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ByChipThompson editor@redbluffdailynews.com @editorchip on Twitter ALAMEDA TheOaklandRaiders have signed quarterback Gar- rett Gilbert to the practice squad ahead of their first playoff game in 14 years. Agent Leigh Steinberg an- nounced the move on his Twitter account Monday. Gilbert spent time on the Raiders practice squad last season and was cut by the team in the offseason. Gilbert is the son of Red Bluff native and former NFL player Gale Gilbert, who was a member of the 1974 Little League World Series team from Red Bluff. The loss of two quarterbacks in as many weeks and Garrett Gilbert's previous stint with the Raiders made him an ideal pickup with the playoffs getting underway Saturday. The Raiders were seeking a quarterback familiar with their offense with starter Derek Carr sidelined with a broken leg and backup Matt McGloin's status in question with an injured left shoulder. That leaves rookie Con- nor Cook as the only healthy quar- terback under contract. Oakland (12-4) opens the post- season at 1:35 p.m. Saturday at AFC South champion Houston Texans (9-7). Garrett Gilbert was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the then-St. Louis Rams but was released. He signed with the practice squad before being cut and signing with the New Eng- land Patriots practice squad. Gilbert was claimed off waiv- ers during the summer of 2015 by the Detroit Lions and signed with Raiders practice squad in September 2015 after the Lions waived him. After being waived by the Raid- ers on May 24, 2016, Gilbert was resigned Monday. Gale Gilbert played with the Se- attle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers between 1985 and 1995. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NFL RaiderssignGilbertasinsurance By Jimmy Durkin Bay Area News Group Rookie Connor Cook is ex- pected to make his first career start when the Raiders open the playoffs Saturday against the Houston Texans, according to a report from the league-run NFL Network. Cook, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State, made his NFL debut Sunday when he entered in relief against the Denver Broncos following a left shoulder injury to Matt McGloin. Cook completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, along with one inter- ception, two sacks and two fum- bles. McGloin, who was starting in place of Derek Carr, had an MRI and was still "sore" as of Monday, according to Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, who declined to tip his hand on who his starting quar- terback would be even if McGloin is healthy. But according to the NFL Net- work report, McGloin is "not be- lieved to be ready" and that'll set the Raiders up to go with the rookie Cook. They saw enough in him before the draft to swap two picks to move up to the sec- ond pick of the fourth round and draft Cook to be their future backup (McGloin is a free agent after this season). The hope was that he wouldn't have to see the field this year, but now is likely to start the Raiders first postseason game since Super Bowl XXXVII. The Raiders are likely to add another quarterback to their ac- tive roster at some point this week, especially if McGloin is ruled out for the game. While the Raiders have yet to announce or confirm, the agent of Garrett Gil- bert announced Monday that he had signed a practice squad con- tract with Oakland. Gilbert, a for- mer 2014 draft pick of the Rams, spent last season on the Raiders practice squad and so he is as well-versed in the team's offense NFL RAIDERS PREPARED TO START COOK AT QB RaidersquarterbackMattMcGloinistendedtoonthesideline a er an injury during the first half Sunday in Denver. PHOTOS BY JOE MAHONEY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Raiders rookie quarterback Connor Cook was pressed into action a er back Matt McGloin went down with an injury Sunday. RAIDERSATHOUSTON When: Saturday, 1:30p.m. TV: CBS TUNEIN By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press KAPALUA, HAWAII Jason Day would love nothing more than a long year, and that might start with a shorter swing. Day is coming off a longest break of his career, and while he arrived on Maui for the SBS Tournament of Champions as the No. 1 player in the world, he didn't bring much momen- tum with him. He last played on Sept. 23 at the Tour Cham- pionship, withdrawing from the second round with a back injury. Two weeks earlier, he withdrew from the final round of the BMW Championship with back pain. "I picked up a club twice in thosethreemonthsandIworked hard on my rehab, especially the back," Day said Tuesday at Ka- palua. "Obviously, that's kind of been plaguing me through my career with regards to having too many withdrawals. But I'm doing everything I possibly can ... and I feel pretty good. I feel fit, and I'm looking forward to a good, solid year." Along with strengthening his core, Day is trying to shorten his swing. Day said his swing became longer last year, which meant more turn in his upper body and more swing. Not many oth- ers go at it as hard as Day with nearly every club in the bag, from a towering 5-iron, a 9-iron he gouges out of the rough or tee shots that rank him among the top power players in the game. But it might have come at a cost. "If you have a lot more turn, a lot more speed and then un- winding, it's a lot more balance through the ball, and that can GOLF Day looks to shorten his swing and help his back By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press Meaningless bowls. Too many bowls. Made-for-TV bowls. Shrinking bowl attendance. There have never been more bowl games, and three years into the College Football Playoff era there are more questions than ever about why these games are being played at all. Especially when high-profile players such as Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette choose to skip the post- season to protect their bodies for the NFL draft. There is currently an NCAA- imposed freeze on the creation of new bowls that caps the field at 40 through 2019. Over the next few years the people invested in the bowls — commissioners, athletic directors and bowl executives — will consider ways to improve the bowl system and answer the ques- tion: What should bowls be? Chances are there will be fewer bowls, data-driven limitations on how many bowls a conference can lock in and maybe even postsea- son games played on campus. But for those who long for the days when there were a dozen or so bowls that rewarded only the very best teams in college foot- ball, well, you might as well wish for the return of leather helmets. Neither is coming back. Everyone seems to agree that while the bowl system is not per- fect, it does not need to be razed. Andy Bagnato is a former sports writer who also worked for four years as a public relations executive for the Fiesta Bowl. He now runs Bagnato Pflipsen Com- munications, a consulting firm that helped Phoenix land the this year's Final Four and last year's College Football Playoff champi- onship game. "The question for people in col- lege football is: What's the utility of the bowl?" Bagnato said. "Is it a great trip for your alumni? For your student-athletes? Is it televi- sion exposure for four hours for your program? Is it a branding exercise for the school and for a conference? For the communities I think the questions become: Are they tourism magnets? Is the util- ity of a bowl game the fact that it attracts tourists? All those are factors. "I don't know there is one rea- son to have a bowl game." COLLEGE FOOTBALL Bowl system could get makeover SonofRedBluffstandoutrejoinspractice squad as Oakland prepares for playoffs Injuries to Carr, McGloin likely to force team to go with rookie in wild-card game vs. Texans RAIDERS PAGE 2 JOHN BAZEMORE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Jason Day hasn't been seen since he withdrew in the second round of last season's Tour Championship. He starts out a new year on Maui, and can only hope it's a healthy one. GOLF PAGE 2 There might be fewer games with some even played on campus BOWLS PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, January 4, 2017 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1