Despite the ankle injury, recent concussion, and complete lack of playing time since his dad wrote Pete Carroll a letter characterized with excessive question marks, we talked to Vidal, and he said he feels grrrreat today.

To illustrate such marked emotion and to blazon this site with the world’s weirdest commercials, watch today’s off-topic video and feel great today.

Dear Coach Carroll:

I am writing this letter to you on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 3:30 pm (ET).

I am at a complete loss for words because my son, Vidal, has not received treatment on his ankle and quadriceps since the team’s return to Los Angeles on Saturday evening. As you know, Vidal suffered a contusion to his quadriceps muscle and sprained his ankle during the UVA game. To date (for over 36 hours), (1) his ankle has not been X-rayed and (2) he has received no treatment to either injury, other than having a boot placed on his ankle.

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.

You and I have discussed my dissatisfaction with the manner in which Vidal has received treatment for injuries in the past. Most notably, the double hernia that he played with for all of the 2007 season, and possibly the 2006 season – an injury that went misdiagnosed for the entirety of the season(s). Given our discussions, I trusted that corrective action would be taken. However, this is clearly a policy issue that has not been addressed, and the
results are intolerable.

In consulting with doctors and athletic trainers on the east coast, I have been told that Vidal should be receiving at least three treatments a day. Additionally, his ankle should have been X-rayed upon the team’s return to Los Angeles, and no later than the early morning hours of Sunday, August 31, 2008. However, it appears as though your training staff has no “sense of urgency” to get him back to 100%.

The clock is ticking and Ohio State will be in town next week. 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.

Sincerely,
Dexter Hazelton