Tracking Sam Bradford:
• I don't understand why there's a delay, a deliberation, in naming him the starting quarterback. Even if Bradford didn't play as well as he did during the preseason, what choice do the Rams have? Veteran A.J. Feeley has missed considerable time with the thumb injury. The Rams don't even know if Feeley will be able to take snaps from under center when practice resumes early next week. So why would he be fully ready to play the season opener?
• Besides, Bradford earned the starting job. He demonstrated all of the qualities that the Rams hoped to see, and then some. Even before Bradford completed 33 of 55 passes in the preseason, I was in favor of playing him immediately. The Rams have three of their first four games at home, and that will only enhance his chances for a successful transition to the pro game.
• We knew about Bradford's arm, maturity, intelligence, poise. But there have been a few surprises. Bradford's mobility is niftier than anticipated; for a big QB he can scoot outside and make accurate throws while on the move.
• Another surprise: For a rookie QB, Bradford has shown a knack for quickly finding the "hot" read on blitzes and getting the ball to the receiver without hesitation. That usually takes awhile to develop. And he has a nice touch and timing on the short routes.
• It looks like the tight end will be a big part of the Rams' receiving game. And that should help offset any limitations among the wide receivers. Bradford really seems to like throwing to the tight end. And he has a feel for throwing to the tight end. A lot of that probably has to do with his frequent connections for big plays and touchdowns with tight end Jermaine Gresham at Oklahoma. Unofficially, Bradford and Gresham hooked up for around 100 completions and 25 touchdowns in 2007 and 2008.
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Mickey Garagiola's extensive family and hundreds of friends were saddened by his death on Aug. 29 at age 88. There's only one term for Mickey: local legend. One of the great characters in our town's history, Garagiola was a beloved figure on The Hill, a popular waiter, a master storyteller, a devout sports fan and the announcer for "Wrestling at the Chase." Such a good man. One of a kind.
Illinois had only 19 sacks last season, and coming into the 2010 opener against Missouri, the Fighting Illini are vulnerable in a thin secondary. New Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning brings a blitz master reputation to the job, so expect him to turn his guys loose early and often in an effort to disrupt MU quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Another question: Can Missouri stop the Illinois running game? If the Tigers ace their blitz pickups, they should win by a couple of touchdowns. The X factor in today's game at the Edward Jones Dome is Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase; can the redshirt freshman pull a Brad Smith on the Tigers?
Tony La Russa and the Cardinals did not need to worry about the fans' reaction Friday night after the ghastly road trip; the home crowd offers unconditional love. One horrible slump doesn't change that. ... We'll know a lot more about the Cardinals' playoff chances by the end of next weekend, when they complete a four-game series at Atlanta. Until then, it's all noise. But I do believe that the Cardinals have a charge left in them.
In some respects, the Cardinals are in a lose-lose situation this weekend. If they drop the series to the Reds, it will push them deeper into the quicksand. But if the Cardinals win the series, it will raise a serious question: If the Cardinals are so fired up and dominant in games against the Reds, why do they play so poorly against the lesser teams?
Media file: Congrats to Missouri radio football analyst John Kadlec, who is entering his 50th year of service at the university as a player, coach, athletics department official and broadcaster. ... Mizzou play-by-play man Mike Kelly has had a busy August; he worked with retired QB Trent Green in calling the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason-game broadcasts. ... Former Rams tight end Roland Williams has returned for another season as a college football analyst at the Versus network. ... And congrats to the gang at KMOX for securing the Cardinals' broadcast rights starting in 2011. KMOX and the Cardinals are a cherished STL tradition.
Sports Illustrated predicts a 3-13 record for the Rams; Sporting News is slightly more optimistic at 4-12. ... Spagnuolo was rated 32nd in a ranking of NFL head coaches; that seems a bit unfair to me, given the situation that Spags stepped into. ... Yahoo.com football columnist Mike Silver rated the NFL owners and placed new Rams owner Stan Kroenke at No. 18, ahead of many established owners, including defending Super Bowl champion Tom Benson of New Orleans. "Short on bluster and long on performance, Kroenke should immediately help a franchise that has been rudderless," Silver wrote.
After moving from slot back, St. Louisan Matt Warrick (Marquette HS) is listed at No. 2 on the depth chart at inside linebacker for Navy. He's a sophomore at Annapolis. And St. Louisan Matt Brewer (Lafayette HS) is also a sophomore linebacker for Navy. ... In addition to serving as the play-by-play voice for the MLS Chicago Fire, St. Louisan Dan Kelly has been hired by the Big Ten Network to call a variety of Olympic sports.
Since May 30, St. Louisan Max Scherzer has a 2.11 ERA for the Detroit Tigers; that's the fourth-best ERA by a major-league starting pitcher during that time. ... Good news from New Orleans: Former Mizzou star Chase Daniel has won the No. 2 quarterback job, beating out Patrick Ramsey for the role of Drew Brees' prime backup. ... Lewis Conley, an admired and popular tennis official and referee in St. Louis for many years, will be recognized at the U.S. Open by being awarded the Nicholas Powel Award, which honors the finest amateur tennis officials. It's well-deserved.
The Nice Section
On Oct. 10 at 9 a.m., members of the St. Louis Police SWAT unit will host the seventh annual Fuzzball with the Fuzz benefit tournament. Last year the tourney raised more than $8,000 for the Missouri Friends of Injured Marines. This year's beneficiary is Sgt. William Kiphart of the St. Louis Police Department, who faces growing medical bills in his tough fight with cancer. The tournament will be held at the Woerner School at 6131 Leona in St. Louis. The 32-team field is filled, but please consider attending to make a $20 donation and enjoy food, drink and fuzzball with the SWAT team. You can also participate in a Home Run Derby. For info or to make a donation, please contact Officer Brian Rossomanno at 314-330-8128 or at bprossomanno@slmpd.org
