A Hint: Winning Puts End to Complaints

Steve Lavin can empathize with Karl Dorrell. The former Bruin basketball coach knows how tough UCLA alumni can be.

Lavin said he sent a note of encouragement to the Bruin football coach earlier this season.

“They complain about him being too stoic on the sideline,” Lavin said. “I just wanted to let him know that I used to get ripped for my demeanor too. A Times letter writer once complained that I jump up and down like a wild zoo animal.”

It’s a tough group to please.

Trivia time: Dorrell, a wide receiver, played five seasons at UCLA, from 1982 to ‘86, because he redshirted in 1984 after being injured in the third game. In that span, UCLA’s record against USC was 4-1. In the same span, what was UCLA’s record in bowl games?

Passing issue: Regarding the quote, “When passing, three things can happen and two of them are bad,” HBO’s Larry Merchant of Santa Monica sent a fax stating that he believes Tennessee’s Bob Neyland was the first to say it.

Added Merchant: “And it’s three of four, not two of three, things that could happen in the passing game that are bad -- an incompletion, an interception, and a sack.”

Another viewpoint: Reader Ray Uhler of Tustin e-mailed to say, “Overlooked is the fact that when running, three things can happen and two are bad -- gain, loss, fumble.”

One explanation: Carol Slezak of the Chicago Sun-Times, on why Ohio State is ahead of USC in the BCS rankings: “Maybe the computers think Maurice Clarett is still in Ohio State’s backfield.”

Self-made man: TNT’s Kenny Smith, responding to Magic Johnson being honored by a statue of his likeness at his alma mater, Michigan State: “There’s a statue in my house of me. I made it.”

Lowest shot ever: Morning Briefing recently reported that former USC quarterback Rob Johnson and college classmate Mike Valpredo own a racehorse named Mary Swanson, which was also the name of the lead female character in the movie, “Dumb & Dumber.”

Reader Steve Sussman, UCLA class of 1986, had this reaction: “It’s not the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time, that two USC alums are mentioned in the same context as ‘Dumb & Dumber.’ ”

Talk about dumb: Bob Costas, a guest on ESPN radio’s New York affiliate, was asked about major league players testing positive for steroids.

“It’s an announced test,” Costas said, “so you not only failed the steroid test, you failed the IQ test.”

Trivia answer: 5-0. The Bruins won the Rose Bowl after the 1982, ’83 and ’85 seasons, the Fiesta Bowl in 1984 and Freedom Bowl in 1986.

And finally: Gary Anderson, coaxed out of retirement to kick for the Tennessee Titans, told reporters, “One thing I’ve learned over the years is sometimes if you make kicks early in the game, you don’t have to make them late.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.