A GRIP ON SPORTS • The World Cup is over. The MLB is in the stretch between the All-Star Game and the trade deadline. Major golf tournaments are done. Heck, so is the NBA Summer League. Yep, the dog days of summer sports are upon us.
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• There is only one way to react, of course. With a “doggonit,” though the annual disappearance of meaningful games is good in one way. Less pressure to carve time out of the day for must-see-TV. A good time to reconnect with the family. With the sun. With summer’s glow.
Before the smoke of August forces us all back inside.
What did we get to watch Sunday?
• A boring, pack-it-in strategy from defending champion Argentina, which seemed to think its best way to send Lionel Messi into his looming international retirement was to pack the box and hope Spain kept missing. And then pray it could do it all the way to penalties. Against a Spanish team that gave up just a goal throughout its run to the final.
The final score, 1-nil, seemed appropriate considering the strategic decisions. That it was Spain that broke through in extra time. And that might not seem all that appropriate for this year’s Cup, seeing as Messi’s team had found a way to win a couple matches late in their run.
Not against Spain though. The reigning Euro champions have the world’s most-connected defense. It showed. Not only did Argentina not score, it didn’t really take a shot until after Ferran Torres’ found the net in the 106th minute.
• The time between now and teams – other than the M’s – finally begin overspending in hopes of winning the World Series seems like the deadest period of the slog that is the MLB season.
But this is when the wheat and the chaff go their separate ways.
Everyone expects the Mariners to be part of the wheat. Have expected it since the seeds were planted last season. Will they be?
It might take the application of a little weed-killer and fertilizer for Farmer Jerry’s crop to reach its maximum yield. And, with others try to till the same ground, his track record indicates his reticence to pay the price.
Fun thing though. Whatever happens, whether he pulls the trigger or not, it should pull us out of any doldrums in the not-too-distant future.
• It’s hard to watch the British Open, no matter where you are in the States. Time issues and all that.
Watching the relatively immaterial – to history – NBA Summer League final was a lot easier. It was on the WorldWide Leader after all. Though we must admit we forgot about it until late last night, turning on ESPN only in time to watch the last minute or so.
Thankfully, summer league being part of the NBA and all, that was the best part. Unless you are a fan of execution. To paraphrase former USC football coach John McKay, we are in favor of execution – for the last play Memphis drew up to try to overcome a three-point deficit.
A lob across the court, hoping featured draft pick Cameron Boozer could catch it falling away from the basket, turn and fire in 3-pointer? Seemed a tough ask. It didn’t work.
The ball falling harmlessly out of bounds seemed an appropriate way to usher in the dog days.
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WSU: Around the Pac-12, the Jon Wilner mailbag we linked yesterday when it ran in the Mercury News? It is on the S-R site today. We link it again.
Gonzaga: The NBA Summer League’s championship game featured a Zag (Graham Ike), a Cougar and an Eagle (both of them represented by Cedric Coward). In the end, Ike’s Warrior group held off Memphis for the win. Theo Lawson, as has been the case for a while, has this coverage. …Former GU standout point guard Ryan Nembhard is changing teams, heading to Atlanta. Theo also has this story on the NBA’s latest trade.
Idaho: Utah is paying the Vandals $600,000 to open the football season in Salt Lake City, along with other assorted perks.
Indians: The series with Everett, with first place in the Northwest League’s second-half standings at stake, ended poorly for Spokane. And that’s an understatement. Dave Nichols has this game story from the Indians’ 21-3 loss.
Seahawks: Veterans report later in the week to Seattle’s training camp, only the second one ever the franchise opens as the defending NFL champs. Here are a few storylines to watch.
Mariners: Taking two-of-three from the struggling Giants seemed mandatory this weekend. Thanks to Luke Raley’s pinch-hit home run and solid pitching Sunday, the M’s did just that, winning 4-3 and taking the series’ final two games. … Next up for Seattle? A visit by the Reds and friend Eugenio Suarez. …The youngsters up the middle are winning over their teammates.
Storm: Seattle isn’t panicking about its worst trait, blowing leads down the stretch. After all, there is a marathon plan in play here. And it might just end with a chance to win next season.
Golf: The last major of the golf season ended quickly Sunday. The fastest playing pro in the world, Ryan Fox, needed a birdie on Royal Birkdale’s 18th hole. And got it, taking no time at all to step up and hit his Open-winner. That took him to 10-under, one better than Sam Burns, who had been in the clubhouse for what seemed a week-and-a-half. … Scottie Scheffler stood up for Bryson DeChambeau. … Locally, the Rosauers Open Invitational finished up at Indian Canyon on Sunday. Jim Meehan has this story on Hunter Wescott’s win, coming after two clutch putts in the final two holes of his 8-under 63.
World Cup: Of course there is coverage from every corner of the world. Not that we want to link every story. Here are a couple more, from the record-setting winner of the Golden Boot to other thoughts on the strategy employed Sunday.
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• Enjoy your work week. Wherever you are. Until later …
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• Photos: The Spokesman-Review, Getty Images, Tribune News Service