Questions Reporters Should Ask Dorrell At Media Day Tomorrow

by DumpDorrell on Jul 25, 2007 9:10 AM PDT

From the diaries. GO BRUINS. -N

As you know, Pac-10 Media Day is tomorrow. We thought we would help the beat reporters who cover Pac-10 football and give them some questions to ask Karl Dorrell about the upcoming season. Last year, you may recall, the media gave Dorrell a bunch of soft balls and predictably we got the same tired promises of Pac-10 success and the same tired cliches of a program learning and growing. We also got the "best team yet" proclamation that Dorrell had to abandon just weeks into the season.

This year we want the media to ask tougher questions of Dorrell because he is a 5th year nearly $1 million-a-year coach and has the worst 3 and 4 year starting records of any UCLA coach since WW2. It is time Dorrell is held accountable. Also, we want to preempt Dorrell's attempt to spin his abysmal record and to lower expectations for the upcoming season. We have the perfect storm of a season brewing and our program can't afford to have our 5th year coach have this team unprepared or out of position to take advantage of it. The hard questions must be asked, or at least, Dorrell's predictable answers to soft questions must be challenged.

Here are a few questions we are sending to the beat reporters of the Pac-10 (we urge you to as well, or your own variation):

Last year at Media Day you said your team would win the Pac-10. You had the team wear blue bracelets that said "Pac-10 Champions" on them. The season didn't turn out so well and the bracelets were cut off in October. What do you think this team should achieve this season? What are your minimum expectations?
* This year we have: 20 returning starters - 17 of which are seniors, 20 seniors total in rotation, a favorable schedule (toughest games at home except USC), a soft road schedule (only 2 road games against teams with winning records last year, both of whom we beat with this same team), 2 experienced QBs, and a historically rare 12 game season with only 6 wins needed to make a bowl game. There is no reason why Dorrell can't have this team win 11 games and at least a conference co-championship.
Do you think you have met the expectations Dan Guerrero and you yourself set for your tenure when you were hired?
* When Dorrell was hired over 4 years ago, Dan Guerrero said he was hired to win Pac-10 championships, play in BCS bowl games and beat USC. Dorrell also stated that those were his own goals. This is his 5th season and he has not met those goals except beating USC once out of 4 times. He also has the worst starting 3 and 4 year record of any UCLA football coach since WW2.
Given your overall record and the goals set for this program when you were hired, do you think there is pressure on you to win this season?
* If Dan Guerrero or some other representative from the Athletic Dept is there, ask this question of them. At some point, every fan has to meet certain performance expectation at their own jobs ... jobs that don't have a public income of nearly $1 million a year. At some point, Karl Dorrell must meet the expectations set out for him. 5 years seems to be enough time to prove he can meet the goals Dan Guerrero and he himself set out for him when he was hired.
You have had a lot of turnover in your coaching staff. What do you attribute that to? What are your expectations for the offense and your 4th OC in 5 years, Jay Norvell, this season?
* If OC Jay Norvell starts off slow, costing some losses in the process, chances are that Dorrell will find himself scapegoating Norvell as he has other assistant coaches in the past. At some point, Dorrell must be held responsible.
If you can't win the conference this year, what do you say to fans who believe this team should win it?
* If Dorrell can't get this team to win this year with all the advantages the team has, when will he ever? Dorrell will try to de-emphasize this year's team performance in favor of focusing on the future of the program and projecting an image of a "program on the rise" ... all to deflect criticism his record on the field. If he can't win this year, with all the advantages he has, why should we expect him to in the future?
Morgan Center sent out mock-ups of the Spring Guide to media with the bold statement that UCLA would win the conference title and beat USC by 20 points at the Coliseum. Do you agree with that statement? Get the record straight on what Dorrell expects for the season.
On the occasion of UCLA winning its 100 national NCAA title, Dan Guerrero said that at UCLA the expectation is that sports programs will be "nationally competitive." In 3 of your 4 seasons, including last year, the team has not met those expectations. What conversations have you had with Dan Guerrero about meeting those expectations, or the expectations he gave you when you were hired, this year?
Are you going to have the team wear the blue bracelets with "Pac-10 Champions" on them that you had them wear last season?

Here are the reporters we sent the questions to (some papers do not make reporters email public):

John Moredich, Tuscon Citizen, jmoradich@tusconcitizen.com
Anthony Gimino, Tuscon Citizen, agimino@tusconcitizen.com
Bob Young, Arizona Republic, bob.young@arizonarepublic.com
Rusty Simmons, SF Chronicle, rsimmons@sfchronicle.com
Tim Brown, The Oregonian, tbrown@oregonlive.com
Jeff Smith, The Oregonian, jeffsmith@news.oregonian.com
Bob Condotta, Seattle Times, bcondotta@seattletimes.com
Craig Smith, Seattle Times, csmith@seattletimes.com
Molly Yanity, Seattle Post Intelligencer, mollyyanity@seattlepi.com
Jon Naito, Seattle Post Intelligencer, jonnaito@seattlepi.com
Vince Grippi, Spokesman Review, vinceg@spokesman.com
Diane Pucin, LA Times, diane.pucin@latimes.com
Ivan Maisel, ESPN, ivan.maisel@espn3.com,
Bruce Feldman, ESPN, bruce.feldman@espn3.com,
Joe McDonnell, AM 570, joemcd8888@yahoo.com,
Doug Krikorian, LB Press Telegram, doug.krikorian@presstelegram.com,
Lonnie White, LA Times, lonnie.white@latimes.com,
Brian Dohn, LA Daily News, brian.dohn@dailynews.com,
Scott Wolf, LA Daily News, scott.wolf@dailynews.com
Robert Kuwada, OC Register, rkuwada@ocregister.com,
Steve Bisheff, OC Register, sbisheff@ocregister.com,
Kevin Pearson, LB Press Enterprise, kpearson@pe.com,
Bob Keisser, LB Press Telegram, bob.keisser@presstelegram.com,
Kevin Modesti, LB Press Enterprise, heymodesti@aol.com
Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio, theherd@espnradio.com

0 recs | Comment 15 comments

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Comments

Excellent

I think Big Joe may aks some of therse types of questions anyway.

Can't wait to hear responses.

by Ajax on Jul 25, 2007 9:17 AM PDT 0 recs

Great job DD!!

by bluestreet on Jul 25, 2007 9:22 AM PDT 0 recs

Very well done

It is quite sad that we feel like we have to TELL reporters how to do their job. Well, at least, DD has told them. Hopefully they will heed the advice.

by tasser10 on Jul 25, 2007 9:27 AM PDT 0 recs

I think you will need to amend this

and add in an Eric Scott question or two.

by bluestreet on Jul 25, 2007 9:31 AM PDT 0 recs

bad timing, to say the least

Wolf, at least, will be having some fun with this tomorrow.

by bruinhoo on Jul 25, 2007 10:08 AM PDT up 0 recs

Great job

Maybe some of the reporters will have the guts to ask these questions.

by Barnes2JJ on Jul 25, 2007 9:50 AM PDT 0 recs

Isn't there a new LA Times beat reporter?

I don't remember his name, but someone different was covering spring practice.

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 25, 2007 12:00 PM PDT 0 recs

9.

Is it true that Eric Scott participates in a voluntary workout program located in Norwalk? Does this regimen including repeated lifting of heavy electronic equipment and furniture?

by CAJason80 on Jul 25, 2007 2:51 PM PDT 0 recs

zing!

by bluestreet on Jul 25, 2007 3:01 PM PDT up 0 recs

re:Zing!

You want the tough questions asked? We need the sports equivalent of Helen Thomas.

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Jul 25, 2007 4:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

Off Topic but really eye-opening

What do Youngstown State, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, UNLV, the Citadel, Northern Illinois, Appalachian State, Akron, all have in common, Besides the fact that none of them are ranked in Rivals.com's pre-season Top 50?

You'll find 'em all on one of the non-conference schedules for three of the pre season top 10 teams in the Rivals.com countdown. Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Gawd, the Big 10 sucks!!!

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Jul 25, 2007 4:12 PM PDT 0 recs

I'm afraid that Eric Scott will be the hot topic

What are the chances that reporters are going to concentrate on anything but the Scott angle. We are screwed. Why does this have to happen the day before media day. This is the only story that the reporters are going to be interested in. Ask yourself, what sells papers. Karl Dorrell talking about what our team is going to do this year, or the burglar WR coach on our staff.

Here's question #9

9. How many games will it take before the circus surrounding Eric Scott takes the whole program, full of potential, back into the doldrums of uninspired mediocrity?

My guess is 3-4

by joeb on Jul 26, 2007 4:18 AM PDT 0 recs

Its obvious Scott will dominate

there are only 15 minutes scheduled for both Dorrell and Bruce Davis questions. That is not nearly enough to cover the basic questions reporters will have about Scott. So the effort I put into those questions and getting the email list together and sending reporters the questions will likely be meaningless. Unless, if and when Dorrell falters, reporters have in the back of their minds the questions that I raised. On the silver lining side of things, the climate may now be right for criticism of the program should it be warranted this upcoming season.

by DumpDorrell on Jul 26, 2007 5:16 AM PDT up 0 recs

The Scott Controversy

will go away at some point. Either the guy will be cleared of everything, or he's a criminal and will be rigthtfully canned.

Your questions may not be used in the immediate future, but with a little tweaking by the reporters, they can be used in the near future or during the year. They are good questions and they plant the seeds of the issues involving the progress of the program.

by Barnes2JJ on Jul 26, 2007 5:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

Maybe they'll ask Bruce Davis

As a defensive end Davis has no connection to Scott. Hopefully reporters remember to ask these questions at least to Davis, and hopefully he has the right answers.

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 26, 2007 11:26 AM PDT up 0 recs