Weekly Answers, Pt. 4

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers…

1) Jon, My apologies if this has been asked previously, but … Do you think Chow’s move to Utah will impact XSF’s return when he mission ends? If I recall correctly, Chow was instrumental in closing the deal on XSF and Hasiak, and the possibility exists that XSF could simply start fresh elsewhere. Thanks – Anonymous
No, Su’a-Filo has told people he is returning to UCLA.

2) As a die hard Bruin fan since 1996, I am amazed and embarrassed by the amount of vitriol that has taken over Bruin blogs, message boards, and comment sections like the one found on your blog. Some of it is to be expected – the internet bring out yahoos who love the fact that they can post anonymously with no repercussions. Plus, the fact that the Bruins are having tough times in football and basketball doesn’t help. That said: 1) do you feel that the venom has gotten worse in the last few months? 2) Have you (or the Daily News) ever thought about shutting down the comments on the blog completely? It might hurt hits, but if you have good content from good sources it won’t matter much. 3) If random, angry internet message board poster guy was put in charge of the UCLA football and basketball programs, how many coaches do you think we would go through in the first year between the two programs? I say 15 – one for every loss between the two programs next year. – Bigworm
Yes, the vitriol has gotten pretty bad, and I’ve had to disallow comments on certain posts. I guess it’s to be expected, though, given the precarious football situation and the basketball team’s frustration. Regarding question three, I just shivered.

3) How much does CRN’s selection of a DC weigh on recruits compared to UCLA’s stature and success (or lack of) on the field? That is to say, if we land a big name DC like Shannon, does that help sway some of the defensive players out there (McReynolds, Steward, and now Grimble) solely because he’s been a stud DC? Or does UCLA’s performance on the field play a greater role in the process? Thanks for all the great work and hope you had a great birthday, Jon! – Jae
I truly believe that 4-8 is the biggest factor in this season’s recruiting misses, but also, a lack of SoCal focus. Yeah, not having a DC in place has been an awkward situation, but aside from Grimble, I don’t think UCLA lost anyone it was going to get.

4) Hey jon love the blog 1st off secondly do we have any guys looking to transfer out? Whats up with RS and our DC saga? Finally any word on the possible return of Nik Abele? wasnt he working with a specialist to reduce the swelling or fuse the disk keeping him out? – Anonymous
I have not heard any players were looking to transfer out, and no new information on the Abele situation. Still looks highly unlikely.

5) Let’s assume for a second that CRN is let go next year… do you think the coaching mess going on right now has made UCLA a less desirable destination for potential head coaches? – Dan
No, I think the issues that UCLA has comparatively to other schools is well known among the coaching community. This has been a debacle from a public relations standpoint, but not really to the coaching community.