A GRIP ON SPORTS • In 1965, the greatest running back in NFL history retired abruptly. The stage was open. And in stepped Gale Sayers. For five years, he was the best there was. And now he’s gone, dying this week at the age of 77.

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• Jim Brown was a bull-like runner, combing speed and elusiveness never seen before in football. The Browns’ star transcended the game, though, and left the NFL in 1965 at age 29 to head to Hollywood. More money, easier gig. Smart man.

But his abrupt departure could have left a void at the league’s then-glamour position. Oh sure, the Packers had Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor, but the NFL’s best team was about team play, not individuals. There were other, serviceable players, like Dan Reeves and Mel Farr, but no true stars.

Except Sayers.

There was no one like him. He combined Barry Sanders’ elusiveness with Bo Jackson-like speed. He was a Bill Walsh-type running back before Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense revolutionized the position. He was an excellent receiver who also returned kicks – quite possibly as well as anyone in the league’s history.

For five years, Sayers dominated the NFL headlines like Sandy Koufax once dominated major league baseball’s. In fact, the two bright, shining stars of the decade had somewhat analogous careers.

Koufax was the best pitcher in the game from 1962 to 1966, five years in which he led the National League in earned run average five times, won three Cy Young Awards, threw four no-hitters and added an MVP award.

Sayers’ career with the Bears was as spectacular. From 1965, when he graduated from Kansas, to 1969, Sayers averaged more than five yards every time he touched the ball on offense, powering a Bears’ offense that featured quarterbacks more akin to Marcia Brady than Tom.

But it wasn’t just his league-leading 1,231 rushing yards in 1966 or the 1,032 in 1969, which also led the league, that fans tuned in to see. It was the promise a Sayers’ run or kick return had to offer. He scored an NFL record 22 touchdowns in 1965, reaching the endzone on runs, receptions, punt returns and kickoffs. Every time he touched the ball, there was a chance you would see something you never saw before. And may never see again – unless he repeated himself.

An 85-yard punt return in which every defender grabbed air. A 70-yard run which included bowling over a defensive back. An 80-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass.

The Bears’ strategy was simple. Give Sayers the ball and watch what happens.

Until his body broke down. He suffered his first knee injury in 1968, tearing his right ACL and MCL. He came back in ’69 to lead the league in rushing. He was injured, basically for good, in 1970 and really never played again. A rare talent. A shooting star. A fleeting memory of greatness that lasted way too short a time.

He was special. He was only 34 when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, the youngest player ever to earn the honor. He will be missed.

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WSU: Theo Lawson took some time yesterday to talk with Larry Weir for the latest Press Box podcast. … Theo also has a story putting a cap on some allegations a graduated Washington State basketball player made about a coach at a previous school. … Around the Pac-12 and college sports, the longer Larry Scott runs the conference, the more obvious it becomes he is the wrong person for the job. The bonus fiasco is just more proof of that. … A former Oregon State guard has a great view of the best of the NFL right now. … Colorado is focusing on mental health with its athletes. … A whole bunch of students were given preferential treatment at California universities, including 22 who were accepted as athletes without being one. … The NCAA announced start dates for fall sports. It also joined a California lawsuit dealing with sex abuse and harassment. … Finally, college track is in the budgetary cross hairs at many schools.

Gonzaga: If you have been checking out the preseason basketball rankings, you’ve probably noticed the Bulldogs at or near the top on all of them. Jim Meehan certainly has.

EWU: Eastern, and the rest of the FCS, found out yesterday the football playoff schedule for the spring. A national title game in May? That’s different. Ryan Collingwood has more. … Cooper Kupp is just the latest in a line of Eagles who have found financial success in pro sports. Ryan takes a look at the numerous former EWU standouts who signed big professional contracts.

Chiefs: Tyler Johnson is playing for the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. If they win, expect the Cup to visit the area.

Mariners: The M’s really needed to sweep the Astros to have a chance of passing Houston for second in the A.L. West – and a playoff berth. But last night’s 6-1 loss probably sealed their fate. … Dylan Moore saw his breakout season end early, as he’s on the injured list with a concussion.

Seahawks: We can all agree Russell Wilson is playing well right now, right? But can he do enough to overcome the liability that is the Hawks’ banged-up defense? … Seattle made a roster move yesterday, putting receiver Phillip Dorsett on injured reserve. … DK Metcalf just keeps getting better.

Sounders: Tired of playing Portland yet? There is one more match on the docket for tonight. … In the Sounders final nine matches, announced yesterday, they have one more scheduled with the Timbers.

Storm: Back on the court, Seattle won the first game of its WNBA semifinal series with Minnesota on a buzzer-beating putback.

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• I loved watching Gale Sayers run. Really, it was the equivalent of watching Koufax pitch. In both cases, they were cheated of careers that should have lasted longer (and probably would today, with modern medical techniques). Those of us who watched as youths, wide-eyed and impressionable, were robbed of the joy of seeing a long career unfold. What we did see, however, we will never forget. If you don’t believe, watch these highlights from when Sayers was named the NFL’s 22nd greatest player of all-time. Until later …