Greg Waters (Hermosa Beach, Calif.)
I wanted to express my agreement with the decision to remove the player's names from the game jerseys. I feel it adds a sense of solidarity, and enhances team unity. What were the reasons you based this decision on?
Holmoe: We made the decision to take the names off the jerseys as a result of a meeting I had with one of our team leaders, Matt Beck, who approached me with the idea. It was meant as a symbolic gesture of team unity. I think it was good for that reason. However, it is not a permanent policy. At some point, we'll have the names back on our uniforms, because there are good reasons to have them on there. In addition to the team unity issue, we also believe in accountability and that if someone on our team makes a good or bad play, they should be recognized for it. Also, it makes it easier for our fans to follow the game and get to know our players. Our fans are a major part of our team effort and we want to be responsive to them. For the present we'll continue without the names on the jerseys, but at some point, you can expect them back.
Ed Yee (Mountain View, Calif.)
Are you in favor of creating a Pac Ten Championship similar to the SEC and Big XII Championship by splitting the conference into two divisions and possibly adding additional teams?
Holmoe: Right now, it’s a moot point, because the Pacific-10 is not going to expand the league in the near future. It would be difficult for a number of reasons to attempt to divide the conference into two divisions with just 10 teams. On a more basic level, I like the tradition of the conference race. I like the fact that the conference champion is determined by playing league games during the entire season, rather than a one-game playoff where a team with a poorer overall record could win the trophy.
Greg Smith (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
It seems as if a lot more freshmen than usual are playing this year. Is this out of necessity or are you tying to get these players on the field to gain experienceand because they have earned it?
Holmoe: Definitely, the second reason. We have a number of freshmen who can and are contributing. We're playing far more freshmen than we have in previous years, but a lot of that has to do with their natural abilities. As a group, they had a high skill level coming out of high school. We also believe that it makes sense for the future. Many of these players will be asked to contend for starting positions next year and the experience they get right now will pay major dividends down the road. One last issue is that we have struggled during the latter part of our schedule over the last few years. A lot of that has been because of a lack of depth when injuries begin to crop up in late October or November. Playing our freshmen gives us more depth, particularly on special teams.
Michael Gallarza (Los Angeles, Calif.)
What is your assesment on current redshirt freshman Chris Hanks out of Cathedral High School in Los Angeles? What it his future with the Bear football team?
Holmoe: Chris suffered an unfortunate setback just before the start of our fall camp when he went down with knee injury. He was just getting ready for the season when his knee gave out and it required surgery that will keep him in a rehabilitative mode for the next several months. He was showing some good signs until the injury. Now, we'll just have to wait and see how he recovers and if he can be competitive for playing time next year.
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