A Grip on Sports: We have to squint but we’re pretty sure we’ve read all of today’s news correctly, though we have a hard time believing some of it

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Today’s the day. The day each year when we get our head examined. Wait, that came out wrong. Not the entire head. We’re just getting our eyes examined. After another year our vision has waned a bit. Which is why we’re wondering if we’ve read a few things correctly today.

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• There’s no way the Court of Arbitration for Sports, after making a decision that seems more arbitrary than accurate, could turn down a request to examine new evidence, right? Especially if that evidence, a video that may just show the judicial body tasked with helping athletes get a fair shake (please stop laughing), made the wrong determination?

We can’t be reading that right.

Wait, we are. The Court’s rules don’t allow for a change. Not after its ruled, Wizard-of-Oz-like, from behind its gold-dusted curtain. Now, USA Gymnastics will have to find another venue in its quest to prove Jordan Chiles’ coaches followed the Olympics’ draconian score-appeal rules. To correct, you know, a mistake the Games’ gymnastic overseers should never have allowed in the first place.

This is one of those train wrecks in international sports from which we can’t turn away. We have to watch. To observe until the end. Even if our vision is a bit cloudy.

• We can’t believe what we’re reading out of Seattle, either. We have to be mistaken. Again. There is no way Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners actually made a smart deal with a newly acquired player, is there?

But, at first glance, that certainly seems to be the case with Victor Robles.

We’re not all-in with Robles just yet. The outfielder’s tenure in Washington was too volatile, too odd, too disappointing to think the only thing needed to fix his career was a change in scenery.

Not when, according to Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic, over the past three years Robles, 27, “fell out of favor with Nationals manager Davey Martinez.” How? Why? And who was at fault? Those are questions we may never be able to answer. And yet, with what the Mariners did yesterday, signing Robles to a two-year, $9.75 million extension that includes a $9 million club option for 2027, we don’t need answers.

The deal is that club friendly. Yes, there is money up front, allowing Robles to take care of his pets. But even if the outfielder flames out, there should be someone willing to take him off the M’s hands at that price. If only in the hope he duplicates the numbers he has posted in his 42 games with the Mariners – a .303/.372/.450 slash line with seven doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, 15 runs, eight walks and 12 stolen bases. That is good enough, right?

No matter how clouded our vision is, we recognize he’s added a needed spark.

• Want another reason to rue the demise of the Pac-12? No? Well, OK then. Turn away. We are going to share one. With a Parisian flair.

The U.S. Olympic team took home more medals than any other country. We all know that. But did you know which college athletic conference produced the most medal winners across all borders? Sure you do. It’s the old Pac-12. The one that existed before the other four major conferences and their wolf-like TV overlords tore it apart like a sickly caribou caught in a blizzard.

According to Fansided’s data, current and former Stanford athletes combined for 39 medals. California accounted for 23. The other Pac-12 schools had 50 more. That’s 112 medals this Olympiad for the conference.

The other four “Power” conferences combined (not including their poached Pac-12 schools)? That total would be 160.

Not all those medals were won for the U.S., of course. And some athletes attended multiple schools – a trend that is only accelerating. But in this, the last Olympic Games with the complete group in place, no conference did better, by a large margin, than the one that has, sadly, been reduced to two members.

Once again, the Mr. Magoo-like vision of college athletics’ overlords has resulted in tearing apart a flourishing ecosystem. All in the name of football. Will those schools continue to prosper in their new environs?

We can’t see that happening. Then again, we’re blinded a bit by our memories.

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WSU: Aug. 31 is not that far away. By then, when Washington State welcomes Portland State to Gesa Field to open the 2024 season, the Cougars will have to know who the starting quarterback is, right? After all, Mike Leach’s philosophy of “I know and that’s all that matters” has left the Palouse for good. Probably. But that determination hasn’t been made just yet, and Greg Woods delves into the situation once more following Monday morning’s practice. … We have a couple women’s basketball stories to pass along, both from the Lewiston Tribune’s Sam Taylor. The first, which ran in the S-R this morning, concerns head coach Kamie Ethridge. The other is about her longtime assistant Laurie Koehn. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Jon Wilner has his thoughts on what conference commissioner Teresa Gould had to say on his recent podcast, co-hosted by John Canzano. … Wilner also takes a look at the A.P. preseason football poll and gives his thoughts on its import for the sport. … Canzano has answers to a bunch of questions in his Monday mailbag. … Stewart Mandel tries to explain the changes for this season in a way even Rip Van Winkle – a huge Ichabod Crane University booster – could understand. … Aaron Fentress’ numbers stories from the Oregonian continue, with No. 19 for Oregon State and Oregon. … Speaking of numbers, there were four former Pac-12 schools ranked in the Associated Press poll. (Georgia was No. 1 and Ohio State was second.) Oregon was three, as high as the Ducks have been since 2014. … The Oregon depth chart is coming together, with a new starter at center. … Utah checked in at 12, maybe due in part to having decided a freshman will be the backup quarterback. … Arizona is at 21, which is good considering the coaching staff is new as is the Wildcats’ conference. … Finally, USC was ranked 23rd, which seems a bit of habit, not potential-based. The Trojans have a few holes. … One hole for Oregon State? The quarterback decision has yet to be made. … Colorado has some holes too but the Buffs do have stars as well. … A UCLA edge rusher is trying to make the leap from Division III football. … Not good. Arizona State’s quarterbacks, battling to earn playing time, all struggled Monday. … In the Mountain West, no football team was as unlucky as Utah State last season. One could argue the bad luck has continued. … A Boise State running back has suffered enough bad injury luck, he’s earned a sixth season. … Hawaii just wants to have a new Aloha Stadium done soon. At least by the next Olympics. … San Diego State has lost one of its fastest guys to injury. But others are ready to step up. Quickly. … Finally, Jade Carey shares her reasons for returning to Corvallis for another year.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, we can pass along position previews of Montana State’s linebackers and Montana’s running backs.

Indians: We have a recording we hopefully will never lose. It is of Paul Olden, the PA voice of the Yankees and a former Spokane sportscaster, announcing our name as hitting for New York. It is not a real thing, of course, but it sure is fun. Our friend Rick Lukens put it together for us back when we shared a radio show. We mention it today because Olden is returning to Spokane for an event with the S-R. Dave Nichols has all the particulars in this story. Except the little anecdote about our special moment.

Velocity: The Jagermeister Cup is almost over, which is probably good new for Spokane. The Velocity’s chances of moving out of pool play are not good. And they have yet to play the Northern Colorado Hailstorm, the only undefeated team in Cup play. That changes tonight at ONE Spokane Stadium. Ethan Myers has this preview.

Olympics: Yes, we’re going to stay focused on the minutiae of the Chiles’ bronze medal fiasco. It has gotten under our skin. And we didn’t even swim in the Seine. But despite such screw-ups, the Paris Olympics were a success. Now it’s on to Los Angeles. Don’t mess it up. … The U.S. dominance was built on the back of the women in Paris. How long can that last? … The same can be said about Steph Curry and his battle with time.

Mariners: Robles gets an assist for helping to bring back to the fun to the M’s clubhouse. Can it continue?

Seahawks: There isn’t a lot of time before the Hawks must make roster decisions. We’re guessing there will be a few surprises among the 53 who make up the regular season roster, what with a new coaching staff and all. … We know new center Connor Williams will be a part of it, as long as he’s healthy and ready to go. … The Hawks will hold joint practices with Tennessee this week prior to the exhibition game with the Titans.

Sounders: Seattle routed Pumas UNAM 4-0 last night at Lumen Field, moving on to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup. The Sounders will face either Los Angeles FC or San Jose, who play tonight.

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• Never felt comfortable with our glasses from last year. Always seemed our vision of things in the distance was fuzzy. No metaphor intended, just a fact. Hopefully, this year the optometrist will get things figured out. After all, when we are buzzing down a California freeway at 83 miles an hour, we want to be able to see that In-N-Out sign from a few miles away. Until later …