UCLA Image Takes A Hit Nationally; Serious Questions Remain

Editor’s Note: If Karl Dorrell and, more importantly, Dan Guerrero want to stand on that pedestal of Character and Integrity they have a national stage ready for them to do just that right now, and the whole sports world will listen. What they do with this scandal will define to a degree the quality of their tenure at UCLA. The national spotlight is on them now, but it won’t be for much longer. For the good of the University and its Mission they should do the right thing.

We are not ready to review the recent events at Pac-10 Media Day as the Eric Scott arrest has gone national and serious questions have emerged that need to be answered. The damage is done folks, our image is tainted … nationally. How we respond to this situation will determine if the hit to our image will be compounded as the days and season pass. We will try to rush through this quickly. Here are some key facts and questions:

• Guerrero is on record as having said the he, Dorrell and UCLA did not know about Scott’s prior arrests and convictions before he was hired.
• Guerrero is on record as having said the background checks during the hiring process came back clear of the convictions.
• Dorrell is on record as having said that he knew of some prior incidents in Scott’s background, yet Scott’s background check came up negative. What did Dorrell do when that happened?? Did he question Scott or ask questions about the application Scott filled out and signed??
• Did Scott lie on his application about his convictions?? If so, surely Dorrell and Guerrero would know by now. If Scott did lie, then why has he not been summarily fired by now??
• What did Dorrell know and when did he know it?? Did Dorrell have any knowledge of Scott’s deception prior to his hiring or was Dorrell involved in any way in Scott’s deception in order to get Scott through the screening process??

Obviously, the implications of how Scott’s hiring played out are serious in nature. We need to have answers from Dorrell and Guerrero on this. It could be that Dorrell and Guerrero operated with utmost caution and professionalism, but we do not know that now. And if they do not answer these questions then clearly there will be a cloud of suspicion hanging over Dorrell’s program … one in which Character and Integrity are the supposed cornerstones (Nestor at BruinsNation has a great post on the subject).

Which brings us to the hit UCLA’s image and Karl Dorrell’s program are taking on the national stage. Not only are local reporters talking about how bad this looks for UCLA … national reporters are hitting on the story as well, and obviously not positively.

• Fox sports national reporter mockingly equates the Scott Arrest with the scandals that made this week the worst week in sports
• Simers and Roggin on AM 570 have long tortured discussion on Eric Scott’s arrest and say Scott must be fired and Dorrell is on thin ice.
• ESPN Radio ran national SportsCenter minute story throughout the day yesterday noting that a UCLA coach was arrested for felony burglary and had prior arrests and convictions
• Local reporter says Scott arrest is a “black eye” on the university and football program. Notes that the story is “ugly” and “murky.”
• Eric Scott’s arrest ran on all major sports web sites and the front page of all major Los Angeles papers web sites.

We repeat: If Karl Dorrell and, more importantly, Dan Guerrero want to stand on that pedestal of Character and Integrity they have a national stage ready for them to do just that right now, and the whole sports world will listen. What they do with this scandal will define to a large degree the quality of their tenure at UCLA. The national spotlight is on them now, but it won’t be for much longer. For the good of the University and its Mission they should do the right thing.

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