How is Nicklaus still the master and other pressing questions
A GRIP ON SPORTS • If Jack Nicklaus can make a hole in one at age 117 or whatever, why can't I? It's those type of questions that are on my mind this fine Thursday. Read on.
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• Jack is just 75, so I guess his hole-in-one yesterday during the Masters' par-3 contest isn't that big a deal. Right. I mean, really, I just hope to be somewhat ambulatory at age 75 – though owning one of those little scooters has always fascinated me – so swinging a golf club and back-spinning a ball into the cup from 123 yards at his age is quite impressive. Even more so is Nicklaus saying he never had a hole in one at Augusta before. The guy is still proving he's the greatest of all time.
• Speaking of the Masters, it is going on as I type. As usual, there is no shortage of storylines, including a kinder, gentler Tiger Woods returning to golf after a self-imposed absence, Rory McIlroy attempting to complete the career Grand Slam and Jordan Spieth trying to break through in a major. This is always my favorite golf weekend of the year and I will be out of town for most of it. Darn it.
• The Mariners needed a good start from Hisashi Iwakuma yesterday and they didn't get it. A four-run first inning was enough for the Angels to take a 5-3 victory. Is it time to panic? Ask me again in a month.
• Baseball is underway. That's a good thing. But otherwise, this is a quite month. Sure, this weekend is big, what with the Masters on. After that, though, there is little to grab your attention. Heck, even locally the cupboard is empty. Hockey is over, the Shock looks to be in a downward spiral thanks to a game of musical quarterbacks and spring football just isn't that big a deal. One nice thing, though. The blooms are beginning to show. Walking around is a nicer this month than it was about three weeks ago.
• One last thing. I wish I could write as well as Wright Thompson. This piece on the final months of former Washington State basketball assistant Jason Rabedeaux's life is not only sad and depressing, it is also superbly written.
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• WSU: What's going on around the Pac-12? A little of this, a little of that.
• EWU: As Eastern works through its spring football practice schedule, Jim Allen is working through the position groupings. Today he has the running backs. ... Athletic director Bill Chaves is going to be on a committee looking at the graduate transfer rule, as well as all the rules pertaining to transfers. After what happened with Vernon Adams, it seems like a conflict of interest to me. Just kidding. Jim has more in this story.
• Shock: The Shock are back on the field tonight in Portland, meeting the Thunder with an 0-3 start a distinct possibility. Jim Meehan has an advance of tonight's game.
• Chiefs: The Chiefs' loss to Everett came so late Tuesday night, Chris Derrick put together a story to have in today's paper.
• Preps: It's Thursday, so we can pass along some local high school news from Greg Lee. He has a notebook on all sports and one on track and field as well as the track and field leaders in the area.
• Seahawks: When your first pick is in the second round, the mock drafts sort of leave you alone.
• Mariners: The big news, besides the loss of course, was baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was in town, part of his first tour as head of the organization. John Blanchette was as Manfred's press conference and has this column. There are also columns from Art Thiel, Dave Boling and Larry Stone. ... As we said, the first couple innings doomed the M's last night, with Iwakuma not throwing well but also not getting much help from his defense. ... Seth Smith, star of the opener, was Seth Smith, injured player last night. He had to sit due to tightness in his groin. ... Missed this yesterday but I wanted to pass along John McGrath's column.
• Sounders: The Mariners may not have anyone in the baseball Hall of Fame, but there are two folks with Sounder connections who will soon enter the soccer one in this country. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who is from Lacey, Wash., and finished his career in Seattle, and current coach Sigi Schmid were both elected yesterday. ... Schmid was pretty overwhelmed with the honor as was Keller. ... There are lots of reasons why they both got in.
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• An early heads up. Due to personal duties, I probably will not be posting on Saturday morning. The only way it happens is if I have such bad insomnia I am awake at 3 in the morning, and I am hoping that's not the case. Until later ...
