Quarterback Controversy

There is a quarterback controversy at UCLA, though it only exists outside the football program. Bruins fans have tested the capacity of cyberspace the last few days, calling for a change at quarterback after a 35-0 loss to Stanford on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. The consensus was that Kevin Prince needs to sit and backup Richard Brehaut needs to play against Houston on Saturday. On Monday came an answer from inside the UCLA program: Prince last Saturday, Prince this Saturday.

If the Rams paid Steve Bartkowski based on his statistics, the poor guy would have had to sweep up peanut shells and beer cups at Anaheim Stadium Sunday to earn gas money home from the Ram-49er game. But in the end, they threw the statistics out the window, and Bartkowski threw the 49ers out the window, and the Rams won, and isn't that what football is all about? In the end, it came down to one pass apiece. Jeff Kemp took his last shot halfway through the fourth quarter.

Doug Flutie and Mike Tomczak are now in a battle for the Chicago Bears' No. 1 quarterback job, and Coach Mike Ditka says that's the way he wants it. "I planned it, and I knew exactly what I was going to do," Ditka said Sunday after the Bears routed Tampa Bay, 48-14. "We'll use both of them next week, too." Ditka gave Flutie his first big chance in the second quarter, and the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner from Boston College directed the Bears to three quick touchdowns.

At the start of this month, many in Buffalo doubted the Bills could win with Frank Reich at quarterback. Two weeks later, many doubted they could win without him. Welcome to the wacky world of the NFL, where the most popular quarterback often seems to be the one standing on the sidelines, clipboard in hand, his future in someone else's hands. Quarterback controversies are certainly nothing new.

Steve Grogan passed for a career-high 401 yards last week, but it wasn't enough to keep some New England Patriots fans from hoping that Tony Eason would return at quarterback. Bubby Brister completed only 12 of 33 passes and didn't throw for a single touchdown in his first NFL game, but he so impressed Pittsburgh fans that he was the overwhelming winner in a TV station's quarterback popularity poll. No wonder there are quarterback controversies in Pittsburgh and Boston.

One game into the football season and UCLA fan websites were all atwitter. Monday morning quarterbacks — the only UCLA quarterbacks with job security these days — weighed in on the Bruins' Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut. "Prince will never be a threat. " "Brehaut has to be the starter. " "The offense ran better with Prince. " "Prince was looking solid before the injury. " "Any debate anymore re: QB?" Why yes, there is. Quarterback controversies dot the map. Alabama Coach Nick Saban is juggling A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims.

The Buffalo Bills' playoff hopes are dead. The quarterback controversy? It may never die. Rob Johnson--sacked an astonishing eight times--was pulled for the second game in a row Monday night, this time after his second interception was returned for a touchdown. And with 9:38 left in the Bills' 44-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Doug Flutie trotted onto the field.

Marc Wilson never reads a newspaper. Not even the comics or Dear Abby. He watches the evening news but turns off the TV when the sports guy comes on. Why? "Why do you think?" Wilson said Sunday, after leading--sort of--the Raiders to a 13-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. I guess it's because Wilson thinks there's an outside chance that some wise guy sportswriter or TV person will write or say something that might hurt his feelings. Now why would he think a thing like that?

Branndon Stewart is a junior business major at Texas A&M preparing to direct the Aggies in the Cotton Bowl, but he feels like an expert in media relations after his five-month odyssey as a freshman quarterback at Tennessee in 1994. "I think I filled up a couple of papers," he said. Stewart was a prized quarterback recruit from tiny Stephenville, Texas, a rural dairy community. Joining him at Tennessee was Peyton Manning, an even more heralded quarterback prospect from New Orleans.

Quarterback controversy? What quarterback controversy? Al Davis, Art Shell and the Raiders seem to have a very simple choice. Either go with the young and obviously very talented Todd Marinovich, who might turn out to be the great quarterback they have been looking for; or stay with Jay Schroeder, who has repeatedly proved that he is not and will never become that great quarterback. It's time to give the kid a chance. HOWARD BRANSON Los Angeles