Author: David Shama

Note: after this column was posted Minnesota coach Tim Brewster announced in a statement that MarQueis Gray isn’t currently with the Gophers because of an “NCAA Eligibility Center issue.”

Whether he plays in 2008 Gopher games, or sits out the season as a redshirt, freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray will be talked about.  The 17-year-old from Indianapolis is probably the most anticipated quarterback recruit to arrive in Dinkytown in 50 years.  That was when Sandy Stephens, from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, said no to a long list of other schools, enrolled at Minnesota and eventually led the Gophers to two Rose Bowls while becoming the first black All-American quarterback at a major college.

Gray, rated by Rivals last year as the No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the country, arrives in the Big Ten Conference at the same time Terrelle Pryor begins his career at Ohio State.  Pryor was Rivals choice as the No. 1 dual threat quarterback and a player considered by many as the prize of high school football recruiting earlier this year.

Is Gray better?  Howard Griffith of the Big Ten Network said he prefers Gray to Pryor as a passer, according to Dave Revisne’s blog on the network’s Web site.

When Gopher coach Tim Brewster was an assistant at the University of Texas he recruited Vince Young who became one of college football’s best quarterbacks of this decade.  Young threw with a sidearm motion while Gray has a traditional over the top delivery.  “His (Gray’s) mechanics as a passer at this particular point are better than Vince’s were,” Brewster said.

Gray is listed on the Gopher roster at 6-4, 215. Young is about 6-5, 230.   Brewster sees many similarities between Gray and Young, describing their size, strong arms, running ability, love for football and willingness to prepare.

Brewster isn’t going to predict that Gray will be better than either Pryor or Young.  But he does say his future quarterback is a “remarkable athlete” and that one day he will be an “all-star caliber” player.

Young redshirted his freshman year at Texas.  With sophomore quarterback Adam Weber having two years of invaluable experience and coming off a season in which the Sporting News named him a third team freshman All-American, Gray seems likely to redshirt.  “He’s not opposed to redshirting and not for redshirting, he just wants to help the team in anyway he can,” Brewster said.

A serious injury to Weber making him unable to play will put Brewster on the spot.  If he believes senior backups Tony Mortensen or Mike Maciejowski can lead the Gophers “to victories,” than Gray seems certain to stay on the sidelines. “That to me is the huge wild card,” Brewster said.

“In a perfect world” Gray redshirts, according to Brewster.  He watches, listens and practices as though he will be the starting quarterback for the coming game.   Brewster expects nothing less than a sense of urgency in Gray’s preparations, even if he doesn’t play in a game all season.  Sooner or later he will play, and the comparisons will continue.  So far he’s in nice company.

Brewster said linebacker Sam Maresh, who recently had heart surgery and is unable to play this season, will lead the Gophers on the field in September of next year in the first game at TCF Bank Stadium.  Maresh will have that assignment regardless of whether he’s able to play or not.

Starting defensive tackle Eric Small, 6-1, 304 pounds, will be used as a ball carrier in short yardage situations near the goal line.  Brewster described Small as a “very athletic big man” and said it’s a Refrigerator Perry type move, referring to the Chicago Bears defensive lineman of the 1980s who often used his 380 pound bulk to carry the ball near the goal line.  Brewster also said Small has had “as good a camp as anybody” while the Gophers prepare for their season opener at home Saturday night against Northern Illinois.

Because of increased fuel prices, Stillwater based Creative Charters is advertising more motor coach travel this year to away Gopher football games than in the past.  Bus travel is being offered for trips to Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin.  Charters by air are available to Bowling Green and Purdue.  www.creativecharter.com

Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told Sports Headliners he doesn’t have a position on a possible public referendum for a new Vikings’ stadium.  He said it would be necessary to see the details of a potential referendum.

Vikings coach Brad Childress having fun last week talking about injured quarterback Tarvaris Jackson needing to learn a hook slide:  “Hook slide?  Yeah, I am sending him down to the sawdust with (Twins manager) Ron Gardenhire and they’re going to teach him how to, not run the bases, but slide into second.  The only problem is that we don’t have that little cut out of dirt around the base where he wants to slide.  We’ll teach him how to get that leg underneath him, tuck his cleats and give himself up.”

Timberwolves president Chris Wright told Sports Headliners the team will play on a new court at Target Center next season.  It won’t be a parquet floor like the old one and will feature the franchise’s new primary and secondary logos.

Wright said last week the Wolves have renewed about 76 percent of their season tickets so far and have sold 700 new season tickets.  The Wolves have 60 to 70 seats near the court available for purchase.

Minneapolis businessman Peter Rocca won two silver medals in the backstroke for the U.S. in the 1976 Olympics.  The California native wrote an e-mail to Sports Headliners regarding American swimmer Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals at this year’s Olympics and has 14 in his career.  Rocca marveled at not only Phelps’ skills but his endurance.  Rocca wrote: “He swam 17 high level and quite a few gut wrenching races.  A good swimming friend of mine figured that beginning 8/9 he warmed-up, raced and warmed-down and was in/out of the pool close to 40 times.  Add to that pre and post race rub downs, eating three meals, meeting with the press, the U.S. team meetings, working with his coaches and then adding in his need to recover and sleep. There was so much to accomplish and so many things that could have tripped him up, yet he prevailed and broke seven world records in the process in the widest variety of races and strokes that anyone has ever swum at the Olympics. …”

Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton, 39, has been waiting to hear if he will be invited to play in the U.S Open senior men’s singles and mixed doubles competitions that begin Tuesday, September 2 in New York.  Six men and six women participate (women’s singles and mixed doubles).

Wheaton, who lives in suburban Minneapolis, isn’t picking Roger Federer to even make the semi-finals in the main men’s single draw.  He likes Rafael Nadal, although he hasn’t played well in previous opens, or Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open that began today.  As for the women’s winner, Wheaton said take the top eight players, put their names on a wall, and throw a dart to hit a name and possible winner.

Wheaton is mentioned briefly in the new Pete Sampras book, A Champions Mind, Lessons From A Life In Tennis.  Sampras writes about playing Wheaton and describes him as an “overshadowed American of my generation.”

Wheaton thinks the description is fair and remembers being ranked in the top 20 in the world in 1992 but he wasn’t selected to represent the U.S. in the Olympics because he had peers like Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.

The 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, featuring 2008 All-Around Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin and 2008 All-Around Olympic Silver Medalist Shawn Johnson, will be at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, November 9. Tickets are now on sale.