A Grip on Sports: The football weekend will be upon us quickly and will bring a bunch of heat with it

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s a short work week. But that doesn’t mean we will be short on excitement, expectation or, possibly, exhaustion. That last one comes into play Saturday, when a part of the local college football schedule will be played in summer-like conditions. With summer-like heat. Maybe that’s because it’s still summer.

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• It may not feel that way for Whitworth, however. The Pirates will leave the blazing sun of the Northwest – a little out of character for the region in the eyes of the rest of the nation, right? – for the chilly confines of Saint Peter, Minn. Their season opener Saturday afternoon is on the road against Gustavus Adolphus, like Whitworth, an NCAA Division III football power.

Where it is supposed to be only in the high-60s.

Why do we mention such things? A couple reasons. The Pirates had the best season of any school in the Inland Northwest last year, finishing 10-1. They have a chance to be uber-successful again this year, which we wanted to acknowledge. And, finally, have you ever worn football pads on a 95-degree day?

We have, though it was more than five decades ago. It’s reason No. 1,492 we weren’t a fan of playing the game. And this is coming from a guy who routinely caught doubleheaders in full gear on a 100-degree day.

The best football memories include snow – WSU vs. UW, 1992 – or ice – Green Bay vs. Dallas, 1967 – or a combination of the two – sneaker-wearing Giants vs. Bears, 1934. Guys being helped off the field due to heat-caused muscle cramps? Nowhere among our top 7 million memories of the sport.

When Eastern Washington and Drake – insert your Seinfeld quote here – meet Saturday afternoon in Cheney, the temp will be knocking on 100 degrees at Roos Field. The red turf will be even warmer. Down the road in Pullman? The Cougars and Texas Tech – from the west Texas town of Lubbock, so no stranger to August heat – it will be cooler, but only marginally so. At least during warmups.

The 7 p.m. kick time will ensure a better environment for everyone. And, with the game on Fox, a pretty good national audience.

• Our region’s other college football team, Idaho, won’t have to worry about heat. The Vandals are at Wyoming, where it will only be in the mid-70s. The altitude – 7,215 feet, the highest stadium in the nation – will come into play, though.

UI has a bigger issue, however. The Vandals won’t have starting quarterback Jack Layne, out for a few weeks (at least) after suffering a shoulder injury in last Saturday’s near-upset in Eugene. In steps another Jack, Wagner, a redshirt freshman who battled Layne for the starting spot during the preseason.

• As Shea Langeliers’ ninth-inning fly ball floated down Oakland’s left-field line Monday, carrying the M’s slim postseason hopes with it, one had to wonder if the possible game-deciding home run would also turn up the heat on those who run the franchise’s front office.

There is a vocal group of Mariner followers wishing it would be so.

Turns out the ball stayed fair. Decided Seattle’s fate, not only in the 4-3 defeat – the M’s led 3-0 at one point, with Logan Gilbert dealing on the mound – but more than likely in the American League West as well. The M’s are 69-69, trail Houston by six games and there are only 24 games left.

And, it turns out, won’t make an iota of difference for Jerry Dipoto. At least according to The Athletic’s well-respected baseball writer, Ken Rosenthal. Monday, Rosenthal delved into the possibility of front-office changes MLB-wide. And found little evidence the M’s would make an off-season change.

“The Mariners are run by yet another inert owner, John Stanton,” he wrote on the website. “They achieved a major breakthrough in 2022, ending a 21-year postseason drought, at that time the longest in professional sports. But what have they done in the two seasons since? Drawn criticism from catcher Cal Raleigh for not spending enough. Led the majors in strikeouts a second straight year even after turning over a strikeout-prone part of their roster. And on Aug. 23, replaced manager Scott Servais with a beloved former player, Dan Wilson.

“The team has since gone (5-5) and still faces long playoff odds, wasting the best pitching staff in the majors. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is completing his ninth season. His sloppy handling of Servais’ dismissal only added to fan frustration. But he seems to maintain Stanton’s confidence, and it would be an upset if the team started over.”

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WSU: Texas Tech may limp into Pullman a bit. The Red Raiders are licking their wounds after barely escaping their home opener with the FCS’ Abilene Christian, 52-51 in overtime. And they may not have their best player, running back Tahj Brooks, who ran for 151 yards on 27 carries in the opener. He is listed as questionable under the Big 12’s mandatory injury designations. All that figures into Greg Woods’ first look at Saturday’s game. … Greg also has news on a Cougar injury, that to defensive back Jamorri Colson. He has a broken jaw. … Before we leave the Cougs, let’s check in with their alumni in the NFL. Taylor Newquist covers that as well as the status every player with local ties in the league. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, this season’s scheduling agreement between the two conferences is not going to be revived for 2025. It will be interesting to follow what’s ahead for the two Pac-12 schools. … The other one, Oregon State, hits the road this weekend. Down to California to face San Diego State. The matchup came between an hour or so of being a Pac-12 game last year, before Washington and Oregon decided to bail for the Big Ten. … Coach Trent Bray was happy with Gevani McCoy’s quarterback play, even as the Beavers focused on their running game. Oh, and the fact they had zero penalties. … The Aztecs are not a part of Jon Wilner’s weekly listing the best teams in the West. There were some changes among the standings after Week One. … John Canzano answered questions Monday in his weekly mailbag. … Speaking of rankings, what do you think of these national ones? The Associated Press and coaches’ polls also will be out later this morning. … Washington seems to have dodged a big injury bullet with its tight end Quentin Moore. … Oregon will have to play better Saturday to impress the poll voters. Impress Dan Lanning. And to defeat Boise State for the first time. Yep, the first time. … The Ducks were missing some injured players. They could be back. … Colorado and Nebraska renew their old rivalry this week. But it will be a while before the former conference mates play again. … College football features a lot of relationships, especially among coaches. … Injuries are part of the game as well. … Utah’s stadium received a much-needed upgrade in the offseason. … D’Anton Lynn is unlocking USC’s defensive potential. … After hammering Wyoming, Arizona State would like more student support as it hosts Mississippi State. … Arizona has some things to clean up. … In the Mountain West, Utah State passed its first test this season, but a stiffer one awaits this week. And the Aggies will be without their best running back. … New Mexico has yet to pass one, but at least the Lobos have a bye coming up. … UNLV needed to test its new quarterback. Matthew Sluka showed he is a quick learner. … Air Force lost its starting fullback to an injury. … Colorado State needs to bounce back against Northern Colorado.

Idaho: We mentioned Layne’s injury above. Peter Harriman delves into it – Layne has already had surgery – and into the new starter in this story. … The injury was also noted in the Oregonian. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, a lack of sacks is not bothering Montana State as it prepares for a visit from Maine. … Montana has a veteran player standing out at a new position. … When Sacramento State travels to Fresno State this Saturday, folks in the San Joaquin Valley will be able to watch it. … Weber State and Portland State open conference play this week.

Indians: The minor leagues take Monday off. Usually. Not yesterday, though. Not for Spokane, which finishes its regular season at the end of the series. The regular-season champion Indians were in Everett, built a lead and then the bullpen collapsed. Is it a regional tradition or something? Anyway, Dave Nichols has this story on Everett’s 6-5 comeback win. … Elsewhere in the Northwest League, there were no other games, as per usual on a Monday.

Seahawks: Tuesday seems awfully early to be focusing on the weekend ahead – even as we did it this morning with the college ranks. The Times delves into the Hawks, from the offensive line to their opponents in the West to the thoughts of Tyler Lockett, 10-year veteran. … Is Geno Smith the most important player on the roster? Could be. … Seattle picked up a third quarterback off the scrap heap, and sent Easop Winston packing again. … The Hawks will wear throwback uniforms for the Mike Macdonald-era opener with Denver.

Storm: Nneka Ogwumike has been around the WNBA a long time. And her standing among the league’s career statistics reflect that.

Mariners: The M’s are at .500. They were at .500 when Servais was fired. They were at .500 when the season began. Will probably be at .500 when it ends. What the heck happened to winning 54% of your games? Matt Calkins lays the franchise’s problems directly on the doorstep of the groups we mentioned above, ownership and management.

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• Why are we fixated on Saturday’s high temps? We will be attending our 50th high school reunion that evening. Outdoors. And it is supposed to be over 100 degrees in Southern California. Shorts weather? Definitely. But do we want other 68-year-old men and their spouses to see our still scrawny legs, perpetually pale due to spending the last 40-plus years in Spokane? Or do we want to be uncomfortable wearing dress pants in a hot box? It’s a conundrum, alright. Until later …