A Grip on Sports: The weekend hits quicker which is a good thing, as Wednesdays are usually a sports desert

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Wednesday is not only hump day at our place. It’s also trash day. We gather all that we’ve accumulated the past week, sift through it and jettison what we don’t want.

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• Wednesdays are also sort of trashy in the sports world. How many big events are held on the day? If your answer wasn’t “not many,” you’ve got it wrong. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to cover, what with the weekend ahead. A weekend that actually begins tomorrow night in these parts.

Utah was the odds-on favorite to win the Pac-12 title before the season’s first kickoff. The Utes still may, though a nonconference loss that first week in Florida and a recent road loss to UCLA has tamped down the excitement a bit in Salt Lake City.

To earn a title, one has to appear in the title game. And that won’t happen for the Utes if they lose Thursday night in Pullman. There is such a separation at the top of the conference, none of the Big Four – Oregon, USC, UCLA and Utah – can afford a loss to a member of the Little Eight if they want to appear in the Las Vegas rumble.

Does all that make any different to the Cougars? Nope. They have their own issues – and motivation. Apart from no one wanting to be part of a “little” anything, Washington State needs a win to snap its downward spiral. It came oh-so-close to upsetting Oregon in Pullman. It didn’t compete as well at USC and Oregon State. It had a week off to makes changes, rest and get refocused.

The final five games the regular season await. The stretch run has to include at least two wins for the reward of a bowl game to kick in. It all starts tomorrow night.

• Been missing college basketball? Believe it or not, it begins this week. Before Halloween.

The Zags will play Tennessee on Friday in Texas, an exhibition game scheduled under NCAA guidelines. To wit, the teams are playing to raise money for charity, the Ohio-based McLendon Foundation, an organization that, according to its website, offers scholarships for minority students who intend to pursue a postgraduate degree in athletics.

In that vein, if you can’t get to Frisco, you’ll have to buy a pay-per-view feed to watch. Whether it’s worth it is up to you. Maybe you’re feeling generous and want to support the charity. Or maybe you just can’t wait 10 days or so for the Zags’ real opener against North Florida. Or maybe Friday is date night and that certain someone special is hankering to watch GU play.

Whatever the reason, you can scratch your Gonzaga itch this week.

• Back to football, but still within the streaming vein, it looks as if the Pac-12 is about to make a deal with Amazon for some of its football games.

Jeff Bezo’s former book-selling company – that seems so long ago – has been in bed with the NFL for a while now and seems to be doing well with its Thursday night package – though there is some disagreement just how well. And it’s added a Black Friday game in 2023, which is ironic in that Amazon is one of the main reasons American’s don’t go shopping on that date as much anymore.

But the streaming and retail giant wants to do add more sports. College is about the only entity with any product left to sell. It seems like a match that is inevitable.

• One thing about growing older. When hall of fames induct folks, as the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame did yesterday, you know everyone that’s being honored. And can recall either watching them play, covering their endeavors or have working with them.

From Adam Morrison to Bill Pierce, yesterday’s class of honorees is ingrained deep in our memories. We knew Adam when he was just an elementary school student. We watched Ray Whitney skate around the ice when our boys were in elementary school. We got to know Dick Zornes when our sons were in high school. And on and on.

One other thing. We also know everyone of this year’s class earned their way in. And deserved to be remembered.

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WSU: Injuries have hit the receiver position, so changes have had to be made. As Colton Clark tells us, the bye week was used to get a couple of new faces in new spots comfortable. … The conference held its basketball media yesterday for the women (the men take the stage today). Washington State was picked to finish seventh. Jim Allen has that news story. … Former Cougar star Klay Thompson was ejected last night for the first time in his pro career. His eruption has some deep roots. … Utah is not interested about what others are doing but it seems its fans aren’t as interested in their team as they usually are. The Utes are interested in Cam Ward, though. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner has his power ratings in today’s S-R. … He also has his bowl projections in the Mercury News. … We linked his thoughts about Amazon above, but there is more to it. The NFL and college football are on a collision course over time slots. … Washington’s offense is powerful. Just how powerful? … Oregon may not have a key defender when it faces California. … Both Colorado and Arizona State are still trying to determine who will start at quarterback this week. … Due to injuries, USC has to make some adjustments at receiver. Arizona might have one to spare. … UCLA has to put the Oregon loss behind it. … In basketball news, Stanford’s women are a big favorite in the conference, and we mean that two ways. … Oregon was picked second and Arizona third. … The conference will have to adjust when USC and UCLA leave, though not as much as it would have had to 10 years ago. … Among the men, Oregon State has a freshman standing out. … UCLA should be the pick today.

Gonzaga: We mentioned the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony above. We link Dave’s story, with Adam Morrison as the headliner, in this spot. … We also mentioned the Zags’ exhibition game. Jim Meehan has more in this preview. … Theo Lawson has a story on more Bulldogs added to watch lists. … The women are ready to play someone else as well, but as Jim Allen tells us, they will have to wait a while.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, it doesn’t get easier for Montana, who faces off with fifth-ranked Weber State this week. … Don’t lawmakers have more important things to do? … It’s been a record-setting year for the conference already. … In basketball news, Northern Colorado will have a game on ESPNU. … Weber State has a new coach and a new look.

Preps: There is some big news in the high school ranks, including a football coaching change for the rest of the season at Ferris High. Dave has this story. … He also has a roundup of Tuesday’s playoff action in the fall sports.

Seahawks: Geno Smith has done the near impossible thus far this season. … The Hawks still need to win over the national media. … The defense got together and decided to turn things around. … How will the Seahawks look without DK Metcalf?

Mariners: There are more questions, and answers, about the offseason.

Sounders: The team picked up a few options before the offseason.

Kraken: Despite losing a player before the game to injury, Seattle posted a big win in Buffalo as it tries to establish an identity.

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• Let’s be real. Does anyone have Wednesday listed as their favorite day of the week. Sunday, Saturday, maybe even Friday. But Wednesday? No way. Until later …