George Pickens made headlines in Pittsburgh this week after reportedly going back on his word and canceling a sold-out youth camp put on by TruEdge Sports. It would appear their initial email sent to attending families was not entirely accurate, as TruEdge issued a clarifying statement via their Instagram story.
“Recently, a statement was issued regarding our scheduled youth camp with George Pickens that did not accurately reflect the full scope of communication or the context surrounding the event,” the statement reads. “At no point did George communicate with us directly, and our communications with George’s representatives led to confusion about the camp’s status and future direction.
“Regrettably, the language used in our original message mischaracterized George’s intent and actions…We recognize that he was navigating a significant career transition during this time and that his team kept open lines of communication with us.”
Without seeing the communication between the two sides, it’s impossible to tell if this clears Pickens of wrongdoing or if TruEdge is trying to take the political way out to save face for future opportunities with other athletes.
Unfortunately for Pickens, there are enough on and off-field maturity issues that he’s had over his first three seasons to strike a nerve.
To be fair to Pickens, circumstances changed pretty significantly for him from the time he committed to the camp until he reportedly canceled at the last minute. Omar Khan said he never directly asked to be traded, so he didn’t have a hand in this big change in the first place. And according to TruEdge, the miscommunication seems to have stemmed from his representatives and not directly from Pickens himself.
Fortunately for all the families that were affected by this change in plans, TE Pat Freiermuth and multiple other unnamed Steelers are stepping up to save the day. Those kids will get free autographs from all players in attendance and anybody who previously paid for autograph packages is getting refunded.
This event is about the kids more than anything, and it seems like they will still be getting their money’s worth with an unforgettable experience featuring some of their favorite Steelers.
