july said:

USC Coach Pete Carroll eager to move to 'a whole different level' with Seahawks

http://www.latimes.com/sp...8851.story

By Gary Klein

January 11, 2010 | 6:50 a.m.

In an interview this morning, Carroll says 'leaving the young guys' is tough, but he was thrilled when Seattle came knocking. And, no, he says, his exit has nothing to do with the Reggie Bush scandal.

Pete Carroll had no choice.

Not really.

In Carroll's mind, the opportunity to coach again in the NFL, in a situation that appeared to offer him all that he could hope for, was no longer a possibility.

"I had given up on it," he said during a phone interview early this morning, "but it came out of nowhere."

Actually, it came out of the Pacific Northwest, from the Seattle Seahawks and billionaire owner Paul Allen. The NFL team reached agreement with the 58-year-old Carroll on a five-year contract that will pay him nearly $33 million and give him the control he never enjoyed with the New York Jets or the New England Patriots. Carroll is expected to sign the deal today and be introduced in Seattle on Tuesday.

But before he begins a transition back to the NFL, where he last worked in 1999, Carroll will meet today with USC players at Heritage Hall.

"By far the most difficult thing is leaving the young guys that just came into the program and just started," he said.

Carroll declined to identify which coaches from the Trojans staff would follow him to Seattle. However, play-caller Jeremy Bates, offensive line coach Pat Ruel and linebackers coach Ken Norton reportedly will join Carroll.

Carroll said his decision to leave was not influenced by the specter of possible NCAA sanctions that could result from an investigation of allegations that Reggie Bush and his family accepted improper benefits while the Heisman Trophy winner was playing for the Trojans in 2004 and 2005.

"Not in any way," Carroll said. "Because I know where we stand. It's just a process we have to go through. We know we've fought hard to do right."

Carroll also rejected reports that his departure was hastened by a strained relationship with Athletic Director Mike Garrett.

"There's no sour grapes, no slinging of mud," he said. "I don't have any issue with Mike Garrett."

Carroll's exit, however, comes at a sensitive time for USC. National signing day for high school seniors is less than three weeks away, and uncertainty regarding Carroll's successor puts the Trojans in danger of losing what had the makings of another top-five recruiting class.

Carroll said he received a phone call Sunday night from Illinois high school receiver Kyle Prater, who had made a verbal commitment to the Trojans. On Saturday, during a nationally televised high school all-star game, Prater said Carroll's situation had made him reconsider his plan.

"I told him, 'We're not disconnecting. I'll just see you down the road,' " Carroll said, adding, "This is an amazingly great class if it can hang together."

Carroll, an enthusiastic and tireless recruiter, sounded as if he was ready for a new challenge. He won one Bowl Championship Series title game, lost another and took his teams to five other BCS bowls.

Last week, he worked as a television analyst for the BCS title game between Alabama and Texas at the Rose Bowl.

"It's not the same," he said, comparing the atmosphere to the NFL playoffs. "It's a great spectacle, but the other thing is a whole different level."

Carroll sounded as though he could not wait to begin the next phase of his career with the Seahawks. The team has built a luxurious new practice facility on the shores of Lake Washington and has the sixth and 14th picks in the April draft.

Carroll took the Trojans from a moribund program to one that produced three Heisman Trophy winners, two national titles and seven consecutive Pacific 10 Conference championships in nine years.

But he acknowledged that Trojans fans might not be cheering his latest move.

"Maybe they'll understand," he said. "Maybe they won't."

Carroll, however, has no regrets.

"I've given everything I've had," he said. "There was never going to be a good time."

july said:

Are you happy with Pete Carroll as the new coach??? Did you like Jim Mora???
[Edited 1/11/10 16:52pm]

kpowers said:

I was happy with Jim Mora's ambition and knew what he was trying to do. The team was already in decent before he even took the helm. Mike Holmgren and the last GM Tim Ruskell were in a power struggle since 2005. It put the team in kaos and soon transfered onto the field with an unstable team. I know now that they need a change at the top. Jim was hired by the last GM Tim Ruskell and in the new system it was not gonna work. Jim is a great guy. He just ran into a run away situation and took a lot of blame on himself. I welcome Pete Carroll and whatever changes that brings. I'm okay with moving some people round. And all in between. Always Seahawk blue and green. To the field.

lilgish said:

~ CoJones 2009 NFL Org Pickem Champion ~


[Edited 1/12/10 18:33pm]

StarMon said:

july said:

IMO, Carroll is more suited to the college game.

That Jerry is forevah the hustla I don't see the big deal if it's not on pay-per-view

Watching party at Cowboys Stadium? NFL says no

Owner Jerry Jones said on the Dallas Cowboys flagship radio station KRLD-FM (105.3) that while the NFL does not allow a team to hold a watching party at its stadium while a team is on the road, he has challenged that rule in the past and could do so again.

"They have a rule in the NFL that won't allow you to open your stadium and have that kind of showing," Jones said. "We've asked about it, and we've tried to encourage it. And are going to continue try and be persistent. ... We'd love to do it."

"We do not allow mass-viewing events of our televised games," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations. "That is a long-standing policy."

The policy obviously does not apply to sports bars and other smaller establishments with TVs.

One key difference: None of those establishments has a digital video board that measures 160-feet wide by 72-feet tall.

What the fuck is wrong with Philly fans?

Eagles Fans Assault Woman in Tony Romo Shirt

You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don't wear a Tony Romo jersey around Philadelphia the day before the Cowboys play the Eagles.

That might not be the way you remember the song going, but the lyric fits based on what went down in Bethlehem, Pa., on Friday night. Jamie Wert, a 27-year-old Cowboys fan wearing a Tony Romo shirt, was on her way home from a store when she says she heard someone yell "Hey Romo!" She told the Morning Call that she turned around to find two men wearing Eagles jerseys and a slap to the face.

"I really freaked out because I could feel the blood running down my cheek," Wert said. "I kicked the one guy in his leg and they both ran."

Wert said she had her hair tucked tucked into her shirt and her attackers may have thought she was a man.

"When they saw my face, you could see the look on their faces change," she said.

What a heartwarming twist at the end. Physically assaulting another man for rooting for a different sports team is one thing, but a true gentleman never hits a lady. At least Santa Claus can now rest easy with the knowledge that it wasn't anything personal, Philly fans just hate everybody.

Wert said she wore the shirt during Saturday night's game when the Eagles defense showed little of the aggressiveness exhibited by their fans.

Here's the video http://www.nbcdfw.com/blo...56642.html

SCNDLS said:

Unfortunately, Philadelphia and Oakland have a reputation of making
life a living hell for opposing football fans. It's one thing to dislike
a football team and talk a little trash but making a personal attack against
opposing fans is just taking things to damn far. I can understand being
a passionate football fan because i am myself but there is something
seriously wrong with folk when it consumes their life to the point of this.

StarMon said:

Thanks first to Lilgish for doing another outstanding job as commish and thanks to everyone for the congrats; it was a helluva game to end the season on. Let's hope the Superbowl lives up to this championship game. Since my Steelers won't be there, I'll be rooting for the Cards. Again thanks; look forward to defending my title next year,

CoJones said:

congrats CoJones..


[Edited 1/14/10 20:16pm]

phunkdaddy said:

atleast they didnt try to poison her.
http://sports.espn.go.com...id=4668472

thepope2the9s said:

I remember reading this story a couple of months ago. Pretty bad.

Saints resigned Deuce McAllister. WTF? I thought he was done.

I expect the scoreboard operator in New Orleans to get
quite a workout today. The fans in attendance should pack
a nice lunch. There are gonna be footballs flying all
over the field. Should be a great game.

Saints might put 60 on these guys...45 in the third quarter?!!..SMH

phunkdaddy said:

The story is about Philly . . . . .

See, I was never worried about New Orleans. They fucking maced the Cards..lol

Boy, did Baltimore fall apart..Figures..lol With what's happening it looks like Dallas will be toast as well and Chargers will murder.

NO and Chargers will be in the Superbowl. Then I won't need to root for a team since I like both.

2freaky4church1 said:

Nah...Saints Vs. Colts

SUPRMAN said:

In the words of the infamous Derrick Coleman
whoop de damn doo
[Edited 1/17/10 15:56pm]

2freaky4church1 said:

Well you're only going to have one team to root for..Bolts did their usual choke job..

Like I said, this is New Orleans year..lol

Loser ass, fucking Bolts. Every fucking year.

I really don't want to see the Jets in the Superbowl

2freaky4church1 said:

How do u miss field goals in a playoff game? Sad.
Can't blame coaching on this one.

Graycap23 said:

Seahawks missed several field goals during the Super bowl, and that was in a dome

Graycap23 said:

Oh yes u can..you keep getting the same results every year and their penalties and miscues are a result of coaching..they fired Shottenheimer for this?..Here in Philly,we call the Chargers "Eagles West"..loads of talent,but no coach to get them over the hump...

GO JETS!!

TD3 said:

I love their songs from the 80's "Crush on you"