Stanford's Quarterback Quandary; Coaching Salary Insanity; 49ers' Moves
Once upon a time, Stanford was known as "Quarterback U." It was the place where great quarterbacks came to play and develop, run a pro-style, high-powered offense, earn a bunch of honors and perhaps lead the nation in passing. My, how times have changed. Last week the folks at ESPN ranked the 2026 starting quarterbacks for all 68 Power 4 college football teams as they head into spring practice. There are a ton of good quarterbacks returning this fall. The top tier includes Tr
Gary Cavalli
1 day ago
Pop Warner Trophy Returns; No Pearls of Wisdom From Bruce; War Games
Sometimes good things can disappear for a while and then come back from the dead. Like the Golden State Warriors, when Joe Lacob bought the team from Chris Cohan . Or Indiana football, when Curt Cignetti was hired as head coach. Such is the case with the Pop Warner Trophy, a prestigious award that was given annually to the best college football player on the West Coast from 1949-2004. The award has been dormant for 21 years, but thanks to the efforts of former Stanford
Gary Cavalli
Mar 9
The Messy Marriage of Sports and Politics; Kuminga Shines, Porzingas Sits
Sports and politics have always been strange bedfellows. The Olympic Games are the most obvious example of this incendiary union. But thanks to the current political climate, the intersection of sports and politics has become fertile ground for exploitation and propaganda. Ideally, sports promote competition, discipline, teamwork, winning with grace, losing with class, camaraderie, fairness, mental toughness and physical fitness, along with a host of other qualities and ben
Gary Cavalli
Mar 2
U.S. Olympians Finish Strong; NCAA Loses Again; Rashada Settles; Sac State Spends Big
The overall U.S. Olympic medal count in Milan /Cortina may be somewhat disappointing, but America finished on a high note with gold medal performances by figure skater Alysa Liu and the men's and women's hockey teams. Liu's sensational, joyful program was America's first gold-medal effort by a woman since 2002. The East Bay native had recently returned after a two-year hiatus from the sport. She joins two other Bay Area icons-- Peggy Fleming and Kristi Yamiguchi --in U.S. O
Gary Cavalli
Feb 23
U.S. Olympic Dreams Dashed; Bay Area Doldrums; Moving Up; Good Bunny
The U.S. Olympic team went to Milan Cortina expecting to bring in an impressive haul of gold medals. But something happened on the way to the medal platform. One after another, heavily favored Americans fell, crashed or underperformed. In fact, virtually all of the big names on the U.S. team those highlighted in NBC promos, have gone down to defeat. It's been a startling display. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was skater Ilia Malinin , the famous "Quad God," who was heavi
Gary Cavalli
Feb 16
Seahawks Romp; Bezos Bails on Free Press; Bay Area Moves; The Black Hole; Racism Rages On
Congratulations to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks , the team with the best defense in football, an excellent running back in Kenneth Walker III , the offensive player of the year in receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and a winning quarterback in Sam Darnold . The New England Patriots , who had reached the Super Bowl after a 4-win season just a year ago, were no match for the Seahwawks defense. One must wonder how the Minnesota Vikings feel today after giving up on Darnol
Gary Cavalli
Feb 9
The Man Who Never Stopped Hustling
Mark Marquess was one of those guys you thought might never die. He was the epitome of energy, enthusiasm, and positive vibes. The legendary Stanford baseball coach passed away Friday at the age of 78, and the news came as a real shock. Marquess coached the baseball team at his alma mater for 41 years (1977-2017). He took his teams to the College World Series 14 times and won back-to-back national championships in 1987 and '88, and finished second three times. He retired as
Gary Cavalli
Feb 2
Another ICE Murder; CFP Format Changes; Mendoza's Line: College FB On Fire; Basketball Eligibility Nonsense
Donald Trump' s untrained, trigger-happy goon squad continues to murder people on the streets of Minneapolis. And then lie about it. The DHS versions of these killings bear no resemblance to what is actually happening. Suddenly, we're living in George Orwell 's dark, dystopian 1984 , where "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears." So don't believe your lying eyes, folks. Instead believe the "let's-get-out-a- statement-defending-our-murderous-agents-an
Gary Cavalli
Jan 26
CFP Championship; Coaching Carousel; Stanford Staffing; Portal Updates
The college football season concludes tonight with the CFP National Championship game between Indiana and Miami. This is not a matchup anyone expected for the title game. When the season started back in late August, all the pundits and experts had tabbed Texas, Ohio State, Penn State and Clemson as the four top contenders for the national title. Only one of them (Ohio State) even made it into the playoff. It's become increasingly clear in the era of NIL and the transfer port
Gary Cavalli
Jan 19
Wide Open NFL Playoffs; College FB's Ups & Downs
The great thing about the NFL playoffs, which began over the weekend, is that there is no clear-cut favorite. No Indiana. The perennial favorites--the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens --didn't even qualify this year. The defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles , were just eliminated by the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers. It's the most wide open field I can remember in all of my years following the NFL, as evidenced by the down-to-the-wire nature of most o
Gary Cavalli
Jan 12
