Anyone else noted similarities for the quarterbacks-of-record with the Kansas City Chief and Kansas Jayhawk football teams?
Elvis Grbac of the Chiefs and Zac Wegner of the Jayhawks are big, experienced and are eagerly seeking signature victories after overcoming injuries. They seem to have the potential to do productive things for their struggling clubs in 1999. But as the late Bear Bryant once growled, "'Potential' means he ain't done it."
Both have had, and have, critics.
At 6-5 and 235, ex-Michigan star Grbac has played four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Chiefs. He has had his moments but he has been inconsistent and has had injury problems. Grbac was a four-year starter at Michigan, is still regarded as the most successful QB the Wolverines have had and is the only signal-caller to lead the school to two bowl victories -- the Rose in 1993 and the Gator in '91.
Elvis once looked like the quarterback of the future for the 49ers. Never happened; San Francisco mayor Willie Brown once, honest, publicly criticized him as "pathetic" after the Niners lost a key game.
Last year Grbac got caught in a controversy over whether he or Rich Gannon should be starting. The Chiefs had a horribly disappointing year with no playoffs after speculation they might go 16-0. Elvis drew big blame although the collapse was a total team effort -- including the thuggery reputation the Chiefs earned for leading the league in penalties. The capper was that disgrace on national television against Denver.
Grbac whined out of turn last year. He often displayed a hang-dog look that does not inspire confidence from teammates. Elvis mended some fences but has generally been less than gangbusters.
Listen to ex-jocks serving as analysts on telecasts of the '99 Chief games. They openly decline to declare the "new" Grbac the savior, don't think ancient Warren Moon can produce a boffo season and say there's vast room for improvement of KC quarterbacking.
Grbac, like Kansas's Wegner, needs highly encouraging back-to-back performances to convince a lot of people he will lead the giant leap into a promising new millenium.
Wegner is 6-2 by about 220 and, Terry Allen and Co. hope, is poised to emerge as the spark to turn Kansas around and post a .500-or-better season. Now a fifth-year senior, Zac already has demonstrated more courage than most of us will ever muster. He is back on the field despite two horrendous concussions and a serious hand injury. Every time I see Wegner sandwiched by those two Kansas State defenders, I wonder how he ever managed to walk again, let alone summon the guts to return at quarterback.
He, too, has had critics, including nasty people who have actually walked up to him in a store or on the street to lash out. Zac has had to deal with several loudmouth Willie Woods.
There is nobody on earth who wants more than Zac Wegner for the '99 Jayhawks to prosper. He may, up to now, have seemed too bland, too uncertain and too error-prone to spark the rebuilding Jayhawks over the hump to respectability. But Wegner is literally laying his life on the line to try to do that. The fact he has been chosen as a co-captain for the second year in a row is a strong testimony to how his colleagues regard him.
In the visit to Notre Dame, Wegner threw two touchdown passes that nobody could have handled better. But there again were costly turnovers that create doubts about his messianic capabilities.
Zac Wegner and Elvis Grbac still have things to prove, but I'm pulling for Zac a lot harder than for Elvis. Zac's not guaranteed millions of dollars win or lose. Virtually for free, Wegner's truly risking his life and a future free of mental cobwebs because he wants to prove something.
He's already a hero in my book for, under terribly dangerous circumstances, just showing up.
- Latest reports indicate KU will get about $900,000 for its trip to Notre Dame. Whether you do or don't think the Jayhawks should have risked humiliation for such, that's nifty loot.
Consider the many pressure on the Jayhawk treasury with all its demands and Title IX commitments. For example, the latest figures showed the women's basketball program cost $950,000 and brought in something like $50,000. There goes that $900,000 from Notre Dame -- new weight room or not.
There are tremendous merits for women's sports programs and it's important to have finances, venues and recognition for those who genuinely want to participate. But some unrealistic formulas which have resulted from Title IX aberrations are terribly harmful.
Best case in point: Texas A & M recently encountered a 48-athlete disparity for men and women. The Aggies are in the process of adding archery, bowling and an equestrian team just to provide more openings for women. Wanna guess how much feeding, stabling and doctoring horses might cost, even if nobody takes part?
Title IX has been bastardized so that it matters not so much who wins or loses but how you play the numbers game. Everyone loses in that kind of donnybrook.
-- Bill Mayer's phone number is 832-7185. His e-mail address is bmayer@ljworld.com.
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