Brought to our attention by our very own BruinsNation, a Pac-12 promotional commercial has been removed on Wednesday due to its potentially offensive nature to UCLA fans. The video features a shot at 0:54 with USC's mascot (a Trojan) sticking his sword into the UCLA logo at the Rose Bowl. Take a look:
Pac-12 Football Commercial - Let the story continue.... [HD] (via azvibephx)
Naturally, this could cause quite a commotion amongst UCLA fans, students and alumni. It's one thing to see that scene play out in the middle of a rivalry game with all the adrenaline pumping and the school spirit soaring. It's quite another to see that scene play out in an official Pac-12 commercial.
BruinsNation contacted the Pac-12 on Wednesday about the scene, and the conference is working with UCLA's athletic department to redo the video by cutting the clip out. A statement by the UCLA athletic department released on Wednesday explained the Pac-12's thinking, stating that the conference was merely trying to illustrate the UCLA-USC rivalry and did not mean to offend anyone.
The video has been taken off of the Pac-12's official channel while it is being reworked. Props to BriunsNation for taking a stand, and props to the Pac-12 for moving so quickly to address the issue.