Q&A time

Why are we so obsessed with college sports?

If I remember correctly last summer there was some buzz around Keefe bulking up and improving his game. Then he got hurt and we didn't see him until later in the year, where at times I think he stood out. How is he doing this summer? stronger? Faster? Better?

Thanks!

What happened with Kevin Prince? It sounded like he was looking great, but then he wasn't in the running for the starting spot when Olson went down, with Rashan jumping him.

What other college basketball teams play exclusively man-to-man defense like UCLA does under Howland?

If Knox redshirts like he is supposed to, will he be on the scout team?

I don't suppose you would be looking for an intern here in the next year or two would you?

Also, was wondering how you feel about players' names on the back of their jerseys? Some people don't really care, but I've read where coaches think it promotes unity and team first thinking if the uniforms have no names on the back.

Are you more of a football fan than basketball fan? Do you have more knowledge of the game?

UCLA seems to finish in the top 2 or 3 for basketball recruits a lot, but loses more than it gets. Holiday and Love were huge wins (and maybe Wright was a good get at the time over MSU and Stanford), but in the last few years there's been Brockman (UW), D. Thompson (UNC), Steveson (UNC), Budinger (AZ), Singler (Duke), Legion (Michigan then KY), Morgan (at first LSU), and this year it looks like the list will include Henson (UNC), H. Thompson (GU), the Wears (UNC), and maybe Bradley and Gaddy (if you believe the rumors that we're in the top 2 for them with TX and AZ). It's kind of an interesting pattern, any thoughts?

Messi. Best in the world. Right?

I was under the impression Jeff Locke was going to redshirt but I read he is going to compete for kickoff duties. What happened?

So, we learned last week that the offensive line went on the same snap count all year.

Is it also true that two years ago we never ran the shotgun because our center at the time, Robert Chai, couldn't successfully execute a shotgun snap?

I love your work Brian, thank you. I'm not sure if this is the type of question that you're looking for but I was wondering if there is a way your page can be used for exiled Bruins fans such as myself to find each other/bars to gather around and watch the games...I just moved to San Diego and I'd love to find some Bruins to meet up with...

How many season tickets has UCLA sold so far?

With how impressive Taylor Embree's hands are, does the coaching staff still intend on red-shirting him? Him and Marcus Everett look to me like they are by far our best two receivers.

Any news on the basketball front as far as is everyone on campus now? Who is looking good this summer? How is Roll's foot doing?

1) Who are the guys who run Bruinsnation.com? Why are they always so critical of you? Are they jealous of the amount of hits you get on the site?

2)What did you think of DumpDorrell.com when that was up and running?

3) Now that you have watched a week of practice, do you think our O-line will be better than originally suspected? I keep from everyone that they are showing improvement.

4) At this point, where would you rank the Harwell/Price tandem in terms of the best defensive lines in the nation? Top 10? Top5? #1?

5) I have to say, Dohn, I didn't like you at first. I used to frequent the UCLA homer sites like Bruinsnation and DumpDorrell. I have to say that I have stopped visiting those homer sites because they basically copy and paste good information that you and other writers post. There is no question anywhere in here. I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate your work.

6) www.youtube.com/charlesva2004

You mentioned last week that all the freshman passed the clearinghouse. What exactly does it take to pass?

Is there any schedule set for Saturday's scrimmage for other events or is it just scrimmage @ 5:15?

1.) With the depth at tailback and the lack of such in the defensive backfield, is there a reason why j frankiln has not been switched to DB?

2.) Is it realistic to believe that UCLA will end the recruiting season strong and finish with another top-10 class? ie are there enough talented prospects still uncommitted that UCLA has a realistic shot with?

Have you heard from UCLA what they expect the attendance to be for the UCLA-Tennesee game on Labor Day? UCLA will probably end up with around 50K season tickets, plus around 15K Tennessee fans (I read they sold their allotment of 12K seats) plus I would guess around 5-7K additional tickets to be sold. That would make around 70K people. Any word from the AD on expected attendance. Thanks for you great work Brian!!!

Our 2008 football recruiting class was ranked in the top 10-15. Although deficient in certain areas (OL most obviously), credit goes to the Dorrell staff for assembling it and to the Neuheisel staff for keeping it together. Based on what you know now, and what you foresee playing out in the upcoming months, do you think our 2009 class will end up being not as good, about comparable, or better than the 2008 class?

You've frequently mentioned recruits who have been attending practice. Are these players introduced by UCLA or do you find out who they are through other journalistic means?

Is Forcier pronounced "For-Seer" or "For-See-Ay"? Is Jerime Anderson pronounced "Jeremy" or "Ja-reem"?

Do you believe Bruin fb coaches ever put the second most talented/effective guy as number one on the depth chart solely to motivate the most talented/effective guy to reach an even higher level of play?

Silly question but for those of us who have not heard your surname spoken, does it rhyme with with John, Loan, or something else?

Another columnist wrote an article recently disparaging the remaining QB talent at UCLA.

Do you really see a big talent deficit at this position? None of these guys have even gotten a chance to show what they can do yet. Two games into his junior year Cade McNown couldn't throw a consistent spiral.

Seems to me that Craft/Forcier lack experience, not talent.

Who has more naturla leadership ability, Craft or Forcier?

What is your opinion of the pure passing skills of Craft and Forcier, in terms of arm strength, accuracy, mechanics/release, ability to throw on run, etc.

At this point which true freshmen do you think will redshirt?

What are the chances that Nate Chandler becomes a starter by midseason if not sooner, in your estimation?

What are the odds that Ben Olson ends up being a 1st round pick under Chow's tutelage once he gets back on the field (be it this year or next)? 10% ? 5%? Possible at all? Or will he never make it back on the field because once he returns from injury the other QBs will have passed him up?

who do you think will round out ucla's basketball recruiting class? Are there any big time players that may surprise us and commit to ucla?

In your opinion, who is the most naturally gifted athlete on the football team?

hey Brian, does Favre have any eligibility left?

From watching practice, does the o-line look better run blocking or pass blocking?

Does Jess Ward project to guard, or do you think he has good enough footwork to play tackle on the o-line?

Brian, thanks as always for your good work. Now that practice has started, I'm visiting this site 4-5 times a day.

1. I was somewhat surprised to see Chris Forcier had closed the gap between himself and Kevin Craft in the battle for the starting job. I had presumed that Craft would not only possibly challenge Olson for the starting job, but that he would be handed the job if something happened to Olson. Is this a matter of Craft not progressing over the summer as well as hoped? Or did Forcier make huge strides over the summer? Or it is just a matter of Chow and Neuheisel wanting some competition at the spot to push Craft?

2. I've read quite a bit on Bell's progress but not much on Raymond Carter who was supposed to give the Bruins some speed around the edge before his injury last year. Any updates on Carter?

3. Who do you believe has been the most pleasant surprise to coaches and teammates in camp thus far?

Looking forward to seeing what Aundre Dean can do, but I was really excited when Milton Knox commited. I know he's barely practiced, let alone actually play in a game, but from what you have seen, how does Knox compare to his idol Maurice Jones-Drew?

Will Captain Phil return to Sea on the Cornelia Marie or was it a career ending illness that he suffered this past season?

It appears you sincerely enjoy what you do, you seem like a good guy, and I wouldn't want to give you a big head, so I'm just going to say that you don't suck at what you do. So, how much longer will we have you covering UCLA athletics?

brian,

i am sure you get a chance to interact with fans from other schools when you are on the road with the team. how do ucla fans compare?
it's kind of embarrassing that ucla set an attendance record at the rose bowl last year by filling barely 3/4 of the available seats, isn't it?
even in years the bruins were sorta good they couldn't get even 70,000 in average attendance ... what does that tell you about ucla fans?

With good depth at tailback , who do you see playing the most at this point ? Which of the frosh tailbacks do you see red-shirting ?

i read a similar question last week, and felt the need to represent: i've heard that my fellow chaminade eagle alums marcus everett and logan paulson have nfl potential, do you see that as high pick/actually playing potential or 4th on the depth chart/practice squad potential?

Based on what you have seen so far in practice and your discussions with the coaches, what is likelihood that the Bruins will be bale to cobble together a servicable offensive line that will allow the QBs and RBs some room to operate? In other words, how dire is the OL situation?

1. Brian, how do you compare Lavin's personality with that of Howland's? How did they run their practice sessions? Howland and I got to UCLA the same year so I have no idea how Lavin was, other than what I hear from others.

2. How are your weekdays like? It seems like you work 24/7 with little R&R. How do you balance your career with family life? Is the wife "cool" with that?

Brian thanks for the great coverage.
Have you seen anyone on defense that seems capable of brining pressure off the edge?
Have either of the incoming freshman DE's Jones or Holmes shown the ability to hit the field this year?

How is Khalil Bell looking to you so soon after his ACL surgery? The practice reports indicate he is bringing it! Kinda a "Hit me with your best shot" approach.

Brian, I saw a picture of Marcus Everett {in another local newspaper} wearing the dark blue trimmed away jerseys.
Boy, they look good! Is there a chance of returning to those??

What defensive tackle prospects are the coaches going hard after? Doesn't the move of Jess Ward make it imperative we sign a couple of DT's?

Brian, can you name one sleeper player on the football team that has been flying under the radar, but you think will break out this season?

Brian, we've heard that Savage is a hunka hunka burning OT, so how is it that he's been spun round and round (like a record, baby) by Tevaga on the depth chart?

Guess who's back? Back again? Bell is back, tell a friend. Brian, would you say Bell has reached pre-injury form?

Thanks, Brian.

Do you know if the football team will continue to run out onto the field from the SE tunnel like they did last year? Was the change really due to the remodeled locker rooms or was it due to Coach Dorrell's laziness?

I always find it embarrasing that the UCLA marching band never gets it's act together until about the mid-way point in the season. Being that the Tenn game is one of the biggest non-SC nationally televised game we've played in years, any chance we'll get more than the basketball pep band out there?

Why does UCLA have such a bad time with injuries? It seems like every year we suffer more than our fair share of injuries. Is this normal? Do other teams have as many problems?

Can Olson get a medical redshirt this year?

You mentioned that freshman Jeff Baca was participating with the second team offensive line at recent practices. How has he looked? Is he still likely to redshirt absent a slew of injuries to other offensive linemen?

Have you seen anyone in the 3s or 4s that have a shot to make the 2-deep at some point this season?

Is DT Chase Moline healthy and ready to go? How many DT's will play this year beyond Price, Harwell, and Siewerski?

Will our running game(with freshman depth) and D Walker defense scheme keep us in most games?

Can we win 7-9 game this season if either of our QB's can manage the game and not make too many rookie mistakes? SC won the last 2 years with a serviceable average QB (Booty), running back depth and great defense.

It was mentioned that Sonny Tevaga was experiencing difficulties in his initial practice with the first string offensive line. Has he shown improvement now that he has participated in additional practices with the first team? Is he now a viable candidate to wind up as a starter?

During last week's set of answers you mentioned that should DeWayne Walker leave UCLA after this season to become a Division I-A head coach there would be at least two outside candidates you are aware of in line to replace him. Do those two outside candidates reflect a recognition on the part of Rick Neuheisel that he needs to be seriously planning for the succession of Walker at defensive coordinator? Or are these merely two good friends of Neuheisel who you know would be qualified to succeed Walker and thus likely to be considered? Thanks.

Have Craft and Forcier shown significant improvement since the start of fall camp? Have their problems with accuracy and decision making improved? Has Craft been able to seperate himself from Forcier and the other contenders?

After having observed several practices, which of the freshmen running backs have impressed you the most? Does it appear that one of the freshmen has seperated himself from the others and is most likely to break into the running back rotation?

Are you aware of why Coach Howland has failed to offer a UCLA scholarship to Anthony Marshall from Las Vegas?

With the struggles at the OL, which seems to be the more probable reason: poor judgment in recruiting or a lack of consistent (turnover at OL coach spot) or adequate coaching? Did the previous staff do a poor job coaching these players (Tevaga, Dean, Bennett, Keane, etc)?

How has Cory Harkey looked? Has he shown significant ability as a receiver and blocker? Are their areas that need significant improvement? Does he seem ready to contribute for the opening game?

What can we expect on the FB recruiting front after the quiet period ends on 9-1? Any idea if there is some momentum building with the 09 class? Obviously, things have been much slower this year with the regime change. Do you see that changing in the fall or is this going to be a long haul toward signing day with most commits coming in late?

Does VB's narcisistic and shameless self promotion (posting of his YouTube links) bother you? Is this self-servinig behavior begining to annoy you?

Let me know and I can have UB (THE Ultimate Bruin) handle him like Michael did Fredo!

who do you think has the most potential out of all the young lineman? (Sophmores as well)

Any understanable reason for so many QB injuries over the last few years or is it just BAD LUCK?

How often do coaches tell recruits, "Hey look we like you but we're waiting on this other guy we're recruiting to make up his mind before we offer you", and are the kids usually cool with that? (Example: UCLA and Anthony Marshall.) Especially with basketball there is a growing trend towards earlier offers so is this still viable?

How important is it in recruiting to be the first or one of the first schools to offer a kid?

When does this musical chairs of the oline end?? Does it look like Palcic will finally settle on a starting five or does this go on throughout the season??
I know he's has 2/5th of the line settle but who's the other 3??

Do you think Prince can beat out Forcier by the end of fall? or do you think he'll redshirt?

sooooo, about ben olsen... isnt anyone raising any concern/suspicion about him re-breaking his toe? like is it the same toe, the same break? why was he cleared for practice??? brian, is this not incompetence on the part of the ucla doctors or something? ben was voicing concern that his foot didnt feel right, but they, along with all of us, just shrugged him off thinking he was just being a wimp or something. but his concern was legit. or are they saying that ben's toe was 100% healed and he just broke it again because he just naturally breaks toes or soemthing? am i way off in thinking something might smell rotten, maybe even covering up an injustice against ben, but ben is too nice to say anything about it? he seems to be pretty numb about it all...

In your opinion, who is the best player UCLA has had in the time you have been covering UCLA football? Who was the most exciting to watch?

I remember a while back - during the basketball season - that a player was going to transfer and it wasn't until the end of the season that, to everyone's surprise, it was Stanback. However, out of respect for him, you did not give us a reason as to why. Is "All I wanted was to be wanted" the reason??? Or is there more??

Brian,

Are you aware that Jon Wilner has a much larger (& nicer) picture of himself on his Mercury News College Sports blog? Can you negotiate for a bigger picture? Besides, your current one makes you look like a bit of a grump.
Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the great work yo do on this blog.

1. I think you predicted 6 wins for UCLA this year. If the Bruins look good in beating Tennessee in Week 1, would you expect a better win-loss record?

2. Do Chow and Neuheisel want to name a starter at QB soon, or would they prefer let Craft and Forcier battle it out until the end of camp? How does this affect team chemistry?

3. Would Chow and Neuheisel consider using two QB's in the Tennessee game?

Don't call it a comeback and I know he's been here for years but what do you think of Bell's performance in camp so far?

To live and coach in LA, we all know its the place to be. You really have to be here to know it...anyway..do you really think this is Walker's last year at Ucla?

Brian Price seems to be taking over the DLine. How has he looked to you. He seems to walk like the man.

Well I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town, probably die in a small town...but how do you think Dean is adjusting to being in LA and away from home?

Ben was always running here and there. I bet he feels not wanted anywhere. He has always looked behind and never liked what he would find. I just hope he knows that he always has a place to go...how is his spirits? Has he been trying to be positive about his situation?

I know scholies are a one year deal, but will Trevor Theriot remain on scholarship beyond this year?

Brian, Love is a battlefield, true, but is he a true D1 safety?

With the light's on....Chow's more dangerous...at the Rose Bowl...will he entertain us?

love, kurt

ps courteny thinks ur hot

Kahlil go on and on
Can't understand how he last so long
he must have super powers
Run 225 thousand carries
Get it calculated and do the math
He made 1,000 cuts that made you move your a**
And over the last 300 days
he made 16 covers with him on the front and they bump

Where you get your eats?
I heard 93 writers say "Neuy!" like ye
2 stringers and 10 mavcanadians
And u still gon yell it every time we see u in
What's my favorite word?
BRUNCH!!
Why they gotta say it like Dohn?
BRUNCH!!
You know they can't play on ur court
Can't hang with the big dog
then stay on the porch ...blow the deadline

(tweet, tweet-tweet)

blow the deadline...

Now this looks like a job for Normie
So everybody just follow he
Cuz we need a little controversy,
Cuz it feels so empty without KD...

(do u miss him?)

he's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the powder blue sky
Now and then when I see his face
he takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry

whoaaaaa, whoa, when will Ben be fine??

whoa, oh, oh, oh, that sweet Olson of mine?

The grass is a-bloom
Shoots up through the Spaulding ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town

The OL's out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The offense is stuck
And Ben's not moving anywhere

You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of Football 101
Someone who could lend a hand
In return for page space

It's a beautiful (Neu) day?

I've got Nue under my skin
I've got Neu deep in the heart of me...how do you think he's doing so far?

Regarding Chase Moline - I recall that he was seriously considering taking a medical retirement a year or more ago because of problems with his neck - isn't that right? Was the problem cured? Or was it diagnosed as being not as serious as it was then thought to be? Thanks - Chase is a warrior and, with Ucla's current depth problems on the line, his presence is very helpful from the point of view of having at least some experienced depth should our excellent starting DT tandem suffer injury or just to give them a little rest during games.

Is Coach K going to go on an unbeatable recruiting tear when the US wins olympic gold?

How's the team's attitude towards all the injuries so far -- do they wonder who can it be now? Especially along the OL?

Heading into Tennessee game without Olson, will the offense be pretty conservative or will Norm have it unchained where nothing stays the same?

If Michigan is seen as a potential top 25 team with a new coach and new QB, do you think UCLA can break on through to the other side of the top 25 by year's end?

OT Dodgers Talk: Why is James Loney batting 5th behind Manny Ramirez? He leads the team in double plays. Who would you bat behind Manny?

Would you bat Manny 3rd so that he can get more at bats plus he'll always get a plate appearence in the 1st inning? Why?

What do you think the best Dodgers line-up is?

Thanks you BD.

Craft was a JC QB All American but he did that mainly from Shotgun, now that it appears Craft is #1, will Norm run more shotgun plays to help Craft, the depleted O-line and the WR depth we have?

Do you think running more shotgun can be effective with the guys we have?

Brian,

I'm not sure if you follow boxing, but if you do:

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya...who do you think would win if they fight at 147lbs with 8oz gloves?

If that fight doesn't happen Pacquiao will fight Ricky Hatton...who would win that fight?

Do you prefer MMA or Boxing? I myself prefer MMA overall but I will always watch a super fight like the 2 listed above.

1) What kind of drills do the players do in terms of conditioning? Sprints? laps? How much time in practice is spent conditioning?

2) How many people would you project will be in attendance on September 1st?

3)Since school isn't in session during the first game, would the CTO sell the student tickets to the public if there was a demand?

Do you get the sense that UCLA is recruiting the OC/IE areas harder than the inner city?
Save the 2008 class, UCLA hasnt really had a presence in the inner city for many years.

Brian , how are walk-on's Max Williams and Justin Mann looking ? Are there any walk-on's that have been standing out in your opinion ? Thanks ...

Brian,
In tribute to Mr. Hayes...
Who is the man
That would risk his neck for his brother man -- Craft?

Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about -- Craft?

Do you think this cat Craft is a bad moth--?
I'm talking about Kevin Craft, can you dig it?

Brian,

If D Walk leaves here tomorrow
Will the Bruins still play his D?
Is he as free as a bird now?
With so many campuses to see?
If he stays here in Westwood
Could things ever be the same?
'Cuz if he's free as a bird now
Will he want to make a change?

Brian,
In tribute to Mr. Hayes...
Who is the man
That would risk his neck for his brother man -- Craft?

Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about -- Craft?

Do you think this cat Craft is a bad moth--?
I'm talking about Kevin Craft, can you dig it?

Brian,

His lights are on
But is he home?
Will he make plays
In the zone?
Oh, we like to think that
He has all the right stuff
But what we really want know is
What you think of Glenn Love?

Thanks

Why do Bruin fans hate VB? I'm just brutally honest.

Brian,
Good job as always and appreciate your mailbag (makes Fridays at work go much easier). Do you envision having a "mailbag crush" like Mandel does over at SI or would the spouse not appreciate that?

How about a revised football depth chart?

The depth chart on the UCLA web site still has Aaron Meyer, Sean Sheller and Pat Cowan listed.

Who do YOU believe are the 5 most TALENTED OL?

Among west coast schools with coaches on the hot seat only 2 (Washington and Arizona) currently pay more then Dewayne Walker currently makes at UCLA. Do you believe this will be an impediment toward Walker becoming a head coach after this season or do you think his stock is so high he will get inquiries outside his geographical base? Getting head coaching offers without a geographical tie is highly irregular and this would seem to significantly dampen any hope he has of becoming a head coach after this season unless he wanted a terrible gig such as New Mexico State ot Idaho.

First question: what did they put in the LA water that made the blog readers so crazy this week? Second Question: Can you send some of the crazy juice up to nor cal? We're not having nearly as much fun up here.

Is there an explosive kickoff returner on the squad who seems capable of replacing Matt Slater and busting some long returns?

Last season, Jimmy Rotstein was unable to get his kickoffs into the endzone. Has he gotten stronger this year, or is someone else poised to win the job and kick the ball into the endzone on a frequent basis?

Hey Brian,
With Kahlil Bell resting during the morning sessions, how have the other running backs done in their extended reps? How is Raymond Carter looking?

You've mentioned Ucla's receivers having the speed to stretch the field but to many of us it's just as important that they have the ability to get off the line of scrimage quickly and that just hasn't seemed to be the case the last several seasons. Have you observed this also and do you think, with new coaches at WR (Moore) and OC (Chow), that the team will be better at this as early as this season?

You've mentioned Ucla's receivers having the speed to stretch the field but to many of us it's just as important that they have the ability to get off the line of scrimage quickly and that just hasn't seemed to be the case the last several seasons. Have you observed this also and do you think, with new coaches at WR (Moore) and OC (Chow), that the team will be better at this as early as this season?

Does Anthony Marshall committing to UNLV perhaps signal that the UCLA coaches feel confident enough in their chances of landing one of the other guards they are recruiting to let him go without an offer?

STOP! Brian, what's that sound? Can you tell me what's goin' down?

Who do think will emerge as the #1 deep threat at WR this season?

Considering what you've seen so far this pre-season on the D, who's loss do you think will be felt the least? Christian Taylor or Bruce Davis?

Thanks, Dohn!

Are there any scholies left to award a walkon or two for the fall season?

Is Tom Blake on scholie?

You may have answered this before, but it still puzzles me that Aaron Meyer went elsewhere to play when it's obvious our Oline could use some bodies. Was there other factors that led to Meyer leaving UCLA?

Who backs up Sloan when Carter is out?

Brian,

How many football season tickets has UCLA sold to date? Are we on the same pace as last year, behind, ahead? Just curious. Thanks.

ucla2k3

Hands...oh those catching hands. They were reaching out. They weren't touching me or touching you...oh those sweet wide receivers..bum..bump...bum Good depth at this position has never been this good. So good so good so good! How many receivers will get regular time and who will redshirt?

Some other blogs i frequent (really talking about dodgerthoughts here) on gamedays have an open chat post for open commenting, so we can discuss game action as it goes on. would you consider this? granted, i can see how you might be wary of self-policing considering that this crowd has not always been the most mature, but perhaps a posted set of rules would help.

that seems good enough to make it another question, would you consider posting some commenting rules somewhere on the page? taking notes from the aforementioned blog (hey, it HAS led to successful commenting, i know there were over 2000 the day manny was traded) this could be very simple things like never use profanity, no discussing politics, no name calling, or whatever else you see fit.

Do you think the oline will be worse than our oline from last year? The reason I ask is because Bell was on pace for 1000 yards last year with the oline, and if there is not much dropoff, do you think he will rush for 1000 this season?

Also, can you describe the differences in coaching style and blocking philosophy between Palcic and Connelly (from last season)? If the change is significant, do you think our OL has picked up the majority of it so far in camp? Thanks again for your insight.