A HOLD IN SPORTS • It’s not often that we wake up just after 5 a.m. and our South Hill home is sweaty. Not really, mind you, but when the thermostat hits 75 degrees, we’re definitely sweating. It doesn’t bode well for today, with temperatures in the high 100s in the forecast. Anyway, we’d better get back indoors and enjoy the 30-plus-year-old air conditioner and watch some TV. For the next few days.

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• Usual Friday duty pretty simple today. Here is the Olympics (and everything else) TV schedule. Enjoy your weekend. This is the macro view. The micro view? Well, Who is below with the dogs – “hey, why aren’t we in bed yet?” – Watching the U.S. men’s soccer team play Morocco in the quarterfinals in the U.S. It was the first time the U23 team had advanced this far in the tournament since 2008 in Beijing, which was exciting. Before I finish writing today, we need to find out if the men made it to the semifinals. (UPDATE: They didn’t, losing 4-0.)

What’s happening on Saturday and Sunday? Well, there’s plenty of athletics tomorrow morning, including the U.S. women’s 100-meter final at 10:10 a.m. That comes just after the men’s basketball team tried to emulate the Little Giants and annexed Puerto Rico’s medal hopes at 8:15.

On Sunday morning, there are more track and field events — plus the esoteric gold medal contests. Or, if you prefer, actual Olympic events like table tennis (men’s final at 6 p.m. on USA), badminton (men’s doubles at 9:15 a.m. on CNBC) and shooting (women’s skeet, 11:30 a.m., also on CNBC). These are sports that the U.S. public really only gets to experience once every four years. And usually only if there’s someone in the picture wearing red, white, and blue.

Basically, you can spend all night and morning of the weekend sitting in front of the TV, eating Skinny Pop, drinking flavored water, and watching whatever sport interests you. Sounds perfect to us. Well, with a Diet Pepsi instead of water. We’ll need the caffeine to get us through the equestrian sport (12:45 p.m. Sunday in the USA).

• Ok, let’s go back to America. Back to the King. Back to football. We’re a little worried about the quarterback position. At Washington State. At the Seahawks. In fact, pretty much everywhere. Where is Gardner Minshew when you need him?

To be honest, when Minshew was in his only Cougar season, he was basically John Mateer or Zevi Eckhaus. An unknown quantity. He was competing for the starting job. He was trying to get through the first few days of preseason camp and solidify his spot on the depth chart.

Sure, Mike Leach was the Cougars’ head coach in 2018. And despite having one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in a 10-win season, Minshew’s name has been followed by the word “or” all year long on this chart. Fortunately, we’re sure Jake Dickert will commit to a starter at some point and hand over the offensive reins. Take the “or” off the chart. But for how long? That’s always the question.

So is the question from Renton. After missing two straight practices, we wonder how long Geno Smith will be out? We may get some clarity later Friday, as Smith is expected to undergo medical imaging for what is being described as a lower-body injury. All 12 fingers crossed, we’re sure. Still, many in that same group have been focused on Drew Lock at a time when the former Bronco is battling Smith to replace Russell Wilson on the roster.

Maybe worrying is a waste of time. It’s better to just trust the process and get through the next few weeks. Everything will be fine.

No. It’s time to pull out all the charms you have. Say a few prayers. Make a fuss and get angry. It’s football season, after all.

• Let’s take a minute Sitting on the front steps and pouring one for a fallen comrade. The Pac-12 as we know it. Today is officially its last day.

Aug. 2, 2024, will be remembered in infamy along with several other dates in the past few years leading up to it. The ones that got away — Washington, Oregon, USC, UCLA, California, Stanford, Colorado, Utah, Arizona State and Arizona — are members of the Big Ten or ACC or Big 12. Officially. But who knows for how long?

The Pac-12 was a friend for life. And to lose because of self-inflicted wounds is unacceptable. Oh, sure, there were plenty of external factors involved, but the nails in the conference’s coffin came from within.

Goodbye, an American institution. And good luck to Washington State and Oregon State. Maybe soon the two can pull the plug, dig their way out, and rebuild what the West Coast deserves. A power conference with the region’s strong schools. All of them.

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SBU: After the second day of preseason camp, the scoreboard reads offense 1, defense 1. Greg Woods takes a moment to examine the defense’s strong Thursday practice and how it affects the quarterback competition. … (New and old) In the Pac-12, the Mountain West and the country, Jon Wilner spoke with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petittti about many of the issues facing college sports today. … He also touched on the money problems facing Cal and Stanford due to a terrible deal with the ACC. Both are featured in the Mercury News. … John Canzano clears up rumors that the Big-12 is after WSU and OSU. … Speaking of the Beavers, they’re two days into preseason camp and the offense feels it’s done its homework. … Washington has a running back returning from a season-ending knee injury he suffered nearly a year ago. Cameron Davis looks to make an impact for the Huskies. … His point streak at 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 their roster with anyone. But they still need to improve if they want to meet expectations. … How did Utah get into the Big 12? … The bigger question for UCLA is why it skipped the Big Ten? … Its neighbors at USC are taking an unusually quiet path into the Big Ten. … Arizona has some new buzzwords to go with its new home. … An Arizona State player who started as a freshman is eagerly awaiting the start of his sophomore season. … In basketball news, we now know how much Oregon pays its assistants. … Around the Mountain West, there were stories to watch and questions to answer as Colorado State opened practice. … The situation with the football coaching staff at Utah State is still a bit of a mess. … What will New Mexico and the rest do when more football scholarships are needed? … The first San Diego State practice under Coach Sean Lewis was cool and calm. … Hawaii’s edge rushers are already making an impact. … It’s always nice for a college football player to have big brothers to look up to. … There’s a nose tackle battle in Wyoming. … Yesterday, while other conferences were trying to get Olympic medals — like Stanford grad Katie Ledecky, who is now the most decorated female swimmer in history — we were looking everywhere for medals that belong to the Pac-12’s legacy. We weren’t alone. … Former Arizona State swimmer Leon Marchand is part of that legacy, too.

Gonzaga: Mark Few not only has a great seat for US men’s basketball games – As did his two children on Thursday — but he also takes a graduate class on coaching every day. … The Zags are featured in this look at how rebuilding has affected college basketball.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, we start with basketball at Montana State. Just so we know. … Northern Colorado will have a new look on its helmets. … Idaho State began practice knowing it had to draft a point guard. We have a personal favorite. … Weber State also started preseason camp. … Sacramento State’s athletic director is adding a new role in the NCAA.

Indians: Dave Nichols’ frustration is understandable. The only thing the sportswriters stand for is that no one was hurt and the game was fast. The latter didn’t happen last night. Spokane lost to Hillsboro, 13-9, in a game that lasted more than three hours at Avista. Dave has the news. … Elsewhere in the Northwest League, Tri-Vancouver beat Tri-City, 3-2, in 10 innings. … Everett held off visiting Eugene, 13-11, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Speed: Spokane returns to league play and away action on Saturday. Velocity will travel to Statesboro, Georgia to face South Georgia Tormenta FC in the first of three consecutive USL League One away games.

Circle Festival: We watched 3×3 Olympic basketball and came to a conclusion. The game used in the Olympics is designed for TV and is meant to help level the playing field worldwide. The game we see every June in Spokane at the world’s greatest tournament? Better. It’s also well known among those competing for medals in Paris, as Theo Lawson’s story explains.

In the UFC: Michael Chiesa has been fighting so long that he was a guest on a radio show that we did before he started fighting. And it’s been years since he’s been on the radio. Chiesa is fighting again this weekend in a veterans’ war. Charlotte McKinley has this preview.

Olympics: When the Games began, we said we were wondering what scandal would take over the world in two weeks. Boxing was definitely among our favorites — the IOC and the sport’s governing body have been at odds for some time — but not the one that came out. This continues a fine tradition of political angst at the Games, adding another dividing line that isn’t on the map. But the uproars are always offset by the joy of the stars shining. We’ve already seen the U.S. women win a bronze medal in rugby, which lifted spirits. And on Thursday, for the first time in 100 years, the American fencing team — now, if anything, an Olympic sport — took to the medal stand. And the gold was in the women’s foil competition. Which medal is next? … She’s wearing a necklace featuring Simone Biles. It has a little gold goat on it. Appropriate, because the 4-foot-8-inch gymnast is the GOAT of her sport. She became only the third woman to win two overall gold medals in gymnastics, and the first since Mexico City in 1968. Defending overall champion Suni Lee added another bronze medal for Team USA. … Purple track? Yes. Do you know how you get purple? You mix red, white and blue. Maybe.

Sailors: Make additions, even if they are highly praised, other decisions must be made. That’s the rule. Roster decisions will be made when JP Crawford and Julio Rodriguez are healthy. But not today. The M’s face the National League’s best team, Philadelphia, at T-Mobile this weekend. And the M’s are still missing some key pieces.

Sea Hawks: 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 is likely Richard Sherman. Pete Carroll will do it one day. … Thursday was a day to learn the new rules.

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• Hey, before we move Moving on to our weekend plans, which are always eerily similar to our typical Wednesday plans, we wanted to update you on Norwegian Kristoffer Ventura. Remember him? We mentioned him here yesterday, mainly because he didn’t make it through the first round of the Olympic men’s golf tournament. It turned out he shot a 71 on the first day. And a 68 on Friday. He’s still far behind the trio of leaders Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, and Hideki Matsuyama. Just thought you might like to know. Enjoy the warmth, and as always, see you later…