A GRIP ON SPORTS • The M’s lost. There is more discussion of Russell Wilson’s contract. Hoopfest is in town. It’s hot. All’s right with the world. Read on.

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• Nothing out-of-the-ordinary happened yesterday, other than the temperature hit triple digits in Spokane in June, something that’s hasn’t happened often over the past 100 years or so. It made the six or so miles we walked around downtown Spokane yesterday more of a safari than a leisurely stroll. But that’s behind us today. And ahead of us as well as we watch a wide variety of teams compete. I always thought I had a lot of courts to get to until I ran into Whitworth women’s coach Helen Higgs who showed me her old-school hand-written list of games she wanted to get to. It ran about 25 teams long, if not more. We were humbled. But OK with it, knowing full well unless Helen had a secret super identity, she wasn’t getting to every game on her card. Well, time to get to it again.

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• EWU: The Eagles lost a long-time supporter of track and field this week.

• Indians: There was a big offensive explosion last night, only it was Salem-Keiser that had it. The Volcanoes blew out Spokane, 12-3.

• Shadow: Spokane won 2-0 at Vancouver last night to tighten the league race.

• Hoopfest: After 26 years, Hoopfest will finally make its national television debut this morning with ESPN’s SportsCenter broadcasting from downtown. Jim Allen has that story and he and Tom Clouse combined for this notebook. ... Kathy Plonka has a picture gallery of photographs.

• Seahawks: So it seems guaranteed money is really important to Russell Wilson. ... Money, guaranteed or not, also seems increasingly important to Michael Bennett.

• Mariners: We will call it the Cano Principle. What can go bad, will go bad. Robisnon Cano was hit in the head with an errant throw during between-innings warmup, while sitting in the dugout. He had to leave the game. Of course he was 0-for-3 at that point, including a key rally-killing double play. But still. The M’s went on to lose 4-2 to the Angels though they probably didn’t lose their second baseman for much time. ... Lloyd McClendon would really like Fernando Rodney to regain his form and take back the closer’s role. ... We have some power rankings to pass along. ... A Mariner minor leaguer will play in the Pan Am Games.

• Sounders: It’s game day again, with the Sounders traveling to Cascadia rival Portland this afternoon. It will be hot in Portland today, in more ways than one. ... A young Sounder may make his debut today. ... Real Salt Lake picked up another red card in a draw with Columbus. ... San Jose picked a big win in a big way.

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• See you here tomorrow morning. Same Bat-time, same Bat-station. Until then ...

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