Grip on Sports: May 10th was such a special day with special memories

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Remember that glorious day a couple weeks ago? You know the one I mean. Wednesday, May 10th. The day the Mariners were at .500. The high point of the season. Read on.

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• Wouldn’t it be awful if that day remained the one bright spot in the 2017 season? An 11-6 road win over Philadelphia pulled the Mariners to a 17-17 mark and balanced out a slow start to the season.

Since then?

Basically nothing but despair. OK, that might be a bit much, but how does 3-10 hit you? Like a Conor McGregor kick below the belt, right?

Since that sunny day in Philadelphia, the M’s have been descending quickly in the American League standings. Not just the West, mind you, where they are already mired in last place, but in the league overall.

If Kansas City had found a way to win last night – it didn’t, losing 3-0 at the Yankees – the Mariners would have owned the American League’s worst record.

For those of us who have wanted the M’s to emulate the Royals recently, this isn’t what we meant. The 2015 Royals, not the 2017 ones.

But that is the year we are in. And it doesn’t look promising. The Mariners have lost five consecutive games, face an early start in Washington today and then head to Boston for a weekend series.

The season, which seemed to hold so much hope, is slipping away. Fast.

• When the crud hit the fan over some allegations against Ferris High football coach Jim Sharkey recently, it seemed as if the school, which won a state 4A title in 2010, would be in for a tough offseason.

Sharkey’s contract was not renewed. And a new coach needed to be chosen.

But athletic director Stacey Ward made a great hire, especially considering the circumstances. Former Lewis and Clark head coach Tom Yearout will take over.

Of all the football coaches I covered in my stint as the S-R’s prep overlord, I had as much respect for Yearout and how he ran his program as any of them.

The former Shadle Park standout is a solid choice to help the Saxons recover from a traumatic change.

Though, after all the crud Yearout once game me for showing up to an interview wearing a red sweatshirt (Ferris’ colors), how he’s going to deal with the blowback from switching to the arch-rival South Hill school will be fun to watch.

• Want to give your father a present he may never forget? Can’t help you there. But I would love you to share your fishing stories of your dad with me – and the readers of this column. Just as I did earlier this week.

You put your memories down on your computer and send them to my email address – vincegrippi55@yahoo.com. I’ll take care of the rest. Please include your name and a phone number so we can verify them. That’s it.

We’ve already received a few stories but we’re always fishing for more.

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WSU: Usually such news waits until Sunday in the S-R, but we wanted to pass along the newest members of the Washington State athletic hall of fame. … Much of what the Pac-12 member schools will receive in media compensation over the next handful of years is already spoken for. … In football, Arizona State has lost a defensive back to injury. … Down the road, the Arizona program is in a bit of a free fall. … It’s different to be a head coach instead of an assistant. … On the basketball front, Arizona should be one of the nation’s top-ranked teams next season. … So should USC. … In baseball, expect Oregon State, powered by its pitching, to be a top national seed. … Will Oregon make the NCAA tournament? … Our final story concerns a California rugby player who is trying to fight back after a terrible injury.

Gonzaga: Though it was not unexpected, Johnathan Williams’ decision yesterday to return to Gonzaga for his senior season was a welcome one for the Zags. His inside presence will help stabilize a frontcourt that lost half of its four-man rotation. Jim Meehan has all the particulars in this story. … The WCC baseball tournament opens today in Stockton and Jacob Thorpe catches us up on the favorite, regular-season champion GU. … BYU’s only hope to make the NCAA tournament is to win the WCC automatic berth.

Idaho: Star guard Victor Sanders’ decision to return to school means the Vandals will enter the 2017-18 season as one of the favorites in the Big Sky, if not the favorite. … Reading the list of Sun Belt football schools that will be left after Idaho leaves, it’s no wonder the Vandals never really fit in.

Preps: Greg Lee has the story of Yearout’s hiring as well as a nice feature on a couple of Medical Lake sprinters, which doubles as an advance on the small school state track meet, and an advance of the large school state track meet, focused on a Mead star. … State golf finished up in Washington yesterday, with Jim Meehan covering the 4A boys tournament. … Steve Christilaw has an advance of state tennis, which is also this weekend.

Mariners: Dave Nichols has the Mariners Log from last night’s game. It isn’t what any M’s fan wants to deal with, that’s for sure. We’ve added the links at the bottom.

Seahawks: A day later, the Cortez Kennedy news still is stunning. … Colin Kaepernick was in Kirkland and reports have him spending a long time talking with the Hawks. … This is worth reading.

Sounders: A tempest in a coffee pot? No, just some fun rivalry banter about Timber Joey or whatever his name is.

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• I came this close to taking the day off, mainly because the cat woke me before the sun came up today. I wanted to just feed the darn thing and go back to bed. But duty called and here we are. Anyone want an overweight, hates-to-be-held, runs-from-mice, ancient cat with a surly attitude? Me neither. Not today. Until later …