August – and football – can’t get here quick enough
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Is it August yet? No? Well, can it please be August soon? Then we would have some football news to pass along. Read on.
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• As another Mariners season sinks slowly into oblivion, the mornings seem to have a void. There is a distinct lack of news that excites a Spokane-area sports fan. An eight-run inning by the home team makes the M's loss in Detroit last night another downer. Today's lineup – Chris Taylor and Jesus Sucre, basically outs, are hitting eighth and ninth against David Price – ensures a lack of interest in the afternoon game. The U.S. men's soccer team played dumb, stupid, dumb soccer yesterday in its 2-1 loss to Jamaica at the Gold Cup, leaving the U.S. in the meaningless third-place game this weekend. Heck, even if you are a soccer fan (and I know not all that many of you are), the state's professional team – at one point the MLS' best team – seems physically unable to score goals right now thanks to a top-heavy roster that is lacking its top players. Oh sure, there are other things to rally around, but even the local teams, the Indians and Shock, are flailing around the .500 mark (Indians) or well below that (Shock). That's not a lot of fun. That's why we need August. It's a month of rebirth. Football rebirth. The local college teams spend the month getting ready for the regular season. Everyone is undefeated and has dreams of glory. The Seahawks begin training camp. They have a legitimate chance to win another Super Bowl. The month should be filled with nothing but hope. Unlike the past couple. They have been filled with disappointment. And, whenever Mike Zunino steps into the batter's box, despair.
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• WSU: Guess what. ESPN's Pac-12 blog has the Cougar running backs in the "good shape" category. ... Oregon has its most important position battle slated for the most important position.
• Gonzaga: Former GU center Robert Sacre is mentioned in this piece on the Lakers' odd roster.
• Indians: Spokane returned to the .500 mark with a 9-7 victory in Boise.
• Shock: A win over the defending AFL champions can do wonders for a team confidence. Last week's victory over Arizona did just that. Jim Meehan has more in this week's notebook. The best nugget he has? Has to be the info on the AFL cancelling a game to save money and declaring it a tie. What a league.
• Seahawks: The Hawks made a minor roster move yesterday, waving a running back with local ties. ... How will rookie Tyler Lockett impact the return game?
• Mariners: Nelson Cruz hit two home runs last night in Detroit. It didn't matter. Mike Montgomery had his worst start in the big leagues and the M's lost 9-5. And Zunino, who seems to play just about every day, had a hit. His 1-for-4 night raised his average to .166. ... Robinson Cano has been, well, Robinson Cano in July. It hasn't been enough for Seattle though.
• Sounders: On a night of chaos and controversy in the Gold Cup, the Sounders continued to search for an offensive attack that will get them through an awful stretch. ... Erik Friberg seems to be fitting in once again. ... Seattle knows it has to get better at all levels.
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• The dog days of summer. Aptly named. Until later ...
