A GRIP ON SPORTS • The beginning of the summer is only days away. Or already here, depending on how you rate school’s end, the calendar of the phases of the earth’s rotation. That’s nice because, well, summer is warmer than spring. Or winter. Then again, winter’s main sport is still underway and it’s getting really hot in New York.
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• Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older and … er, sorry. My mind wandered back to ‘60s rock and roll lyrics there for a moment. What I meant to say is wouldn’t it be nice if the New York fans could experience the type of pain those of us living in the Northwest underwent just a few short months ago?
You know, if their Knicks, on the cusp of their first NBA title since Brian Wilson was alone in his room, leading a playoff series 2-0 and both wins coming on the road, came home and saw the whole thing slip away? It’s not as if New York hasn’t won an oversize amount of titles in all sports over the years (see Yankees, New York). Maybe it would be good for the fans of teams in the city that never sleeps to experience the type of disappointment Mariner fans seem to experience every year. Though it actually only happened once. Last October.
It helped with our personal growth, right?
That’s what we tell ourselves on those cold winter nights when sleep just won’t come, isn’t it?
Building a little character would be just the ticket for New Yorkers those hot August nights, when the humidity up and downtown is so thick three showers and Speed Stick lathered on like cream cheese isn’t enough to stop the sweating.
Come to think of it, though, the only team sweating in these NBA Finals are the San Antonio Spurs. Welcome to the bright lights Victor (Wembanyama) and the rest of the guys. You don’t look ready. Not yet.
Maybe Monday night? In Madison Square Garden? Wouldn’t that be something?
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WSU: Shoot. No recruiting announcements to pass along? I feel as if I’m letting you down. Sorry. We do, however, have a West Coast football recruiting summary to pass along, courtesy of Jon Wilner in the Mercury News. And Wilner’s weekly mailbag in the S-R. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano wondered if a little piece of news might have slipped out in this week’s Senate hearing. … Yes, it’s that time of the football year in which recruiting never stops. Not for Washington at least, as the Huskies seem to be making news almost everyday. … Nor for Oregon State. … The Huskies still have a cash flow issue. … Colorado has tried to bolster its defense all spring. … Fresno State is trying to bolster its revenue by selling premium seats. … In baseball news, the Super Regional in Austin, pitting Oregon against Texas, begins today. The Ducks look the part of a championship team. So do the Longhorns. … USC, our West Coast pick to click this weekend, won at North Carolina yesterday. The power is still on for the Trojans. … Oregon State fell short of moving on mainly due to an anemic offense.
EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Montana showed it is still recruiting for next football season with a recent transfer addition. … Northern Colorado and Portland State announced who is heading to the Sky’s July media event in Spokane. … A UC Davis offensive lineman is among the FCS’ best. … Idaho State finally earned an NCAA berth in softball. Now the Bengals want to take the next steps.
Indians: Spokane’s bats were blazing Friday night at Avista Stadium. Probably hot enough to set off the postgame fireworks a bit early. Dave Nichols was there and has this coverage of the Indians’ 12-5 victory over Hillsboro, the team Spokane hopes to catch and pass this week in the Northwest League standings.
Seahawks:Jaxon Smith Njigba is making connections in the Seattle community. … Remember when what is now known as Lumen Field was just an idea in Paul Allen’s head? When he asked for out help in building a new home for the Seahawks? He promised doing so would help the community attract huge events. That promise is coming true this summer. Just before his family sells the franchise to someone who will probably demand a new stadium.
Mariners: The one team Seattle did top in baseball’s postseason last year, the Tigers, took a little revenge Friday. Part of the 7-3 win in Detroit was built on knocking around Bryan Woo early. Part of it was knocking around the bullpen late. And part of it was knocking J.P. Crawford out of the game early with a Framber Valdez fastball. Nothing suspicious there at all. At least he’s OK. … If the M’s want to add a bat, here’s a player they should ask Minnesota to give them. Maybe the Twins will say yes. … Every starting pitcher is going to get a little more rest soon. … Cal Raleigh will be playing in Tacoma soon.
NBA: We linked the S-R game story from the Knicks’ 105-104 win in Texas on Friday night above. We link it here too.
Storm: The WNBA season is 25% done. How are the Storm doing?
Sounders: A home match with Vancouver later in the summer will start a bit later than originally planned.
World Cup: The U.S. Men’s National Team has one more friendly before FIFA’s world championship commences. Today in Chicago. Against Germany. It seems to have more importance than usual.
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• Before I call it quits this morning, I wanted to share some award news concerning the S-R’s sports staff. The group won quite a few APSE and regional awards recently. Good for them. My philosophy, to quote my second-oldest friend Jim Rockford, “I think the nomination is really the award.” Though I’m pretty sure no one nominated me for anything. … Finally, can’t let a June 6 pass by without thanking those who did the impossible 82 years ago today in France. Until later …