THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Yes Edward, there's more than just the M's

QUESTION: Are there any sports going on around here besides baseball?

(Edward T., Post Falls)

ANSWERS: Yes.

I KNOW, I get it.

We seem to be on an express train here, rumbling along with only one destination.

Apologies to folks who aren’t following the Mariners’ attempt to reach the World Series, a feat that has not been accomplished in the franchise’s half-century of existence.

If they make it, the entire Northwest (an area with deep, deep baseball roots) will go bonkers.

The Mariners are just two victories away from the Fall Classic, and that number could be sliced to one with a win over Toronto today (5:08 p.m., FS1) at T-Mobile Park.

Trust me, Edward, if avoiding a crowd that’s going bananas is the plan, anti-baseball in favor of the city library seems like a good call.

But if the Mariners reach the World Series, my friend, forget any nearby place to hide.

You might want to try the Canary Islands or, I don’t know.

Budapest?

ITEM: Right, let’s talk hoops.

Gonzaga had a heck of a good time at Kraziness at the Kennel, and showed off the talent that has found the Zags ranked in the top 20 in most preseason polls.

The highest?

Ken Pom’s analytics pegged the Zags at No. 9.

There were several new faces at the glorified practice, including two that have complicated background stories.

Steele Venters, the 6-7 wing who lit up the Big Sky for Eastern Washington three years ago, may finally be ready to fire for Gonzaga.

Venters missed his first planned transfer season two years ago when he blew out his knee.

Then, after a hard year of rehabbing from that, Venters’ Achilles exploded just before last season opened.

Steele is a solid 40 percent shooter behind the arc, and Gonzaga desperately needed that shooting — last year, especially.

Coach Mark Few has been waiting for Venters (and Arizona State transfer Adam Miller) to hit from outside and open up the floor for Graham Ike and Braden Huff.

Fans at Kraziness also got a surprise with the appearance of Tyon Grant-Foster, the transfer from Grand Canyon who was the WAC player of the year two seasons ago.

The 6-7 forward averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds last year.

Grant-Foster is waiting for an NCAA waiver to play this year, a process that has made Few deeply unhappy.

Since the NCAA did give him a waiver to practice, Grant-Foster startled everyone by turning up ready to play in the exhibition game, and Few let him go.

“We weren't planning on playing him today, but he kind of wanted to do it,” Few said. “He's only had two practices, so he's just trying to figure out what we’re doing on offense and defense.

“But yeah, it’s been definitely nice to finally get him up here and get him around the guys.”

Now, if the NCAA will simply wake up and smell the coffee, everyone can be happy.

ITEM: Seahawks GM John Schneider has long been known as a “quarterbacks guru,” possessed of some special power that allows him to spot QBs who can make it in the NFL.

It isn’t mentioned as often, but Schneider also has a touch in identifying free agents — especially as he doesn’t like to sign that many of them.

Both these bits of magic are on display through six games this season.

The NFL universe has already realized that Seattle made a major score in landing Sam Darnold, potentially one of the elite quarterbacks in the league.

Darnold very easily could have the Hawks at 6-0 instead of tied for the NFC West lead at 4-2.

The Seahawks walked into a trap against 4-1 Jacksonville last week, and the heat was on Darnold with the running game producing just 60 yards.

No problem.

Sam threw for 295, including two touchdowns (one of them a gorgeous 61-yard rainbow to Jaxon Smith-Njigba) without an interception.

Seattle’s free agents headlined a wounded defense, as Mike Macdonald’s unit played without three stars in the secondary.

Signees DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu led a ferocious pass rush that put Trevor Lawrence on the ground seven times.

That defensive front has become a special unit, with Leonard (Big Cat) Williams and first-round draft pick Byron Murphy anchoring the middle — although Williams tends to stray wherever he feels useful.

The Hawks are becoming a scary bunch.

Sometime soon, we’ll look at how far they might go.

(Spoiler: It’s a long way!)

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”