Grip on Sports: The M’s trade James Paxton and that might have been the third most-important story from a crowded Monday

A GRIP ON SPORTS • This may be a product of our now-is-best culture but I’ll ask this question anyway: Can anyone remember a better Monday in sports? Read on.

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• Let’s just tick these things off quickly. The Mariners trade their best starting pitcher to the Yankees. A Monday Night Football games features two teams scoring more than 50 points – the first time that has ever happened in an NFL game. Gonzaga holds off a frenetic Illinois rally and wins in Maui. The Cougar basketball team play their best half of the season and win at home. And an afternoon filled with Apple Cup hype.

Did I miss anything? Besides the NBA , of course, where LeBron James scored 50 again. And there had to be a hockey moment or two that got snowed under in the avalanche of other news, right?

• There seems something suspicious in the timing of the M’s trade, but maybe I’m just too jaded these days. The Mariners are mixed up in an imbroglio over allegations of racism, allegations that also came from another corner yesterday, and need to change the narrative. Lo and behold, they trade Paxton.

OK, we knew it was coming. It has been rumored for weeks. The M’s are retooling and the lefthander is one of their available chips. But the timing seems to have a “hey, look over here” feel to it. By most accounts Jerry Dipoto got a good return: Three players, including the Yankees best young pitching prospect.

That’s all well and good, but Dipoto reiterated yesterday there are a few players he’s not trading. For the life of me I can’t understand why Edwin Diaz is one of them.

The closer, coming off a season for the ages, should command even more of a return than Paxton from a team that is a late-inning specialist away from winning a World Series. And yet Dipoto doesn’t seem to be shopping him. Why not? The M’s need players. There will be little pressure on a closer next season for them, so developing one, as the A’s have done over the years, should be possible.

If you want to rebuild, do it full bore. It’s not time for half measures.

• Between outside obligations and the Gonzaga game, I didn’t get an opportunity to watch the Rams edge the Chiefs last night, but all indications are it was a game for the ages. Unless you’re Buddy Ryan or Pete Carroll or someone else with a love for defense.

Heck, the highlights were so long, I had to quit halfway through last night and go to bed. And if the RedZone channel was up and running last night, it could have shown the entire game.

The NFL has been tweaking its rules for years to favor the offenses. Last night’s game may be the best indicator yet the league has reached its goal. Or created a Frankenstein.

• I watched every second of the Gonzaga game, some of them over and over. I was trying to get every word Bill Walton said exactly right. And yes, you folks owe me big time. I’m thinking of submitting a voucher to sports editor Ralph Walter that charges him double.

When I’ve landed on Walton-infused games in the past, I could zip in and out, taking a teaspoon at a time of his over-the-top show. Last night I had to swallow a couple of cups full in one sitting.

I kept it down, but it was a chore.

The guy I felt sorry for was play-by-play voice Jason Benetti, who supposedly met Walton for the first time two days ago and had to work next to him for two games Monday. At one point Benetti mentioned everyone out in TV land was praying for him. Yes they were.

Look, I love Bill Walton. I cut pictures of him out of Sports Illustrated when he was at UCLA and put them on my wall. He spoke at my wife’s college basketball banquet, when he was trying to overcome some speech problems. He’s lived a life many of us would give our left pinkie to experience.

But ESPN loves to play him up. He becomes the show, not the game. That bothers me.

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WSU: It’s Apple Cup week alright, though with Mike Leach and Chris Petersen in charge in Pullman and Seattle, respectively, there isn’t going to be a lot of trash talk. As Theo Lawson writes, they are frenemies. … The Cougars will have the reigning Pac-12 defensive player of the week, they will have a Davey O’Brien Award finalist and they will have the favorite’s role. Theo covers all that. … He also dons Tom Sherry’s jacket and has the weather report. … Theo talked with Larry Weir for the most recent Press Box pod. … Peter Harriman crossed over from Moscow and covered the Cougars’ 84-70 basketball win over Cal Poly.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, the Apple Cup has to be centerstage, doesn’t it? Petersen spoke yesterday and told a fun story about Leach and In-n-Out. Leach was asked about it and added his side. He also admitted he doesn’t like the chain’s Thousand Island dressing. He’s a ketchup guy. … If Joe Tryon causes the Cougars problems, it’s not because they didn’t want him in Pullman. Miles Gaskins always causes WSU problems. … The Times also has stories on two quarterback legends, UW’s Sonny Sixkiller and a guy who once idolized him, Jack Thompson. … Across the Columbia, Jonathan Smith wants Oregon State to embrace the rivalry with Oregon but to treat it like any other game. That seems counter-intuitive. The Ducks have the much better record but also seem to have more questions. … Colorado has to deal with its head coach being fired before it can prepare for its game at California. … Utah and USC have something in common this week. They both play rivalry games out of conference. The Utes face BYU and the Trojans get third-ranked Notre Dame. … In the desert, Arizona and Arizona State meet for the Territorial Cup, one of my favorite rivalry game names. … UCLA’s Joshua Kelley has had a week to remember. … In basketball, Oregon State and UCLA won, while USC lost to Texas Tech.

Gonzaga: Mark Few likes to use the nonconference schedule to prepare his team for what’s ahead. You know, like in March. That’s what the Maui Invitational feels like, an early preview of a bunch of NCAA Tournament teams. Illinois played like one last night, which is the thrust of John Blanchette’s column. … Jim Meehan has the game analysis and the keys to its outcome. … The folks in the office put together a recap, we have a lot of photos and, finally, I have my Bill Walton-centric TV Take. … The Zags will face Arizona tonight, which has some intrigue of its own, considering the connections between the schools. The Wildcats rallied past Iowa State last night. … Jim had to work even before the game began, as Gonzaga added another big man to its 2019 recruiting class. And the week’s poll was released. GU remained third.

Whitworth: It’s officially official. The undefeated Pirates will travel to Minnesota for Saturday’s second-round NCAA Division III football playoff game. They will face St. John’s University, which is also undefeated.

Seahawks: Call me crazy, but it seems as if you score 51 points in an NFL game, you should win. If you don’t, maybe you need to reexamine your defense. … The Hawks are ready for reinforcements.

Mariners: The big news is, of course, the Paxton trade. The Yankees were willing to sacrifice prospects to get the big left-hander. Did the Mariners get enough back?

Sounders: Say it ain’t so, Ozzie.

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• A breather would be nice. Maybe I’ll just go back to bed, pull the covers up real high and not leave until Wednesday. Seems about right. I’m pretty sure, though, Jay Bilas will be the analyst on tonight’s Gonzaga game, so that should be, if not better, at least quieter. Until later …