Running Deception Play Isn’t a Strength of Bruins

When the media arrived for Coach Karl Dorrell’s Monday afternoon news conference, each reporter and broadcaster received a release: “UCLA sophomore cornerback Marcus Cassel will not participate in this week’s season-opening game at Colorado due to a violation of team rules.”

For the next 20 minutes or so I waited for the folks who regularly cover the Bruins’ football team to ask Dorrell what Cassel had done wrong, but apparently the media just takes it for granted now that UCLA runs a renegade program.

Eventually I asked Dorrell what Cassel had done wrong, and he said he wasn’t comfortable discussing it. I would have thought Athletic Director Dan Guerrero would have made sure he found someone comfortable talking about the team’s off-the-field problems as much as it happens at UCLA.

“Did he park in the wrong place?” I asked.

“No,” Dorrell said.

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THE BRUINS haven’t played a game under Dorrell and already we’re having the same kind of discussions we had in the past. Guerrero said he had to fire Bob Toledo because he thought the media and fans would continue to rehash the Bruins’ off-the-field problems of old. If that’s the case, I wonder whether Dorrell is already in jeopardy of losing his job.

“Was Cassel spotted driving around in an agent-leased SUV?” I asked.

“I don’t know what he drives, to be honest with you,” Dorrell said, and I like the idea that he’s going to announce to us every time he’s being honest.

The news conference continued, and basically it was a love fest between coach and reporters because the coach has closed UCLA’s practices, and the reporters won’t have to spend time watching boring practices and the coach will have his privacy, and everyone is happy.

I’m never happy, of course. “Did this guy do something that was criminal?” I asked, and Dorrell said, “I’d rather not comment.”

That made me wonder whether Cassel really had done something criminal, because Dorrell had no problem coming clean on whether Cassel had a handicap placard or was driving an SUV. Mention “criminal,” and suddenly Dorrell dummies up.

The kid apparently wasn’t in jail. The school’s sports information director said Cassel practiced Saturday, but since Dorrell has closed practices -- I presume to keep out anyone trying to serve his players with subpoenas -- the media are going to have to count on the honesty of the school’s publicists to relate what happened behind closed doors. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any one of those guys ever saying, “To be honest with you ... “ about anything.

After Monday’s practice, reporters found Cassel, but he said Dorrell instructed him to clam up. The nice thing about not having to watch practice any longer, Bruin reporters will have time to check the police blotter every day to see how UCLA is really doing.

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NOW FOR all I know, Cassel did nothing more than get caught with a USC sweatshirt hanging in his locker, and can you blame him?

This is more about UCLA’s lack of judgment. UCLA has always had a problem dealing with things gone askew, and as a result, the furor surrounding the secretive manner in which they deal with them is often bigger than what actually happened.

After Toledo’s demise, and the emphasis placed on not dwelling on the Bruins’ past peccadilloes, it’s obvious the athletic administration has not learned a thing, and so if that’s what UCLA wants -- let the guessing game continue.

“Back to our problem child,” I said as the news conference continued. “Did you just find out recently that he was hit with a DUI earlier this summer?”

Dorrell smiled. Toledo used to frown. “I’m not going to comment,” Dorrell said, but I wonder if I was getting warm.

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TIMES’ REPORTER Jason Reid’s startling revelation this morning that Shawn Green has been playing injured all season on the heels of Sunday’s failure by the Dodgers to add more firepower via a trade is further evidence that General Manager Dan Evans’ assignment is to ready the payroll for a new owner rather than pounce on the opportunity to make the playoffs.

“Our staff worked real hard for the last couple of weeks targeting clubs, but there was no deal to be made,” Bogey Boy told reporters, and for a guy who insists on telling everyone all the time how hard he and his staff are working, just what are they doing?

Evans failed to secure the offense the Dodgers needed to match their outstanding pitching, but more than that, knowing now he was aware of Green’s injury and did little about it, is a betrayal to all Dodger fans, who have been told the team is doing everything it can to win.

As punishment, I’d make him take the microphone before each game and announce the Dodgers’ starting lineup -- while holding his nose.

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THE MICRO Manager keeps mentioning Todd Hundley’s name as if it’s a good thing he’s back, ready to play for the Dodgers. “It’s nice to have a bat like that sitting on the bench,” Jim Tracy said.

If Hundley’s bat looks great sitting on the bench, I’ve got no problem with that, as long as he doesn’t try to pick it up and use it.

Hundley update. He picked up the bat, and then struck out.

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THE MICRO Manager said he thinks Eric Gagne should “garnish” some MVP votes. I asked if he meant to say, “garner,” and he said, “garnisher some votes,” which cleared it up for me.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Alice Fander:

“Come on, not one word about the Sparks, who are in the playoffs!”

If you insist.

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.