Grip on Sports: Even the NBA playoffs can be caught in the Spokane vortex on slow April nights

A GRIP ON SPORTS • A hot cup of coffee. The computer connected to the Internet. What could be better in the morning? How about some news. Read on.

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• Mitt Romney wearing a Jazz jersey with David Stockton’s number on it and trash talking Russell Westbrook? Is that what passes as “big” news in late April?

Unfortunately, yes.

At least on Monday nights in late April. When the Mariners get down about 115-to-zip in the first inning and their big trade of the day is for a former member of their pitching staff. Spring football is either over or winding down at the local universities. The NFL draft isn’t until the weekend. There is little in the way of prep news on the first day of the work week.

But it’s going to be 70 degrees today, so who wants to worry about it?

• Want to feel old? Ask Uncle Google about John Stockton and Jerry Sloan. A cute gif or video of David Stockton’s son, sitting in John’s lap, high-fiving the former Jazz coach will show up.

John Stockton’s a grandfather? Of course he is, but, c’mon, wasn’t it just yesterday he was flipping little backhanded bounce passes to Karl Malone and knocking the Lakers out of the playoffs?

Where did the time go?

• Sometimes when you hold a contrarian opinion, you will get roasted on social media. (Heck, you can hold the majority opinion and still get roasted, but that’s another story.) But social media you can tune out. Not so a family member.

My eldest son took me apart yesterday over my Ichiro thoughts. He wasn’t buying any of it.

And he made some good points.

It was a respectful, animated, intelligent discussion, the kind that is rare these days. 

Neither of us budged. But neither did we walk away thinking the other was totally off-base. OK, I’m projecting some there. I admit his arguments were solid. Hopefully, he felt the same way about mine.

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WSU: A Washington State pitcher picked up the Pac-12’s weekly honor. … Around the conference, Washington has finished up spring practice as well, giving us a few players to focus upon. … Todd McNair’s lawsuit against the NCAA is finally being heard in court. … The Pac-12 could use BYU doing well in football. … Oregon State’s Jake Luton is trying to take care of his body. … Utah has a committee in place as it searches for a new athletic director. … Matisse Thybulle is coming back to UW.

Gonzaga: Zach Collins played for a year in Spokane. He helped the Zags make their deepest run ever in the NCAA Tournament. Now he’s in Portland, having finished his rookie season with the Blazers. Jim Meehan caught up with him for this story. … There is video from Collins’ post-season press conference yesterday. … A Zag pitcher picked up the WCC’s weekly honor. … Elsewhere in the conference, Elijah Bryant’s decision to turn pro is going to impact BYU.

Chiefs: Everett’s offense exploded in the third period and the Silvertips defeated Tri-City 8-4 to take a 2-1 lead in the WHL’s Western Conference finals.

Preps: We do have roundups from softball and baseball.

Mariners: This one was over in the first inning. Mike Leake struggled and the M’s lost 10-4 to the woeful White Sox in the woeful White Sox stadium. … Danny Farquhar is fighting for his life after suffering a brain aneurysm, the same thing that took my mom 30 years ago. … Roenis Elias is back in the Seattle organization.

Seahawks: Pete Carroll said yesterday the Hawks could still sign Colin Kaepernick. Do you believe him? Or do you suspect the NFL’s lawyers told the Seahawks to say such things, being the league is embroiled in a lawsuit with the former 49er quarterback? … Seattle’s draft results haven’t been what John Schneider would like recently, so he’s changing some of the team’s criteria.

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• There is something fun to watch these nights besides Netflix. The NHL playoffs are underway. Talk about intensity. And, for those of you who like to see the Oklahoma City Thunder season end with a whimper, it might just happen as well. They are down 3-1 to the Jazz. But I wouldn’t count out Westbrook just yet. Until later …