Author: David Shama

The California team Minnesota plays in Berkeley on Saturday has a quarterback controversy.  After playing two quarterbacks against Tennessee last Saturday there was speculation as to who will start against the Gophers, but coach Jeff Tedford ended that talk yesterday when he told the San Jose Mercury News Nate Longshore will start.  

Longshore, a sophomore, was the starter in Cal’s 35-18 loss to Tennessee and before the season began he was mentioned as one of three or four players who might lead the Bears.  Longshore had a statistically poor day against the Volunteers throwing 20 times for only 85 yards and was relieved by senior Joseph Ayoob who threw 22 times for 187 yards including a touchdown pass,  and he also ran for a touchdown.

Former Viking quarterback Joe Kapp was Cal’s head coach from 1982-1986.   He lives near San Jose and follows the Bears.  He said the quarterback position is “well manned.”  Kapp also said the 6-5, 230-pound Longshore’s performance against the Volunteers should be judged with perspective because he had passes dropped by receivers and the vaunted Cal running attack (includes Heisman candidate Marshawn Lynch) faltered.  

Kapp guessed earlier in the week that Longshore will start against the Gophers. Longshore missed almost all of last season after being injured in the opening game. “The quarterback Longshore is very talented, big (and) strong,” Kapp said. ‘Whenever he stays healthy he competes.” 

Before the season started ESPN’s Lee Corso predicted Cal will win the national championship, and despite the surprising one-sided loss to Tennessee, Kapp said the Bears are a “very good football team.” Told of the national championship prediction, Kapp expressed surprise but acknowledged there has been a buzz about Cal football this summer. “Expectations were very high not only from the press but from the fans, the alumni (and) the team itself,” Kapp said. “You don’t accomplish good things unless you do have great expectations.” 

Brooks Bollinger, the Vikings new quarterback, makes an impression based on his career accomplishments, not on what he says about himself.  As a high school player from Grand Forks, North Dakota, the struggling University of Minnesota football program didn’t pursue him.  Wisconsin not only gave him a scholarship, the Badgers made him a four year starter.  Not a player with extraordinary physical abilities, Bollinger passed, ran and directed the offense so well the Badgers won 30 games, the most ever for a Badger quarterback.

While he had a great college career from a team standpoint, his personal performance didn’t create a lot of NFL expectations. Drafted sixth by the New York Jets in 2003, Bollinger played in just one game (in 2004) during his first two seasons in the NFL. Last season he started nine games for the Jets. 

It comes as a surprise to some people that Bollinger is still in the NFL, joining the Vikings in a trade with the Jets and hoping “to do whatever the organization needs me to do to win football games.”  That assignment is to prepare the best he can, probably become the No. 2 quarterback and grab his helmet if starter Brad Johnson can’t play. 

In the immediate days after joining the Vikings, Bollinger (not surprisingly) made a maximum effort to learn the Vikings offense.  He is a character guy, the type that would audition well for the all-American boy role with Wheaties.  Soft spoken and humble, Bollinger didn’t talk much about all the games he helped Wisconsin win and then said, “I think I accounted for some of the losses, too.”  

Viking coach Brad Childress recruited Bollinger when he was an assistant at Wisconsin.  “I am familiar with him,” Childress said. “I know how he is wired. He is a coach’s son. I talked to guys on the (Jets’) last staff. He’s notorious as a grinder.” 

Extra Innings  

Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven was suspended earlier this week for using an obscenity on TV Sunday, according to the Star Tribune.  Blyleven caught this viewer’s attention on Saturday’s FSN pre-game show.  While Jim Souhan was providing insights about the Twins, Blyleven, who wasn’t supposed to be in the picture, interrupted a few times including making a peace or victory sign above Souhan’s head.  

Randy Moss ranks No. 1 in pro football jersey sales to men, according to the NFL.  Among women, though, he ranks No. 9.  Donovan McNabb is No. 1 with women while Ben Roethlisberger is second among both men and women.  McNabb is No. 10 among men while Brett Favre, No. 2 with women, isn’t even on the top 10 men’s list. 

Viking coach Brad Childress talking about the Redskins’ FedExField, the NFL’s largest stadium and perhaps the loudest: “Your job is to make them sit on their hands.”   

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on fickle followers:  “We call people Mr. Goin’ Good.  When everything is going good they sure like to ride that wagon.  But if it gets a little bumpy a lot of them like to jump off.  We just ask you to stay on it and we will be okay.” 

Gardenhire talking about the Detroit Tigers who visit the Metrodome for a four game series starting tomorrow:  “They are not going to fade away.  That’s a great team. They have been there all year.  It’s going to all depend on how their pitching staff goes along here in September as to how they finish.  Just like everybody else.” 

Torri Hunter, who had 23 home runs, 71 RBI and a .269 average earlier in the week, thinks he can finish the season with 30 home runs, 90 RBI, and a.280 average.  While those are his goals, he said “for me it’s all about getting to the playoffs and even winning the World Series.” 

Former Twins batting champion Tony Oliva hopes to visit his native Cuba next winter.  He still has sisters and brothers living there, plus close to 100 other relatives.   

Redskins’ coach Joe Gibbs quoted in the August 28 Washington Times on the team’s terrible performance in pre-season:  “We’ve been in messes before and we understand how to get out of them,” Gibbs said yesterday at Redskin Park. “We’re in a tough time right now and when you go through tough times, it’s always interesting to see how you get out of it.” 

John Gordon, Twins play-by-player announcer, said on a recent WCCO broadcast that Jim Kaat will retire from broadcasting New York Yankee games after this season. Kaat, a former Twins broadcaster and the team’s all-time pitching leader in career wins, plans to travel the country with his wife and visit family, Gordon said.