Q&A time

Stan Hasiak, OT or OG?

Bruins Football: Is
light at tunnel's end a train
or dawn's early light?

True or False Brian, UCLA coaches denied the commitment of an O-linemen, presumably Siddoway, in order ensure that a spot would be available for Nik Abele.

Brian- I know we are playing in the Anaheim Classic this year, have you heard rumblings that we are playing in Maui in 2011?

Which will be in the national spotlight first?

Rutgers Basketball or UCLA football?

Brian, thanks for this Q&A! I am beginning to realize just how much work goes into answering 200 plus questions takes so I have a suggestion for you, request only 1 question per poster. That should cut down questions by 25% at least.

What are you thoughts on Reys Dance moves behind Erin Andrews? Was it disrespectful? funny? Should she file a sexual harassment like most Bruin Posters think?

Im looking for an unbiased opinion.

Last week someone asked about comments from opposing coaches not appearing in your news stories. You can count me in as one that would also like to see other coaches remarks. It would appear your readers want this. Is that too hard to do?

In the same vein as the last question: You said that during the conference basketball season you would be updating the links on the right side of the blog to include the opposing team cities' newspapers. Will that be happening?

Brian the more pressing need for UCLA football, speed or size/strength.

Good chance Billy Sanders flips this weekend?

Some people have suggested that Randall Carroll is starting to lean towards UCLA because of a fondness for Neuheisel. Have you heard anything like this?

No question here. I want to congratulate you on being the most popular blog at the Daily News. I don't believe it's necessarily because of us UCLA fans but more so because you work hard and seem to spend 24/7 informing your readers. Keep up the good work.

Now you've opened a can of worms: If you were marooned on a deserted island and could only eat either Chick-fil-A or Papa Johns until you were rescued...which would you choose?

I saw that Roby Toma won the WR Hands Competition last week at the Under Armour All-America High School Festivities last week. Is he going to take an official or unofficial visit to campus?

Trying to plan my trip to Knoxville for our roadie against UT next year, but heard that the game may be moved to Labor Day, as it was in '08, to accomodate t.v. Can the Morgan Center confirm the Sept. 12 date? If not, when will gameday be finally decided?

You mentioned you didn't write the headline for your story the other day about Chuck Bullough. Why does someone else get to write the headline for YOUR story? (And you were right, the headline was somewhat misleading)

Although I find Jeff Strand to be a little bit annoying (and pretty sketchy to still want to be a cheerleader at his age notwithstanding his enthusiasm), I am curious about not only your take on him and what he does but how visiting schools view him.

I just thought of this...since USC is also searching for a defensive coordinator, does that at all complicate things for Neuheisal? Do you think there are guys he had his eye on---like Norton (just kidding, or maybe not...)--that would be more attracted to the SC position?

It seems that WLB projects as a short-term position of need. Based on what you've seen from Glenn Love in practice, could he be a candidate for a positional change?

Have you ever run into Rutgers 2nd most famous alum (next to BD of course) Tony Soprano aka James Gandolfini and is he a candidate for the dc position at ucla?

Any chance Neu goes after Mark Carrier as the DC?

Brian, do you think that Mark Carrier, the young DB coach from the Ravens, will get consideration from Neuheisel for the D-Coord. positon.

Brian, do you think Neu is taking his time in announcing the DC partly because he wants to look at NFL guys that still may be in the playoffs, namely Baltimore Raven staff members.

Brian, are you surprised at the success of the recruiting? Do you think with the 2008 and 2009 classes, the talent level in the program is rising pretty rapidly?

Do you see Norm Chow taking the 49ers OC job if offered?

Has the signings of Tyler Honeycutt and Mike Moser impacted the recruitment of Anthony Brown? Have you had any indication where UCLA currently stands in the pecking order for Brown?

Brian,

Is there any interest that you are aware of inside the UCLA or Pac-10 hierarchy in pursuing structural changes to the conference, e.g. adding two schools & splitting into two divisions? If so, any thoughts on who might get invited to join?

Did that Locke kid that was a punter/kicker red-shirt this year, his freshman season? If so, what does the coaching staff think of his leg? In your opinion do we need to target another special teams player soon?

BD i am still shocked that Cal was able to "steal" offensive lineman Mark Brazinski (Somerville, N.J./Immaculata) from Rutgers.
He earned OL MVP honors @ the Nike camp at Penn State.
Brazinski said he loved the warm weather. Can you help Ucla and tell other big time east coast OL about r great weather and fine academic institution?

BD,

in your honest opinion what do you think happens to Nate Chandler with Presley and Paulsen at TE. Obviously this is assuming Presley is worth his ranking and both are healthy this year.

Do you know if the football staff has, or is, looking at any of the players from Tesoro high school? They had an offensive line averaging 6'2" 290lbs and the offensive and defensive players of the year in Orange County in Robbie Picazo and Preston King.

Has Nicola D impressed you with the improvement of overall game, including his fitness and D? Do you think he supplants Keefe as a starter soon? Why or why not?

Any truth to the rumor that Toma was wavering in his commitment?

Is the coaching staff confident that they will have enough scholarships available to sign 25 recruits plus an additional 3-4 arriving in the sprimg?

What's the best info in regards to Chuck Bullough remaining on staff if he doesn't get promoted to DC? Is Gansz planning to go back to NFL and if so, any names floating around as a new TE coach?

Where have you gone Cade McNown? How I miss the kind of offense we had when McNown played. He went 4-0 against USC. What happened to him after leaving San Francisco a few years ago?

Dohn from your sources have you heard if RN would have interest on the Baltimore DB coach Mark Carrier???

Last year, when it was announced that John Harbaugh had interviewed for the Bruins HC position, it was met by derision on this and other Bruin blogs. It's obvious now he's a pretty good coach. Do you know how far the discussions with him actually went?

Georgia has 'the blackout' where sometimes they wear all black, Florida St & Utah does this as well... do u see UCLA doing such? (not necessarily all black)

Do you like Spam? With all the Hawaii kids coming on board, there might be lot more around!

Not to get anyone nervous by talking about ethnicity, but why don't schools like UCLA and SC recruit more Mexican-American football players? There are many Southern California Latino high school athletes, but I see few recruited.

Is there any discussion of UCLA finding a new play by play announcer?

Word on the street is UCLA is short on cash for assistants. Do you think finances will change the current coaching staff?

Why did it take UCLA so long to recruit JC players? For years College of the Canyons and other California JC's have had some impact players that we let transfer out of state. Isaac Sopoaga who went to COC after being named 2 time JC All American and National Defensive Player of the Year we let go to Hawaii.
How does a defensive 2 Time All American & National Defensive Player of the Year get overlooked?

I've noticed you don't answer some questions, even though they are <50 words, are on time, don't break any specific instructions, etc. It seems like you just don't like the question. What's up? It's your blog, but you should say that you're doing that if you do it.

Do your kids/spouse ever accompany you to any games that you are reporting from? Do they partake in the VB tailgate while you are in the press box/row?

Also, congrats for your blog being the most popular destination on the Daily News. Hopefully you will be properly compensated for this achievement.

How is J'mison taking to his reduced role this year? and when he committed to UCLA, was there an expectation or promise that he would get more meaningful minutes?

Brian:

It doesn't make sense that the Bruins would turn away Siddoway -- even if they were saving a spot for someone else. Beggars can't be choosers? Your thoughts?

Was Siddoway not extended an offer because of on the field questions/concerns.. or were there off the field concerns? If there were off the field concerns, was it more than his ability (academically speaking) to get into UCLA?

Who starts if:

1. Collison sits out
2. Holiday sits out

Is it Roll in either case, with Holiday taking the point in the second scenario?

There have been reports that coach Neuheisel "gets it" and is a great choice in taking UCLA to another level. Do you think he is involved in changing the game atmosphere at the Rose Bowl? As you know, UCLA is at a disadvantage not having a stadium on campus so I was wondering if you've heard if he is changing anything to get the fans more into the games? (ex. I heard Urban Meyer visiting the Fraternities his first year to make sure they come out the games). Do you think the Rose Bowl officials limit UCLA in doing things or does UCLA lack the effort to make the experience more meaniful or fun...Can you compare UCLA game atmosphere vs. Rutgers?

I've noticed you don't answer some questions, even though they are less than 50 words, on time, don't break any instructions, etc. It seems like you just don't like the question. What's up? It's your blog, but you should say that you're doing that if you do it.

Mr. Dohn Juan Demarco,

Because we need line help we're offering a lot of JC players, after the 2009 class Will we continue to see UCLA go after JC players?

High school OL/DL are usually works in progress while All state or ALL American JC linemen have proven they can play at a higher level. As far as retooling the lines, do you think JC players w/ a year or 2 of experience are a better route for UCLA to take than waiting for high school OL and DL to develop? Why?

Thanks

Somebody on ESPN (Ford or Katz) said he hears Holiday wants to stay next year to play point guard full time. Have you heard this?

If I want to be a donor for UCLA football, do I have to register somewhere as a donor? If I see a kid in Westwood, can I buy him a cup of coffee or lunch or is that prohibited?

In general, do you think newspapers should assign an alumnus to cover their former university’s team? Assuming they assign someone who definitely wants to write about their own former school, is there any down side to doing so?

Brian did any of your friends from the recruiting websites tell you anything because you said there were silent commits? Now everyone is asking who are the silent commits.

USC's kicker David Buehler during kickoff's kills the ball out of the end zone everytime for touch backs. Do we have any kickers that can reach the end zone?

Why gamble by kicking off to a dangerous returner..If we had a kicker that could blast the ball into the endzone, would you rather we cause touchbacks or would you have him kick returnable balls and try to cause a fumble?

Have you ever asked Coach Neuheisel to compare his first year vs. his first year at Colorado/Washington? If so did he feel this was a more difficult year or somewhere in the middle? Did he expect the talent level to be better, worse or exactly what he saw during the course tf the year?

My apologies if you’ve answered this one here already. Is it common practice for a newspaper to assign one person to write the game story, and another to write the story’s headline? What is the reasoning behind that?

Do you know anything of UCLA hiring a "mind blowing" coach? I read UCLA could possibly be hiring a great coach who no one thought of.

Biggest scoop of your journalism career?

Haikus getting old?
Iambic pentameter
Is more challenging.

What are you hearing about Toma decommitting and/or looking elsewhere? Do you agree the recent attention he has been receiving demonstrates Chow's ability to evaluate talent?

What part of Darren's game do you think has improved the most from last year?

How many early signees can UCLA have in the Spring and Summer? What I'm getting at is assuming UCLA signs the maximum 25 in its recruiting class, how many new bruins will there be in the fall?

How many more lineman do you think UCLA will get commitments from?

What happens to football players after fall quarter ends. Are there scholarships automatically taken away to make room for early signees, or does the scholarship last until the end of the school year?

Are you surprised by how well Norvel has done this year? UCLA's offense last year was highly predictable and unimaginative in my opinion.

Were you surprised that UCLA let Siddoway go? Given their lack of OL and the problems you have expressed about evaluating OL, shouldn't they be trying to sign every decent OL they can? I'd like them to sign 10 OL if they could.

Does UCLA letting Siddoway go mean that it has a lock on or silent commitment from one or more other OL? Do you get the sense that the staff likes Abele more than Siddoway?

Is the sudden burst in Hawaii recruiting all because of Norm Chows ties? And if so, do you know if this move is going to be a new pipeline that UCLA hopes to dominate in the future? Or something that will pass when Norm leaves.

What are you thoughts on making Hawaii a strong UCLA recruiting base?

I also was wondering if you could tell us the difference between typical official visits and this upcoming recruiting weekend. What will be done differently since so many will be in attendance?

Thanks a lot Brian. Your hard work is greatly appreciated. You have me checking this blog countless times during the day to see what great stuff has been posted.

Can you elaborate on your answer last week about scholarships being available for players when their playing days are over? I seem to recall a story that Eric McNeal, hero of the 13-9 game, had to go to work at Costco to finish his degree.

Have you recovered from the shock of the female hoops player transferring from Rutgers to UCLA?

best Liverpool goal ever -- Crouchie's scissor against Galatasary in the Champion's League?

Since you mentioned that they wanted to recruit the inner city better, is there any chance to bring Eric Scott back from a recruiting standpoint?

Do you know of any schools that are on UCLA's list for future football scheduling?

What genre of music interests you?

Is it true that Vidal Hazelton is considering transfering to Westwood?

What do take from Brehaut's performance in the under armour game?

Do youn think all the Mark Carrier questions are being asked by Mark Carrier and or his family members? And do you think he will be our next DC?

When you refer to a silent commit, are you speaking of basketball or football?

Will Daily News give you a raise for being the best damn bloggster on the internet? (you deserve it)

Have you seen that internet video of rey malugi grinding on Erin Andrews?

georgia, utah, FSU sometimes go to all black uni's for big games and the whole stadium wears that color. do u see UCLA doing anything of the sort (not necessarily black uni's). They did it in basketball under Lavin.

Any Chance CRN can get Ditka to be DC?

When the the Pac-10 bowl tie-ins expire? Is the conference happy with bowl tie ins? Will the new commissioner pursue a more "prestigious" (New Year's Day) bowl for the 2nd place team?

Is UCLA football more of a "sleeping giant" or simply forever destined for mediocrity?

When he was first hired, Coach Neu talked about using throwbacks soon, has he talked about using them in '09?

What school do you think will land Xavier Sua Filo ?

A grassroots campaign has been initiated to have the Daily News pay you per answered question. Who at the paper should be mass emailed to force their hand?

When will Angus McClure become (TE) coach at UCLA again ?

What is the latest news on Bob Hauck , coming to UCLA ?

Will Neuheisel pick between Ricky Hunley or Chuck Bullough to become (DC) ?

Do you expect Reggie Moore to return as (WR) coach ?

Any truth to the rumor that Eric Bienemy will return to coach football at UCLA ?

Ramona Shelburne is my dream girl, is she single?

There are rumors that Vidal Hazelton wants to transfer to UCLA. True or not, if a head coach does not give the player a release, what are the player's options?

Now that you've been back from vacation for a week, what if anything are you hearing about the bona fides of Norton's story?

im sure youre annoyed/frustrated/tired of these questions by now so i just wanted to say "Youre the Man" and thanks for this blog.
I got to go VBs should be home soon.

Is it likely that the two silent commits will go public on this weekend's recruiting event?

Have you ever thought of disabling the "comment anonymously" option for the Q and A section and limiting each poster to one question?

You might see your family more that way.

Do you know if there has been any contact between Neuheisel and Norton since the DC position became vacant?

How much “alone time” does Howland get with the players after a game before the media arrives? How long is the lockerroom open to the media? Do you know if Howland addresses the team once the media leaves?

When a UCLA player sets a record, like Collison and the free throws, do the UCLA PR people make sure the media know about it?

What does UCLA need to do to pick up a win in the Galen Center this weekend?

Before even getting in shape and learning how to hedge, does Morgan need an attitude adjustment?

How ridiculous is it that high school recruits announce their college decisions during all-star games or on Fox Sports on signing day?

Who cares what Wooden thinks about the Pauley project? Guerrero needs to make sure that the new or renovated building gets UCLA through the next 100 years. Wooden, however, represents the first 100 years. Your thoughts? (Oh, and I’m sure the commentators will rip me over this!)

Who besides coaches and players travel with the UCLA basketball team on road trips?

What can Howland learn from Neuheisel? And what can Neuheisel learn from Howland?

Will Neuheisel coach UCLA as long as UCLA allows him? Is there any job—college or pro—that could pull him away?

Does this scenario violate NCAA rules: Head Football Coach is visiting Wide Receiver X and says that Quarterback Y has already made a verbal commitment and the pair would be great together

Your byline appears in several different papers in So. Cal. Do you ever consider yourself a reporter for those papers, or are you a Daily News guy?

Which Oregon recruit scenario do you think Howland would prefer: 1 year of Kevin Love or 4 years of Kyle Singler? Which do you think would have been better for the program?

Is Neuheisel going to be able to keep up Dorrel’s legacy of recruiting good field goal kickers?

Lavin incessantly complains that it’s impossible to coach at UCLA because the expectations are so high. Do you agree? How does Howland deal with it?

Did you cover UCLA during Howland’s first year? What was it like for non-freshmen to adapt to him following Lavin?

How did Howland and Ariza get along? Did anything about their relationship influence Ariza to enter the draft after just one year?

I guess you can’t really argue with Love leaving after one year if he’s the fourth or fifth overall pick…But with another college year do you think he could have improved in some areas and if so which aspects of his game?

Regarding Kevin Love, by “outside influences” do you mean his father, Stan Love? Could you maybe wink or tap your nose to confirm if you don’t want to say out loud?

Regarding Kevin Love, by “outside influences” do you mean his father, Stan Love? Could you maybe wink or tap your nose to confirm if you don’t want to say out loud?

Do you think Teen Wolf is one of the great yet underrated basketball movies of all time?

which player on both the football and basketball teams do you believe will make the best pro player and why?

What does “off the record” mean to you? What does “deep background” mean to you?

If Howland coached his teams in playing zone defenses, do you think UCLA would be better at attacking zones offensively?

Because of how closely you cover the recruiting trail, do you pretty much know all the freshmen personally even before they arrive on campus?

Do basketball players receive individual or small-group coaching during the offseason? If so, does/can the head coach provide it? Also if so, can incoming freshman participate?

What do you think Gordon has to do or prove before Howland trusts him in crunch time, like if Aboya fouls out again?

before posting a question, I read all of the questions by other posters so I don't ask the same question as someone else. DO you think encouraging people to do this will stop from having 10 people ask the same question? Great job with the blog.

Admit it: You love to see us faithful chat participants squirm during close basketball games!

The hoops commits have gotten to play a good number of games in their senior seasons (except maybe Nelson) - is Howland happy with what he's seeing? Lane is supposedly impressing.

Do you think Howland would ever put up with a kid who also played on the Bruins football team? On the flip side, do you think such a kid would ever play much given how much Howland values practice and how much practice he would miss due to football?

Does the Rey Maluga / Erin Andrews clip pretty much sum up what kind of program Carroll runs and what kind of men (boys?) he recruits?

What is one international sports event and one domestic sports even that you’ve never covered but would really like to?

What is the best individual performance you’ve ever covered? (If it’s Reggie Miller against NY Knicks in the playoffs, what is #2?)

Do the basketball players know beforehand what NBA scouts are attending a certain game?

Will Dragovic get a shot at the open SF position next year, or is he thought of strictly as a PF now?

In your sports journalism career, have you ever covered a loss for which you knew the aftermath would be so bad that you didn’t even want to go to the lockerroom afterwards?

Howland said he would discipline Dragovic internally following the arrest. Do you know what that discipline—besides the 1-game suspension—turned out to be?

During the Oregon game chat, when I quipped that Neuheisel takes offensive recruits to the restaurant Mr. Chow, how come nobody commented or wrote “lol?” Do you think they didn’t get it? Do you get it? Don’t you think it’s hilariously clever?

Paper or plastic?

Does Mrs. Dohn have a professional career and if so what does she do?

Knowing what you know, would you want your sons to become professional athletes?

Even though he’s an offensive guy, does Neuheisel have any preferred defensive strategy? Is he looking for a DC who agrees with that philosophy?

There’s long been whispers that Wooden turned a blind eye to serious NCAA violations, like perks for the players from boosters. Do you think this story has been swept under the rug for the past 20 years? Do you believe it? Have you ever considered investigating it?

Would Neuheisel rather have an up-and-coming genius DC who would definitely leave in 2-3 years or a good but not great one who would definitely be available to stay 10 or so seasons?

Where would this team be without Collison?

Does it send shivers down your spine to hear 12,000 people on their feet belting out an 8-clap?

You tend to paint Howland as an obsessive compulsive, no fun, worry wart, grump—even casting him as villain in a Bond movie starring UCLA people. Yet he consistently makes a good impression to bring in top recruits, then get players to “buy in” to his style. What gives?

Who will do kickoffs if Rothstein isn’t around anymore?

Do football defenses actually practice blocking and setting up returns following a turnover? Also, do the UCLA coaches encourage guys to pick up fumbles and return or would they rather have them fall on it? Finally, do UCLA coaches encourage interceptions?

What is “training table?”

What if any internal fallout was there within the athletic department and/or the marketing department following the “controversial” football ads last fall? (Monopoly is over and So you can say you were there)

On UCLA’s athletic Web site, the 2009 football game vs USC is listed for Nov. 28…any word on why it’s not the first Saturday of December like it’s been the past few years?

Can universities set restrictions and stipulations on a guy who wants to transfer out? Miami is apparently doing that with its QB who’s leaving.

Boston College fired its coach for interviewing with the Jets…how do you think Neuheisel feels about that? I’m sure he’d never run off and interview like that! Seriously, though, is that a good policy on BC’s part and do you think it’s fair?

Do you find it suprising that Pete Carroll is so concerned/afraid as to start a negative recruiting campaign against Neuheisel? He is apparently bashing RN to recruits and started the Norton fiasco after ripping him a new one.

USC has had a lot of turnover in its assistant ranks...like both the offensive and defensive coordinators leaving. Do you think that affects their recruiting for the upcoming signing period?

Time to use me on Stan Hasiak now?

- Ace in the Hole

Allow me to coin a term: “double beat.” Means one reporter covering both football and basketball, like you do. How do you rank UCLA as such a “double beat” to cover. Which team do you think presents the best “double beat” for a reporter to cover?

Do you see Jrue Holiday coming back for another season? The backcourt for the Bruins will be thin next year if the team loses Collison and Holiday.

your top three questions in the history of this blog?

When you say you don't write the headlines, are you referring to the blog headlines, the newspaper headlines, or both?

If Rick Neuhisel were the coach of usc and recruited the way he does now at ucla, would he be doing as well as pete carroll? and vice versa: if carroll were at ucla recruiting the way he does now at usc, would he be doing better than neuhisel?

You've mentioned that some elements of the Pauley renovation have been altered at Wooden's request. Does he really have that much influence in the design process?

Who writes the headlines for your story/ how is that decided? Why can't YOU write the headlines for your OWN stories?

When you need a break, do you let the wife and kids answer a few questions, sort of like how SIDs fill out coaches poll ballots?

Congrats on the top dailynews site, it's because of all the hard work you do.
What made Long Beach Poly star guard Jasmine Dixon want to transfer from Rutgers to UCLA?
Thanks again for all the hard work you put in, this is by far the best UCLA site for information.

Do you think your blog readers care too much about football recruiting?

I’m interested in the mechanics of sports journalism so can I ask you about the Hauck situation? Why did the article from the Montana paper contradict your story? Do you stand by your story? Do you have any clarifications? What do you think is really going on?

Do the coaches and football players still get together for meetings and such between now and spring practice, or are they not allowed any instruction/contact at this time?

Do you see any players getting together yet to practice drills and throwing?

Do you get as tired of the USC band as we do?

Is your addiction to Rutgers sports worse than our addiction to UCLA sports? Let the record show you paid good money to travel to the middle of nowhwere (Alabama?) to watch a nameless and meaningless bowl (Papajohns.com Bowl). I rest my case.

178 Questions and none from VB, what gives?

Good to see some of the VB Clan representing

Rob: best haiku in a long while

Right on

What are the chances that RN is able to flip another SC recruit? Will there be another SC meltdown?

Will SC be able to steal Stan Hasiak or another UCLA recruit with its RN bashing campaign?

Will new defensive assistant HC (giggle) Norton be getting a christmas card from RN next year?

Are you taking us all out to Chick-fil-A as a show of gratitude for making this the DN's most popular blog?

If your colleague Scott Wolf is the "scourge of the Internet chat forums," as one local radio dweeb calls him, then what does that make you?

Seems like every time UCLA plays USC after a week off, the Bruins come out really flat and end up losing. What to your knowledge is Howland doing to prevent this?

Do questions about football recruiting annoy you the most?

Do you think the Rose Bowl is the best college football experience--from tailgaiting to stadium to setting etc--in the nation?

going into spring practice, is harris the man to beat for the starting RT spot?

Because this is such a big recruiting weekend coming up with so many recruits (commits and non-commits) tripping in, can you give us an itinerary of what's in store for them this weekend and will it be different than others because of the numbers?

If UCLA is trying to raise money to rehab Pauley Pavilion, why don't they try to create more buzz, fan activities, and increased attendance for non-conference games? This is an elite basketball program, but it's a very boring atmosphere, but this should not be the case if they are trying to get a new gym.

Is Norm Chow enjoying coaching at UCLA?

Richard Brehaut I believe was performing the spread offense in high school, and a lot of shot-gun snaps. Do the coaches feel there could be a learning curve like Kevin Craft?

Since Christian Ramirez was ineligible to play in 2008, why was he still participating in fall practice? Wasn't he taken snaps from other RB's that were ready to play?

Kyle Bosworth getting a medical redshirt to return in 2009? Bosworth brothers are fine young men, they have good manners, and take time to speak with fans.

Are the Daily News techies still working on getting the arrows back on each blog entry so we can move forward and backward with your posts without going back to the main page?

USC in hoops
UCLA in football
Which one nat champs first?

In terms of overall talent how do you think this year's FB recruiting class will compare to last year's? Thanks.

(1) Are the coaches happy with the progression of Glenn Love?
(2) Will Hester be one of the starting CB's next year?
(3) What kind of strength program are the FB players on in the off-season?
(4) Have Rosario and Moutra progressed enough to both start next year?
(5) Are you concerned that CRN seems to be loading up on DB's and safeties instead of the front seven?
(6) Will Donovan Carter get serious playing time in 2009?

What has changed or evolved the most in Howland's coaching philosophy during his tenure at UCLA?

Most people here seem to think "stealing" USC recruits is the best strategy. But why not start with Cal and Oregon guys, since those teams are pretty much 2 and 3 in the conference the past few seasons. What does Coach Rick think about that?

What is the diference b/t a "defensive coordinator" and a "defensive assisstant head coach"? (Especially when the Head Coach will be calling the plays on defense).

Any update on ATV or Reggie Carter? If not, when do they start to get the requested info back from the NFL?

Brian:

UCLA hired one of the legendary cheaters in NCAA Football History as its head coach. Why do you think so many of its fans are so obsessed with calling the coach across town who has never been sanctioned by the ncaa of anything except for a few minor violations a cheater. Isn't it just envy?

1) Would you say "pfffff" to the fact that Ryan Wright left UCLA to merely average 2.1 PPG at Oklahoma? Bad decision?

2) Any menu requests for next year's opening tailgate? (We want to honor your success on the blog, Dohn Corleone).

3) Your favorite movie out of: Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, Donnie Brasco, The Parent Trap (60s version), or Walle?

4)You predicted a Sweet 16 ending for our bball team in the past. Now that you have seemingly overrated us in your poll the last few weeks, could we possibly squeeze an Elite Eight prediction out of you?

5) What are the chances of getting Dan Guerrero to tailgate with us next year?

Do you know if Mark Carrier is under consideration by CRN for the open DC position?

Guerrero chose to give a nonresponsive answer to your question on whether the football program would get help from admissions in the recruitment of players. Why do you think he was unwilling to actually address the question?

Can you lobby Scott Wolf tonight to vote Utah #1? They stand undefeated having faced a BCS quality strength of schedule.

Can you clarify: If people ask several questions in one posting, is that considered a violation of the 50-word cap?

Do you know if there is any sort of budget for recruiting FB or MBB players? For example, can the staff ever not recruit a player because the airfare/hotel costs too much?

Wow Dohn Corleone Your are the man. As I scroll down these 200 questions, wanted to give you one you might like instead of trying to predice every football player's future. What is the latest on Dohnster? When is the next race?

Any idea as to why we lost out on Martinez to SUC considering they have a better football team? I thought we had the upper hand.

Also, was Westbrook voted in for the slam dunk contast?

Brian-

Once someone has committed to UCLA, do you spend much time watching footage on them? Basically, any insight as to what recruits you think will be exceptional if any?

Any insight as to if UCLA men's basketball or football is pursuing any transfers at all? Can you name names?

Also, have you ever had a beer with Neuheisel or Howland

What job besides coaching do you think Howland and Neuheisel would be best at?

How hard do Howland go after Alex Stephenson? Did you think he would come to UCLA and what impact do you think he would have had?

With SD State and Kansas next year, should I be bummed I bet 50 bucks we would go 8 and 4?

Also what type of difference do you think Kai and Sheller will make to the offensive line next year?

Is Ryan Taylor the only JC player to sign a letter of intent? Are the other JC kids still longshots?

Is Neuheisal looking at any recruits from the Bakersfield area? How actively does UCLA recruit the Central Valley?

Any chance of the player Q&A being posted as an audio file?

Brian, you're a great sportswriter but let's get serious for a minute: If you're stranded on a deserted island with 19 other people, what skills do you bring to ensure collective survival?

Does it suck that you can't leave blowout games early like the rest of us?

You seem to be a victim of your success, answering more and more questions every week. Are you going to place more restrictions to cut down on the number of questions?

Did you have any trouble on your trip back from Oregon to LA?

What's the worst job you've had in sports journalism? Also, if you weren't a sports journalist, what do you think you'd be?

Will future basketball players be drafter higher because of the overall success of Howland's current players in the NBA? Like, do scouts and GMs say "well other players to come out of that program have been good, so this guy probably will be too"?

Could you make the funny Howland stories a permanent fixture for future Q&As? It gives a rare look inside Howland's relationship with his players.

Do the Chargers have a shot at beating the Steelers Sunday?

During the BCS game, the announcers pointed out OU's other offensive coordinator sending in the "dummy" play calls. Was that Craft's problem this season...was he actually running the "dummy" plays while the rest of the offensive ran the actual play?

How would you rate Scott Garson as an assisstant coach?

Do they seem to relate to better than Howland?

Do you think he'll be with us for much longer

Do you see some of the incoming basketball freshmen redshirting due to an abundance of front court players? In your opinion who would they be?

Do you think Marcedes Lewis has played to his potential in the pros?

Does Del Rio use him mainly as an additional pass blocker because his receiving stats are pretty poor?

do you have any emotional ties to UCLA besides covering them since you didn't go to school there? do you get upset when they lose?

There seemed to be a lot of quotes from basketball team members after the Oregon trip stating that there is great chemistry on the team. Were these simply typical quotes, or is the chemistry on this year's team better than in years past?

do you believe that with the recruits in last years and this year's class, the team is getting more athletic across the board?

Brian you have a better insight into the FB program than of us fans. If you were to advise RN and DG what improvements/changes would you make.

Do you're children root for UCLA or do they despise UCLA because it makes daddy stressed and tired? Thanks for all your work. P.S. you should charge for this stuff.

If you had a chance to watch it, what were your thoughts on the BCS National Championship game?

Aundre Dean vs. J'Mission Morgan: Who is the bigger disappointment as a freshman? Who is more likely to rebound and play well as a sophomore...and why?

Who's a better college quarterback: Matt Leinart or Tim Tebow?

Should we expect Gordon to be the starting center next year? Is he comfortable playing that position?

Do you think Josh Shipp's big game against Oregon is an aberration or something we can expect more of?

Do you think Howland's satisfied if at least Shipp or Roll is shooting well from outside during a particular game? Do you seem him taking any steps to get them more time on the floor together?

It may just be my bleary-eyed 6:30 am observation, but it doesn't seem to me like UCLA gets many (or any) of the big stars from Mater Dei--FB or hoops. What's Neuhesial doing to establish a recruiting pipeline and how is Howland's relationship with MD?

Was poor Jay Norvell channeling the worst of his Karl Dorrel memories when Oklahoma couldn't finish those 2 drives inside the 10-yard line?

What made Dorrel's version of the West Coast offense so complicated and how come he never realized it and tried to simplify?

Do you see Neuheisal and Chow developing into a good offensive tandem? Also, Chow's not getting any younger--does he still have what it takes to stay on the forefront of college football offensive schemes?

Cristiano Ronaldo wrecked his Ferrari on the way to practice...do you feel sorry for him?

Shouldn't it be "50 words or fewer?"

How does NCAA officially acknowledge football championships? BSC, final AP poll, or actuall NCAA title (which I don't think they even offer)?

How could BSC schools accept the final AP Poll as a national chapion if they signed on to accept the BSC series? Ala USC a few yrs ago. Don't you feel it's convienent for a school to use another poll to claim their title?