Members of the #WeAreUnited group were not happy with the response from Larry Scott and the Pac-12GETTY IMAGES
Leaders of the #WeAreUnited Pac-12 player movement "lashed out at the conference in an email Friday evening, describing their feelings as disappointed and deeply concerned" following the two sides holding their first call Thursday night, which "focused predominantly on health and safety concerns from players regarding COVID-19," according to Ross Dellenger of SI.com. The players wrote that the league is "not taking the matter seriously." Their letter read, "We are discouraged by the tone, tenor, and general unpreparedness of Pac-12 leadership during our meeting." Conference leaders in the Pac-12 believe that they have "satisfied much of #WeAreUnited’s demands already, and they were struck Friday night by the tone of the group’s latest correspondence" (SI.com, 8/8). In L.A., Ben Bolch wrote of the players' message: "The gist of it: They weren’t happy. At all." Among the concerns detailed were a "lack of urgency, a refusal to adopt daily or regular testing, the rejection of a request to have legal representation attend meetings, an inconsistent policy on COVID-19 liability waivers and the alleged dismissal of two Washington State players over their participation in the #WeAreUnited movement" (L.A. TIMES, 8/9).
PLAYERS' POV: The players said that Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott "told them the conference was powerless to mandate uniform testing standards." They also "described the commissioner as often condescending, unprepared and unwilling to meet with them again -- telling them that subsequent discussions would be with the conference’s medical advisory board." The players also said that Scott "criticized their statement on The Players’ Tribune as a 'misguided P.R. stunt.'" UCLA DL Otito Ogbonnia said, "He boasted how progressive the conference has been in giving the players a voice, but the way he treated us didn’t reflect that." In N.Y., Billy Witz noted Ogbonnia was "one of 18 players who participated in the Zoom meeting" in which Scott was joined by Utah AD Mark Harlan, Arizona State AD Ray Anderson and Pac-12 Assistant Commissioner of Compliance Chris Merino. Cal OL Valentino Daltoso said Scott "made it very clear that he does not want to meet again" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/8). In Portland, James Crepea noted the two sides have "offered conflicting views on the progress made" during the call (Portland OREGONIAN, 8/9). In Seattle, Larry Stone profiled Andrew Cooper, the Cal runner who has "helped organize the Pac-12 Unity Movement" (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/9).
