Pete Carroll Going or Staying ... You Decide

As we’ve stated before, this multimedia stuff on these internets are a wonderful thing. It used to be that sports fans were at the mercy of journalists telling them what’s what, but the Internet and the blogosphere has changed all that.

These days, with everything online, we can easily compare and contrast the difference in perception and interpretation from one writer to another, one paper to another, one region to another. Back when newspapers were purely cellulose this comparative insight was nearly impossible.

More importantly, today we are able to see how quotes can be recorded not quite accurately and presented out of context … how a journalist with supposed “professional” standards can (sub-consciously or otherwise) allow a personal agenda to get in the way of objectivity.

Still, most journalists are capable of presenting a balanced take on an issue. But rather than trust that a reporter is recording and presenting information in context, fans now have the opportunity to hear a story from the source in full. Of course, we too apply our own biased filters, serve our own agendas, and make up our own opinions about stuff for posting on the blogosphere. But we don’t pretend to possess the professional objectivity of a traditional journalist.

Obviously, all this is a set up for Pete Carroll’s statements upon his return from Costa Rica yesterday. We see the usual suspect(s) are playing their roles.

Luckily, AM-570 has the wherewithal to post in its entirety Carroll’s press conference* and what he said about his meeting with Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga.

And, again, for the multimedia challenged, here are the key statements, transcribed verbatim …

Question: “Would you leave [USC] if [Huizenga] offered you the job?”

I’ve never even come close to thinking that. I’ve never come close to thinking that for every year I’ve been here, every opportunity that’s come along, the stuff you know about, and the stuff you don’t know about. I’ve never been close to doing that, and I’m not close to that right now. […]

I think what’s really important is what I do, and it will speak volumes. You’ll all see. I love this place, and I’ve given everything that I have to this program, and I will continue to do that. And I think, if anything, if anybody can understand it this way, that kind of an interaction for me [meeting Huizenga], only strengthens my resolve about being here and knowing what I have and how lucky I am to be in the situation that I’m in. […] I know how it’s going to end. [...]

I absolutely expect to be here next year.

Question: “Coach, you do understand the tremendous amount of interest now, because this is the very first time that you have even admitted talking to someone in the NFL?”

Yeah, well, I think it’s because it’s the only time I ever have. It’s the right thing to do. I’m not going to hide from the fact that I talked to those guys. […] I had a chance to figure something out and understand something further with greater depth. […] For anybody that’s interested in me staying at USC it’s a good thing.

Carroll said that he didn’t think there would ever be a situation in which an NFL owner would allow a head coach to have full control of an organization, like he has at USC. Apparently, Huizenga is willing to grant that level of responsibility to Carroll, which prompted the last question at the presser:

“So, all things being equal, full control there, full control here, you’d stay here?”

I love the Trojans. Yep. I love being here. I love everything about what we’re doing here. I love being in California. We’re in the middle of something that’s really special. We’ve got a bunch of direction that we’ve got going here, with great kids coming in, great kids part of this program, with a commitment to something really special, and I don’t want to take any steps away from that. I think this is an awesome opportunity for me and for everybody that’s involved with our program to keep charging forward and do things that are very, very unique and that we’ll all take great pride in and feel great about our efforts.

That’s it. Listen to it. Decide for yourself if you think Carroll is seriously considering a move, or if he’s jockeying for a pay raise, or if his statements should be taken purely at face value.

I’ve decided to trust our man Carroll for now. He hasn’t given us a reason not to, so far.

Too bad the same can’t be said for every “professional” journalist who covers the Trojans.

Fight On!

* Download the audio recording of the press conference.
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Stanford Football: Not Even Trying

As we mentioned, ASU’s hiring of Dennis Erickson last week tells us that Sun Devil A.D. Lisa Love is all about winning, never mind the quality of the student-athletes Erickson will bring to Tempe.

This week we see the other side of the coin, as Jim Harbaugh was officially introduced yesterday as head coach of the Stanford Indians … uh, Cardinals … I mean, Cardinal.

In case you weren’t paying attention, this tells us that Stanford A.D. Bob Bowlsby (above) is not about winning, never mind the quality of the student-athletes (especially the athlete part) Harbaugh will not bring to Palo Alto.

By all accounts, Harbaugh (right, with his dad) is a great guy. He did go DUI last year, but we’ve read “violin” stories about his love of coaching, which grew when he tagged along during his father’s coaching career, like Harbaugh’s young son is doing now. And, he knows Stanford, having graduated from Palo Alto High around the time his dad was an assistant coach for the Cardinals in the early ‘80s.

It’s all touching, and it warms your heart. The problem is it don’t mean jack when it comes to resuscitating an occasionally proud program at the bottom of what could be the strongest conference in college football next year.

So, we have to ask …

Does Bowlsby seriously think Harbaugh has a chance to compete on the field or on the recruiting trail with the likes of Jeff Tedford, Mike Bellotti, Ty Willingham, and even Karl Dorrell?

Is Bowlsby seriously not aware that Pete Carroll, Charlie Weis, Bob Stoops, and Lloyd Carr are chuckling right now … if not scratching their heads?

If Bowlsby is serious, then he is an idiot. If he’s not serious, then he’s … an idiot.

Simply put, this hire is embarrassing for the Pac-10, and an insult to the many D-1 and NFL coaches and assistants who are significantly more qualified than Harbaugh (like Lane Kiffin.)

Josh Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News* breaks down the facts:

For the past three seasons, Harbaugh has been the head coach at the University of San Diego, a I-AA school that does not offer scholarships. He has never coached at Stanford, never been a I-A assistant, never recruited I-A players, couldn’t get the Tulane job [which went to former UCLA head coash Bob Toledo] and a year ago was nailed for DUI. […]

The reasons for Stanford fans to be nervous are many:

• Here are the teams [San Diego] beat this season: Azusa Pacific, Dixie State, Yale, Davidson, Butler, Valpo, Drake, Morehead State, Jacksonville, Dayton and Monmouth — mighty Monmouth! The only loss was to the best team on the schedule, UC-Davis.
• Harbaugh was 29-6 at USD, but he repeatedly refused to schedule the best I-AA teams in California. He did not play Poly, he did not play Sacramento State, and his only tango with Davis was a loss. Instead, he feasted on the lowest of the low in I-AA.
• Harbaugh, according to sources in the coaching industry, has tried to get a handful of jobs in the past two years and failed each time. Forget what you might have read about him turning down the Tulane job — he didn’t get offered. Good thing for him that Stanford took the bait.
• There’s also the not-insignificant matter of Harbaugh’s DUI arrest in Nov. ‘05. What kind of message does that send to the players? What kind of example does that set?

Who knows? Maybe Harbaugh will shock the world in a few years. Maybe Bowlsby will win Stanford’s version of the Mike Garrett Lotto … which for the Cardinal would mean a trip to the Emerald Bowl in three years.

Then again, who are we to complain? Harbaugh seems like a good guy, and an extra bye week on our schedule is always nice.

Fight On! Beat the Wolverines!

* Hat tip: The Wizard of Odds
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