We have our priorities in order around here
A GRIP ON SPORTS • What a great weekend to do all those things outdoors you haven't done in a while. Barbecue meat? Check. Trim the bushes? OK. Hold a football scrimmage? Heck ya. Read on.
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• Defending national champion Ohio State held its spring game yesterday in Columbus (pictured). In attendance were almost 100,000 people. For a scrimmage. Basically, a gussied up practice. And I thought only folks down South were that, well, involved in college football. (I almost wrote wacko, but thought better of it.) The infection has spread up the Mississippi River basin I see. Luckily it hasn't metastasized enough to have infected our area. Heck, I'm not sure, in the past 10 years total, there have been that many people at Washington State and Idaho and Eastern Washington spring games combined. Good for us. There are better things around here to do in the spring – I can name at least a dozen without even blinking – than attend a college football practice. Just because you don't put on a sweatshirt and a hat and sit in the stands cheering on the fourth-string defensive back as he gets worked by the starting receiver doesn't mean you are less of a fan of your team. It just means you have good sense. Yes, I get it. Ohio State and Auburn and Georgia make their spring games a celebration of the program. There is – and will be next Saturday at Albi Stadium and in Cheney – a lot more to do than just watch a practice. There is the camaraderie of meeting with like-mined people. There is the joy of seeing some players compete for the first time. There are adult beverages. But there really isn't a game. It's a practice with spectators. And referees. And, in Ohio State's case, the worldwide leader.
• The Cougars and Eagles held scrimmages yesterday and, try as I might, I couldn't find them anywhere on the ESPN family of stations. Heck, the Ocho was showing some dodgeball tournament from Las Vegas. But that doesn’t mean something wasn't accomplished. (There's that age-old philosophy question, if a college holds a spring scrimmage and ESPN doesn't televise it, does it make a sound?) Down in Pullman, Peyton Bender showed he's not going to cede the quarterback position to Luke Falk without a battle (hence our poll). The redshirt freshman threw six touchdown passes and looked as if he is ready to step in against that tough Cougar non-conference schedule right now. Out in Cheney, the Eastern offense decided to re-assert itself against new defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding's group. Led by a bunch of youngsters, the offense put up 550 yards in the 85-play scrimmage. But that's the way spring goes. One week the defense dominates, the next it is the offense. Hopefully, to the coaches, by the end of the spring, both are hitting on all cylinders. Or at least are ready for prime time.
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• WSU: Not to brag or anything, but the best coverage of yesterday's scrimmage was right here, with Jacob Thorpe filling up the blog with multiple entries. He had the statistics, some thoughts on what went on and interviews with Marcellus Pippins, the two quarterbacks, Bender and Falk, and head coach Mike Leach. He also had a post on the scoring system Leach will employ next week as well as a morning post with links. ... Lest we forget, Jacob has a story in this morning's paper. ... Later on in the day Saturday, the Cougar baseball team routed San Jose State.
• EWU: The Eagles' scrimmage was covered by Jim Allen, who has this story. ... Jim also has a story on the basketball team and where coach Jim Hayford thinks the roster is headed. ... Former quarterback Vernon Adams already seems to be fitting in with his soon-to-be Oregon teammates.
• Shock: The Shock has the weekend off, but they were not joined by Arizona and Portland, who met last night. The Rattlers won, 65-47.
• Chiefs: The WHL playoffs may be over soon for Washington teams as Everett faces elimination against Portland.
• Preps: One of the best track meets of the year is the Pasco Invite. Yesterday it lived up to that. Greg Lee was there and has the story.
• Seahawks: The offseason, somewhat slow thus far, will begin to heat up this week with the first of the team workouts. Then it only gets more crowded as the draft nears. ... Russell Wilson, who used his position as team leader to build unity in Hawaii last week, still has the baseball bug. ... A guy the Hawks looked at for their vacant center position signed elsewhere.
• Mariners: They are called stoppers for a reason. Felix Hernandez is a stopper, a starting pitcher who takes the mound and stops a losing streak. He did that yesterday for the M's and then some. The King went seven innings, struck out 12 and led the M's to a much-needed 3-1 victory. And he did it with some soreness left in his quadriceps. ... Brad Miller has worked hard to become a better defensive shortstop. It looks as if the work is paying off. ... Dominic Leone has worked hard to improve his mechanics. It looks as if the work is paying off. ... A Seattle guy is now playing with the Rangers.
• Sounders: Lamar Neagle showed he has some fortitude, Obafemi Martins showed he has some flash – OK, a lot of flash – and the Sounders showed they can penetrate the MLS' best defense, winning 3-1 at Colorado last night. ... The Sounders slowed the match and that helped their attack. ... Vancouver just continues to roll, earning a 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake in extra time.
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• Barbecued pork chops last night. Perfect. Will do steaks and chicken tonight. I love this type of weather. Until later ...
