A Grip on Sports: The four-year transition from Paris to L.A. has to wait until we unpack our memories of the just-finished Olympics

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The Olympics are over. Either that, or the Games jumped the shark. Either answer would be accepted. In the short run, yes, the 2024 Paris Games are finished. As for the shark? Handing the Olympic baton to Tom Cruise for a Mission: Impossible stunt doesn’t bode well for Los Angeles in four years.

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• We jest. Sort of. That the L.A. Olympic organizers are embracing the Tinseltown aspect of their endeavor is fine. After all, the Hollywood sign is probably just as famous as the Eiffel Tower. And more American. But using Cruise to represent L.A.? C’mon, they couldn’t have a native Angelino play the leading role?

Chris Pine and a Star Trek motif would have worked. Elizabeth Olsen could have given us something to Marvel at. Heck, Jodie Foster, Bryce Dallas Howard or Leonardo DiCaprio all have roots in the area. Instead it’s a native New Yorker in the starring role?

That tracks, we guess. Hollywood is the land of dreams, drawing folks in from all over the world. And the next Games will be a dream for all of us for four years. They will be hard pressed to top what we just saw, no matter how dreamy they are.

Like all Olympics, the past couple weeks have given us a few moments, people and performances to remember. Let’s see if we can recall at least some of them.

• The photo: In track and field, the foundation of any Games, the men’s 100-meter winner is the star. Which makes it entirely appropriate it took a photo to decide. The naked eye? Outdated. Electronic chips imbedded in the chest? The future. The winner in 2024? Noah Lyles of the U.S., by the width of a hotel key.

Lyles’ time, and that of runner-up Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, were the same, 9.79. But not exactly. The photo showed Lyles finished five-thousands of a second faster. Of such thin margins are legacies born.

Except, in Lyles’ case, his legacy changed a few days later. Finishing third in the 200 wasn’t why. Being wheeled off the track after, suffering from COVID-19, is. A virus, a being smaller than Lyles’ margin of victory in the 100, won. And gave us a photo we will remember.

• The GOAT: One could argue the term, “Greatest Of All Time,” has been devalued by overuse. One would be correct. But it’s also true there are times when it is warranted. It’s OK to attach it to Katie Ledecky’s name. And not just for why you may think.

Ledecky’s GOAT status isn’t only because she’s won more medals than any American woman swimmer. It isn’t just because of the top 20 times in the 1,500-meter freestyle, she owns all 20. Nope. Our coronation of the Stanford graduate comes courtesy of Bobby Finke’s world-record-setting 1,500-meter.

What’s that again? Well, as Finke was shocking his competitors by starting fast and staying that way, Ledecky was doing what every swim fan has done since Johnny Weissmuller’s time: Clanging a cowbell in the stands. You know, like that guy’s mom back in 1995 at Comstock Park.

Win gold medals. Act like the team’s favorite parent. That’s GOAT territory.

• The teams: When we were young, we thought of the Olympics as an individual competition. Oh, sure, we checked the medal counts. Kept track on how much the basketball team was winning by. But at their heart, the Games were built upon a singular me vs. you. In just about every way imaginable.

It’s not that way as much anymore. Basketball has been in the Olympics as long as we can remember. But soccer is also has a huge role now. Baseball and softball will be back in 2028. Sports where it isn’t 1 v. 1. Is it good? It is, and that is all that matters.

Plus, if it brings us the excitement both men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball and water polo and soccer brought, we’re good with it. Team games can be part of our Games forever.

• The controversies: There are always two or three, right? This time we were hit with a right-cross in boxing, almost drowned in talk about the Seine and had to deal with the usual, a gymnastics’ scoring issue.

Remember the image of Lyles in the 100? It may not be the most lasting one from Paris. The video the U.S. Gymnastics federation has unearthed might take over. The group says it shows the appeal of Jordan Chiles’ score being filed within the required time frame. And the bronze medal should rightfully be hers.

Strap in folks. It might be until the eve of the L.A. Games before this is resolved.

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WSU: Around the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, the numbers stories from the Oregonian continue, with Oregon State’s No. 21 and No. 20 for the Beavers and Oregon. … The new thing in college football? Radio helmets. Washington is adjusting. … Kyle Whittingham has a plan for Utah. … A backup quarterback is in with Colorado’s plan for his future. … It’s a transition year at Arizona, from the roster, starters and in opponents, with the new Big 12 schedule. … In the Mountain West, how does UNLV look this season? … The word chaos comes to mind when thinking about Utah State football. … After San Diego State’s Fan Fest, there are a few things to mull over. … In hoops, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu played a key role in the U.S. women’s gold-medal win. … A five-star recruit says she is headed to Utah.

Gonzaga: It doesn’t look as if Killian Tillie will be in the Celtics’ training camp with Anton Watson. Tillie, who joined Watson with Boston during the summer, has decided to play in Spain next season. With Unicaja Malaga, a team familiar to Zag fans. Jim Meehan has this story on the reports surrounding Tillie’s future.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the linebackers will play a big role for Montana’s defense. … UC Davis’ offense is in the spotlight at practice. … Weber State has added to its basketball schedule.

Indians: For seven innings last night, Spokane failed to get a hit against Tri-City. In the eighth, the Indians finally got one. A solo home run from Jean Perez. It was enough for a 2-1 win and a series split. Dave Nichols has all the details. … Elsewhere in the Northwest League, Sunday was the day the visiting teams got their revenge. Eugene scored early and often to rout Vancouver 15-4. … Everett scored three in the top of the 10th to hand Hillsboro a 7-4 defeat.

Olympics: The final day, with the closing ceremonies featuring Paris’ swan song and Cruise the star of the L.A. portion, were highlighted by a physical, ugly, tough basketball game. Just like the host French team wanted. Still, the U.S. women prevailed 67-66 and won their eighth consecutive gold medal. At least the French didn’t get three chances at the final shot. We’ve seen that before. … No one seemed to appreciate the medal ceremony more than Brittney Griner. … The medal count is always important.

Mariners: Sweep. Julio Rodriguez returns to the lineup. The nation tunes in on ESPN. Pretty good Sunday for the M’s, what with their dominating 12-1 rout of the Mets. Only bad thing? The Astros swept their series with the Red Sox and stayed tied with Seattle atop the American League West.

Sounders: Seattle will be back at it at home in the Leagues Cup.

Seahawks: We focus this morning on the interior of the lines. The Hawks cleared up a traffic jam at center by trading Nick Harris back to Cleveland, a place he left in free agency in the offseason. On the defensive side, Byron Murphy seems to be what one would expect from a first-round draft pick. … What will the rest of the roster look like?

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• Our personal Olympic moments may not track with others’ favorites. That’s OK. We’ve always seen things through a different prism. To balance out our view, here are a few “greatest” stories we found with a quick Web search, ranging from the serious to the sublime. Until later …