The Front Row with MARK NELKE Oct. 6, 2011

They had decided to cut off entries at 80 for this weekend's big handball event in Coeur d'Alene.

So naturally, tournament director Jake Plummer has allowed 110 players in the event.

"So I'm not too good at sticking to my guns," he said with a laugh.

But Plummer, the former quarterback and now handball enthusiast, probably figures the more the merrier as he continues to promote his new love.

His annual charity handball event, dubbed The Plummer Family Helluva Handball Bash IV, starts Friday and runs through Sunday at Peak Health and Wellness Center.

A pro handball tournament, the first of four stops on the Simple Green/WPH Race for 8 series, begins today and runs through Saturday at Peak.

THE PRO tourney beings today. Eight of the top-ranked pros await their start of play on Friday. Today, a total of 16 players - some lower-ranked pros, some top area players - will battle in single-elimination games to 25 for four spots in the pro bracket.

Jake's older brother, Eric, of Sandpoint, and his oldest brother, Brett, of Boise, are competing in today's pro qualifier. One of the pros Eric could face is John Bike Jr., a multiple national champion.

"Eric is one of the better players in the region here," Jake said. "Is he going to beat (Bike)? I don't know, Eric's a pretty damn good player, but ... it's going to be fun to see."

Those who don't make it into the final pro bracket of 12 can play in the Plummer Bash. Steve Plummer, father of the Plummer boys, is slated to play in the 60-and-older singles.

Jake normally plays, but is sitting out his Bash this year because of a back injury.

"Handball's a pretty rough sport," he said. "I could play, but I spent too many years dealing with pain, I love handball, but I don't love it enough to not be able to pick up my son and play with him."

So does Jake, who played at Capital High in Boise, at Arizona State, then played six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and four with the Denver Broncos, and is now 36, ever get the urge to return to the NFL?

"As soon as I think, it'd be fun to play again, I think good god, what I'd have to do to get in shape just to play. I don't think so," he said. "Not that I'm lazy, I've just spent enough time in weight rooms and running lines ... I don't have any desire at all, no.

"I know that I could (play)," he adds. "I know that I could probably do a better job than some of these kids out there, but it is a much faster game than when I played just five years ago."

Jake says when he gets the urge to throw the ball around, he can satisfy it by throwing with the players on the Sandpoint High football team, as he works with them on an occasional basis.

In one of the Bulldog games he saw this year, he had a sideline view of Coeur d'Alene High quarterback Chad Chalich completing 17 of 17 passes in the first half.

"He made some outstanding throws, man," Jake said. "I saw him throwing off his back foot rolling to his right, I think he threw it about 45-50 yards in the air. I went and looked where he threw from and marked it off to where the kid caught it and went, wow, he's got a real strong arm."

Plummer, who is 6-2 and was known as "Jake the Snake" for his scrambling ability, said "I hate that" teams use height to project the eventual effectiveness of quarterbacks.

"If a kid has heart and is a leader, and can throw the rock, you're going to do well wherever you end up," said Jake, who mentioned Doug Flutie, who is listed at 5-10. "Just to say the kid's too short, and not give them a chance, to me, you're cutting yourself short."

He mentioned Kellen Moore, the 6-foot Boise State quarterback, who is in his fourth season of shredding college defenses. But the NFL people still have their doubts he can play at that level.

"Come on, man, the kid can win, that's all I care," Jake said. "You can put too much into height and speed, and I didn't have all that, but my heart was in it, my players fought hard for me, and liked playing with me. And that goes a lot longer than being 6-3 and a jerk."

BACK TO handball. A clinic for youths, put on by the pros, is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. at Peak. Among the top pros expected for the tourney include Naty Alvarado Jr., and Dave Chapman.

Admission is free, though viewing space is limited. Matches can also be seen, for a fee, at www.wphlive.tv.

Close to $15,000 in prize money is up for grabs, Plummer said. Proceeds go to the Jake Plummer Foundation, from which he distributes funds to various local charities and groups in need.

"We just want people to check out handball," Plummer said.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com.