-27 over the school up the road, Eastern Washington, which …

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 9, 2019
John Blanchette: Seahawks produce answers and questions in Week 1 escape
Earl Thomas got himself an interception in his NFL season opener. Richard Sherman had a pick-6. And their old team, the Seattle Seahawks, surrendered 418 passing yards to Andy Dalton, …

UPDATED: Sat., Sept. 7, 2019
John Blanchette: As WSU rises in college football’s ranks, attendance for nonconference tilts sputters
Look, winning football is a fan magnet, but there’s still a limit for a discerning clientele.

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 6, 2019
John Blanchette: Eastern Washington’s biggest donor ‘ask’ in history comes with some odd optics
Just another reminder that the old-school household economics learned as mom and dad balanced the checkbook at the kitchen table just don’t have much application in today’s world of college …

UPDATED: Sun., Sept. 1, 2019
John Blanchette: Washington State shining brighter than ever standing just outside spotlight
All in all, it’s pretty good being Washington State these days, and not just because the scoreboard read 58-7 in the Cougars’ favor on Saturday night.

Thu., Aug. 29, 2019
Washington Huskies season predictions: Sky is the limit for Jacob Eason and the Huskies
Will it be a trip to a bowl game or an early offseason for the Huskies this year?

Thu., Aug. 29, 2019
Seattle Seahawks season predictions: Russell Wilson will lead team back to the playoffs
Will it be a trip to the playoffs or an early offseason for the Seahawks this year?

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 22, 2019
John Blanchette: Lost art of scorekeeping is ‘central to a full life experience’
Once upon a time, baseball made a stab at interactivity long before that became a marketing buzzword.

Sat., July 13, 2019
John Blanchette: After forgoing early entry into the NBA draft, Gonzaga’s Killian Tillie must go about reinventing – and improving – his game
They are there and he is here in Spokane, but if it bothers Killian Tillie even a whit it is undetectable – even if he fully expected to be there, …