Not just another day
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It's Veterans Day, which means I should be sharing a story with you about the most important veteran in my life. Read on.
• Up until four years ago, I would have shared a memory with you about my dad, who was part of the Depression and World War II generation. But he's no longer with us, and has passed from the folks we honor today into one of the people we honor in May on Memorial Day. I know, Memorial Day is about those who died while serving, but it seems right to remember the people of my dad's generation too, as so few of them are with us anymore on this day. So I'll wait. As you probably know, if you read this column on a regular basis, my dad was quite a storyteller, almost as big of one as the guy in the movie "Big Fish." As I was growing up, he wouldn't speak frankly about his nearly six years in the Navy during World War II and its aftermath. However, he would always tell fanciful stories about his time, some true – like his Officers Club' booze caper – and some not – like the time he killed 78 or 464 or 321 (depending on how he felt) Japanese soldiers with one bullet. Maybe that was for the best. Some of the things he saw, I'm not sure I wanted to know about when I was a kid. I do know his destroyer helped pick up survivors of the Indianapolis and earlier in the war he held the officer he admired most in his arms following the officer's drowning. Those things I learned from him later in my life, when dad either felt I was finally mature enough to process the information or he felt he had to get off his chest. Either way, I'm thankful he shared with me. But I'm sure there were other things he saw, things he only hinted at, horrors that formed his personality and outlook on life for the 65 years or so he lived after his service, that he never wanted me to know. I've always wondered if I had been a few years older and had been ready to volunteer to go to Vietnam, if he would have sat me down and told me about the horrible things he experienced. Not to dissuade me necessarily, but to let me know what was in store for me. And whether I would have listened. Like a lot of young men, things my dad said went in one ear and out the other (his phrase, not mine) all the time. I always seemed to know better. At least I thought I did. I wish I had known one thing better back then: to listen. I would have learned a lot more. And I could honor his memory better.
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• WSU: The Cougars' bye week continues, though an award for last week's victory rolled in for Luke Falk. He was the Pac-12 offensive player of the week. Jacob Thorpe has that story as well as a morning post with links. ... The honor earned Falk, who is from Logan, Utah, mention in a somewhat local newspaper. ... The Cougar soccer team earned an NCAA berth for the fourth consecutive year. ... Ernie Kent (pictured) spent a lot of time in Eugene, so its no wonder the Register-Guard did a feature on him. ... Yes, I criticize the officiating in the Pac-12. So it's only fair to point out a big call in a big game they got exactly right. And it was a tough call. Well done.
• Gonzaga: The Seattle Times previewed the upcoming seasons for the men's and women's basketball teams today.
• Whitworth: Besides the soccer team earning an NCAA berth (see link in the WSU section above), the volleyball team is also headed to the Division III postseason.
• Chiefs: Chris Derrick gets your Chiefs coverage started this week with a feature on Colton Bobyk (pictured), a defenseman who began his hockey life as a goal scorer. ... Everett has its WHL notebook today.
• Preps: The playoffs are well underway, with Greg Lee giving us a quick look at this weekend's upcoming football matchups and Jim Allen taking a look at the soccer playoffs.
• Seahawks: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, the injury shark takes a big bite out of the Hawk defense. Yep, Brandon Mebane is going to be out a while with a hamstring pull. That's the type of year it's been. ... Pete Carroll spoke about that and a lot of other stuff yesterday in his radio and media appearances. ... Yes, Mebane will be out. But Carroll expects Kam Chancellor and Malcolm Smith back in the lineup against Kansas City, so there is that. ... We can pass along the snap counts from the Giants game. ... Finally, the most asked about question in Seattle right now: What's going on with Russell Wilson?
• Mariners: The free-agent signing period got started yesterday with the Mets making what looks to be a lousy decision, as per usual.
• Sounders: Say what you will about soccer, it is the only sport in the world in which a scoreless finish to a game means something. The Sounders and goalkeeper Stefan Frei (pictured) held FC Dallas without a goal, which was enough to ensure a Western Conference final meeting with the L.A. Galaxy, starting next week. ... As you would expect, the FC Dallas folks were not happy, the Sounders players were – though they would have liked to have won the match – and Sigi Schmid was, well, Sigi.
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• No matter what you are up to on this Veterans Day, have a good one. And, if you, like my dad, gave up some of the best years of your life to defend this country, thank you. You earned that much, and more. Much, much more. Until later ...
