Barely escaping the scorching 100-plus-degree temperatures in the Greater Puget Sound – my morning flight Wednesday out of Sea-Tac Airport was delayed 90 minutes by a fuel spill on the tarmac – things in Los Angeles surprisingly have been more serene.

For starters, it's a whole 30 degrees cooler in the vicinity of the media hotel.

And traffic wasn't so unbearable today as I made my way to Torrance, Calif. along Hwy. 1 to see some of where UW coach Steve Sarkisian grew up.

In fact, here in Torrance, high schools football teams are practicing in July, because it counts as summer-course PE credits. Sounds like a good way to skirt the out-of-season rules of the WIAA.

I spent two hours watching West Torrence High's final "class" meeting, and talked to a few people who knew Sarkisian when he was in high school in the mid-1990s, and also playing at down-the-road El Camino Junior College.

Maybe I'll bring Sarkisian a bagel from Joe's Diner to media day Thursday. Stay tuned for updates all day from all the Pacific-10 Conference coaches.