A Grip on Sports: Another weekend filled with Olympic competition to watch and yet we still fuss and fret about football

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s not often we wake up just after 5 a.m. and our upper South Hill home is sweating. Not literally, mind you, but with the thermostat reading 75 degrees, we certainly were. It doesn’t bode well for today, what with 100-plus in the forecast. Oh well, we might as well hunker down, enjoy our more than 30-year-old air conditioner and watch TV. For the next couple days.

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• The usual Friday task is pretty simple today. Here’s the Olympics (and everything else) TV schedule. Enjoy your weekend. That’s the macro view. The micro view? Well, Kim is downstairs with the dogs – “hey, why aren’t we all still in bed?” – watching the U.S. men’s soccer team play Morocco in the quarterfinals on USA. It’s the first time since 2008 in Bejing the U23 squad has advanced this far in the tournament, which is exciting. Before we finish writing today, we should know if the men have moved on to the semifinals. (UPDATE: They did not, losing 4-0.)

What’s in store for Saturday and Sunday? Well, lots of track and field, including the women’s 100-meter final tomorrow morning at 10:10 on USA. That comes on the heels of the men’s basketball team trying to do their best Little Giants imitation and annex Puerto Rico’s medal hopes at 8:15.

Sunday morning includes more track – plus esoteric gold medal competitions. Or, if you prefer, the true Olympic events, such as table tennis (men’s final at 6 on USA), badminton (men’s doubles at 9:15 on CNBC) and shooting (women’s skeet, 11:30, also on CNBC). These are the sports the U.S. masses only really get to experience once every four years. And usually only if there is someone wearing red, white and blue in the picture.

Basically, the entire weekend’s overnight and morning hours can be spent sitting in front of the television, munching Skinny Pop, drinking flavored water and watching whatever sport catches your fancy. Sound perfect to us. Well, with Diet Pepsi instead of water. We’ll need the caffeine to get through dressage (12:45 p.m. Sunday on USA).

• OK, back to the States. Back to the king. Back to football. We’re a little worried about the quarterback position. At Washington State. With the Seahawks. Heck, just about everywhere. Where is Gardner Minshew when you need him?

To be honest, when Minshew was at this point in his only Cougar season, he was, basically, John Mateer or Zevi Eckhaus. An unknown quantity. Vying for the starting job. Trying to survive the first few days of preseason camp and cement his place on the depth chart.

Of course, in 2018 Mike Leach was the Cougars’ head coach. And despite being one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in a 10-win season, the word “or” followed Minshew’s name on that chart all year. Thankfully, we’re confident Jake Dickert will decide on a starter at some point and hand over the offensive reins. Take the “or” off the chart. But for how long? That’s always a question.

As is the query coming out of Renton. After missing two consecutive practices, we wonder how long Geno Smith is going to be out? We might have some clarity later Friday, as Smith is expected to go for medical imaging on what’s being described as a lower body injury. The 12s each have 12 fingers crossed, we’re sure. Then again, there was a time many of the same group were all in on Drew Lock, as the former Bronco battled Smith to replace Russell Wilson in the lineup.

Maybe worrying is a waste of time. It would be better to just trust the process and ride out the next couple weeks. It will all work out.

Nah. It’s time to pull out every talisman you have. Say a few prayers. Fuss and fume. After all, it’s football season.

• Let’s take a minute to sit on the front steps and pour one out for a fallen comrade. The Pac-12, as we knew it. Today is the day of its official demise.

Aug. 2, 2024 will go down in infamy, along with a few other dates the past few years that led up to this one. The defectors – Washington, Oregon, USC, UCLA, California, Stanford, Colorado, Utah, Arizona State and Arizona – are members of the Big Ten or the ACC or the Big 12. Officially. But for who knows how long?

The Pac-12 was a lifelong friend. And losing it to self-inflicted wounds is hard to take. Oh, sure, there were numerous outside influences involved, but the nails in the conference’s coffin were pounded in from the inside.

So long to an American institution. And good luck to Washington State and Oregon State. Maybe the duo can soon pry open the lid, dig their way out and rebuild what the West Coast deserves. A power conference with the region’s power schools. All of them.

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WSU: After the second day of preseason camp, the scorecard reads offense 1, defense 1. Greg Woods has this coverage of the defense’s strong Thursday practice, and takes some time to delve into how that impacts the quarterback competition. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Jon Wilner talked with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petittti about most issues confronting college sports these days. … He also delved into the money issues Cal and Stanford are facing thanks to a terrible deal with the ACC. Both appear in the Mercury News. … John Canzano shoots holes into the Big-12-is-after-WSU-and-OSU rumors. … Speaking of the Beavers, they are two days into preseason camp and the offense feels it has done its homework. … Washington has a running back who is coming back from a season-ending knee injury suffered almost a year ago. Cameron Davis wants to make an impact for the Huskies. … The number series in the Oregonian is still going, with No. 30 for Oregon State and Oregon. … The Ducks feel they are ready for Big Ten play and can match rosters with anyone. But they still need to improve if they want to meet expectations. … Just how did Utah end up in the Big 12? … The bigger question for UCLA is why did it bail to the Big Ten? … Its neighbors at USC are taking an uncharacteristically quiet path as they enter the Big Ten. … Arizona has some new buzzwords to use to go along with its new home. … After starting as a freshman, an Arizona State player cannot wait for his sophomore season to start. … In basketball news, we now know how much Oregon is paying its assistants. … Around the Mountain West, there were storylines to watch  and questions to answer as Colorado State opened practice. … The situation at Utah State concerning its football coaching staff is still in a bit of turmoil. … What will New Mexico and other do when more football scholarships are needed? … It was cool and calm at the first San Diego State practice under coach Sean Lewis. … Hawaii’s edge rushers are making an impact already. … It’s always nice for a college football player to have older brothers to look up to. … There is a battle at nose tackle for Wyoming. … We jumped all over the other conferences yesterday for trying to claim Olympic medals – like those of Stanford grad Katie Ledecky, who is now the most decorated female swimmer ever – that belong to the Pac-12’s legacy. We were not alone. … Former Arizona State swimmer Leon Marchand is also part of that legacy.

Gonzaga: Mark Few not only has a great seat for the U.S. men’s basketball games – as did two of his children Thursday – but he’s also attending a master’s class in coaching every day. … The Zags are mentioned in this look at how realignment impacts college basketball.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, we start with basketball at Montana State. Just because. … Northern Colorado will have a new look on its helmets. … Idaho State opened practice knowing it must pick a quarterback. We have a personal favorite. … Weber State also kicked off its preseason camp. … Sacramento State’s athletic director is adding a new role with the NCAA.

Indians: We understand Dave Nichols’ frustration. About the only things sports writers root for are no one is hurt and the game is quick. The latter didn’t happen last night. Spokane fell 13-9 to Hillsboro in a game at Avista that took well over three hours. Dave has the coverage. … Elsewhere in the Northwest League, Tri- Vancouver walked-off Tri-City 3-2 in 10 innings. … Everett outslugged visiting Eugene 13-11 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Velocity: Spokane is back at league play Saturday and back on the road. The Velocity will travel to Statesboro, Georgia, to meet South Georgia Tormenta FC, the first of three consecutive USL League One road matches.

Hoopfest: We’ve watched some 3x3 Olympic basketball and we’ve come to one conclusion. The game used in the Olympics is designed for TV – and to help level the playing field throughout the world. The game we see each June in Spokane at the world’s largest tournament? It’s better. And it’s also well-known among those competing for medals in Paris, as Theo Lawson’s story explains.

UFC: Michael Chiesa has been fighting so long, he was a guest on a radio show we used to be on before he began fighting. And it’s been years since we’ve been on the radio. Chiesa fights again this weekend in a battle of veterans. Charlotte McKinley has this preview.

Olympics: We mentioned as the Games began we were wondering what scandal would overtake the world in the fortnight. We certainly had boxing among the favorites – the IOC and the sport’s governing body have been at loggerheads for a while – but not the one that unfolded. It just continues a fine tradition of political concerns making an appearance at the Games, adding another dividing line not on a map. Those brouhahas are always balanced by the joy of breakout stars, though. Already we’ve seen the U.S. women win a rugby bronze medal, which lifted spirits. And Thursday, the first American fencing team – now, that’s an Olympic sport if there ever was one – in 100 years climbed the medal stand. And it was gold, in the women’s foil competition. Which medal winner is next? … Simone Biles has a necklace she wears. It features a small golden goat. Appropriate, as the 4-foot-8 gymnast is the GOAT in her sport. She became just the third women to win two gymnastics all-around gold medals – and the first since Mexico City in 1968. Defending all-around champion Suni Lee added a bronze medal for the U.S. team. … A purple track? Yep. You know how you get purple? You mix red, white and blue. Maybe.

Mariners: Make additions, even if they are highly praised, other decisions have to be made. That’s a rule. Roster decisions will come due when J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez are healthy. Not today, though. The M’s face the National League’s best team, Philadelphia, in T-Mobile this weekend. And the M’s are still without some key pieces.

Seahawks: Sam Howell was at the controls of the first-team offense Thursday. … The next Seahawk in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Mike Holmgren, though most will remember him as a Packer. The next player will probably be Richard Sherman. Pete Carroll will also make it someday. … Thursday was a day to learn the new rules.

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• Hey, before we move on to our weekend plans, which are always eerily similar to our typical Wednesday plans, we wanted to update you on Norway’s Kristoffer Ventura. Remember him? We mentioned him yesterday here, mainly because he wasn’t able to finish his first round at the Olympics’ men’s golf tournament. Turns out he shot a 71 the first day. And a 68 on Friday. He’s still well behind tri-leaders Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama. Just thought you might want to know. Enjoy the heat and, as always, until later …