Everybody has an opinion on Pete Carroll's shocking move back to the NFL. It appears that unless Carroll pulls a Billy Donovan, then he will be named the Seahawks HC as soon as tomorrow. He leaves behind one of the great college football dynasties of all-time, but his lightning quick departure brings more questions than answers. Is this just a case of Carroll addressing unfinished business in the pros, or is he leaving Troy as it comes tumbling down? Here's Brother Yohey's take...
If it indeed happens that Pete Carroll has left USC for the Seahawks job, then Pete has lost any sliver of respect he had in my eyes. Why leave now, after building a college empire at USC? Something just doesn't sit right about the abruptness and timing of this move. Well, he appears to be fleeing the oncoming tidal wave of NCAA sanctions and punishment for his football program. The 300k Reggie Bush scandal is slowly coming to bear for USC, the revelations of Joe McKnight's use of a Land Rover, and Dwayne Jarrett getting free rent from the Leinarts should put the program under some serious sanctions. Pete obviously was not man enough to work under conditions he no doubtedly helped come to fruition. Noticing the speed with which John Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky in the midst of looming scandals, Pete couldn't resist.
There will be many in the LA area who will need to go through The Stages of Grief to help them get through these times (especially with ho-hum Mike Riley in line). However, those in the LA area can't see the forest through the trees. Pete Carroll has shown himself to be a petty man - a bully who could pick on the smaller children on the playground, but when someone stood up to him and returned the favor, he ran home with tears streaming down his face. Sure, Pete can run the score up on all the teams they play during the football season (UCLA this past year), but when someone does it to him (Jim Harbaugh's Stanford team) he cries foul. (Ed. note: see our article about that situation here)
One has to wonder if Pete was contemplating this move going into this past season when he named Matt Barkley, a true freshman, his starting QB over. With hindsight being 20/20, Carroll put himself in a win-win situation. If they were successful and made a BCS bowl he knew he would have a few years of great success with Barkley at the helm. If they had a down year (as they had this year, going 9-4 with a visit to the Emerald Bowl) then he could use an excuse that he had a freshman QB, or jump ship to the NFL as on and off-field troubles arose. The allegations and scandals, coupled with the disappointing year, make it all too easy for Pete Carroll to flee to Seattle.
Much like Nero fled his empire when it was falling apart, Carroll has fled Troy as the walls were closing in. Way to be a stand up man and screw all the people who believed in you and looked up to you. You have to wonder if the retrospectives on Pete Carroll's USC empire will be as rosy if heavy sanctions are enforced and victories and trophies are ultimately stripped away. Pete, your true colors are showing clearly. You never bled cardinal and gold - only yellow, and the streak is running down your back as you travel up the coast.
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