Odd little story coming out of Trojan land - USC wide receiver Vidal Hazelton's dad is apparently none too happy with how the team's medical staff has dealt with his son's injuries. So much so that Dexter Hazelton took to putting pen to paper in an angry letter sent directly to Coach Pete Carroll, using words like "intolerable", "misplaced trust" and "Dear Coach Carroll". A sample:
I must admit that I am completely perplexed by the lack of attention your training staff is giving to Vidal’s injuries. When I asked Vidal if he received treatment today, he told me that the training room is closed today. In all of my years of associating with athletes, and corresponding with athletic trainers, I have never heard of a training room being closed on a holiday during the sport’s season. This includes Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, etc. ... What is being done to ensure that my son is being cared for in a proper manner??? When is the USC training staff going to meet his medical needs??? It makes me wonder if the trust that I have extended is misplaced.
The elder Hazelton has admitted he sent the letter to Carroll back on September 1st. The coach had no comment, other than to say "I'm not going to comment on it. This sounds too personal for me to comment on." One person who had no problem commenting? Vidal's grandmother. She'd certainly have her grandson's back, right?:
“The coaches are very good to us," she said. "There’s no confusion. They made sure he got his treatment and everything’s fine." “My son is drama. I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Huh? Et tu, granny? No one is saying how the letter got out, but let's just say that a certain elderly member of the Hazelton family might find herself without internet privileges for the next little while. Which is a shame, because she was the leading bidder for John Wooden's car. USC Player's Dad Unloads On Coach Pete Carroll [SbB] USC football: The Vidal Hazelton mystery continues [USC Freedom Blogging]