theGrio

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Living
    • Health
  • Inspiration
    • Good News
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • The Dish
  • News
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Black History

News

  • thanksgiving-travel-16x9.jpg

    Holiday safety tips

  • Meagan Good

    Good staying celibate

  • obama-and-choom-gang-16x9

    Obama's pot history

  • 2) I Am Legend (2007): In arguably one of his greatest dramatic performances, Smith held the screen virtually all by himself for most of this apocalyptic thriller's running time. He plays a military scientist who may or may not be the last man on the planet.  A scary good time at the movies.

    Will Smith's top 10 films

Coach Carroll is as much to blame as Reggie Bush for USC mess

Opinion

by John Mitchell | June 11, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Comments
Print

It is virtually impossible to find a better and more composed liar today than former University of Southern California head football coach Pete Carroll.

In fact, Carroll, who left that post in earlier this year after a successful career that saw the Trojans win two National Championships and seven Pac-10 titles under Carroll, probably should have been seated in the Oval Office on Friday alongside the executives from BP who likely stammered their way through a plethora of lies trying to placate President Obama concerning the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now the coach of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks after taking a pittance ($33 million over five years) to return to the NFL — Carroll has failed miserably twice before as an NFL coach with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots — Carroll, no longer collecting his mega money in Los Angeles, hit the campaign trail spewing lies that no one could possibly believe.

“I’m absolutely shocked and disappointed at the findings of the NCAA,” Carroll, in an office, told the camera. “I never, ever thought that it would come to this. After nine years of working at the university and going and going through all the challenges and the accomplishments that people took part in, I’m extremely disappointed that we have to deal with this right now.”

WATCH FORMER USC COACH PETE CARROLL REACT TO THE SANCTIONS:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Please, please, somebody shut him up already.

To begin with, Pete, you don’t have to deal with the repercussions now. The time for you to have dealt with was back in 2005. That’s when you allowed your best player — Heisman Trophy winning running back Reggie Bush – to come under the advice of an agent, according to the NCAA’s finding. Of all the infractions in the NCAA’s book governing them, this is the one that even some of the most casual fans of big-time football are aware of.

But Carroll, known to be on top of everything while he was at USC, pleads ignorance regarding the matter. As a result, the USC program – deservedly so, if I might add – has received what is comparable to the NCAA’s death penalty, pending an appeal that will likely fall on deaf ears.

While arguably the best college football program over the last decade will receive a two-year bowl ban, four years probation, vacate 12 wins from the 2005 season and lose program-killing scholarships, Carroll won’t have to deal with the stench he has left behind.

In a twist of juicy irony, he has already hacked one of his former Trojan players, having cut LenDale White, winner of two titles at USC while Bush’s backfield mate under Carroll. White, 25, who at times in his brief pro career with Tennessee, had been known to be as much as 50 pounds over his playing weight, arrived in Seattle around 225 pounds and was believed to be part of the answer to the Seahawks anemic rushing attack.

Carroll cutting White could have absolutely nothing to do with White’s ties to USC’s corrupted legacy under Carroll. However, White once told a reporter that his weight loss was the result of a diet mostly consisting of “Tequila.” Carroll no doubt looked at this and wondered what might come out of White’s mouth in the future that might further implicate him and became collateral damage.

USC is going to appeal this mess but don’t look for them to be victorious. Athletic director Mike Garrett, an African-American, responded with arrogance, after the report was leaked, saying the report was “nothing but a lot of envy.”

Stupid, no doubt. Garrett will almost certainly lose his job for this. But rather than be a loyal soldier, Carroll just chose to continue to insult people’s intelligence, playing stupid regarding the NCAA’s four-year investigation into his former program.

“The University didn’t know; we didn’t know. We were not aware of these findings,” Carroll claims. “The facts don’t match the findings. We were always out there to do things better than it’s ever been done before. The agenda of the NCAA Infractions Committee took them beyond the facts and the facts took them beyond the sanctions.”

Stop it, enough already.

Filed in: News, Opinion, Sports, Video | Related Topics: College Football, Mike Garrett, NCAA, Pete Carroll, Reggie Bush, USC
  • Top Stories in News

    • Slideshow: The 15 best dunkers in NBA history Slideshow: The 15 best dunkers in NBA history
    • The noose makes a comeback The noose makes a comeback
    • Hidden WWII film could aid today’s vets Hidden WWII film could aid today’s vets
    • Serena Williams says sister Venus is ‘inspiring’ Serena Williams says sister Venus is ‘inspiring’
    • ‘Man with 30 kids’ actually has 24
    • Rape conviction overturned: Now what?
    • Marvin Winans’ license suspended when carjacked
    • DNA study seeks origin of Appalachia’s African-Americans
  • New Stories on theGrio

    • How Harry Truman desegregated the military How Harry Truman desegregated the military
    • How WWII vets helped lead the civil rights fight How WWII vets helped lead the civil rights fight
    • Rangel on black America’s truest heroes Rangel on black America’s truest heroes
    • Remembering America’s black war heroes Remembering America’s black war heroes
    • Beyoncé performs for first lady, Malia and Sasha
    • Rape conviction overturned: Now what?
    • Rap Genius: Top 5 rap lyrics of the week
    • Hidden WWII film could aid today’s vets
  • LIKE TheGrio

  • Hot on Facebook

  • Category Cloud

    Atlanta Black History Business Chicago Detroit Education Entertainment Health Inspiration Living Los Angeles Miami Money News New York Opinion Philadelphia Politics Reviews Service and Activism Slideshow Sports TheGrio's 100 TheGrio's 100 Women Top Stories Travel and Leisure Video Washington DC
  • More from theGrio

More Stories on theGrio

Top News

Politics

  • In this Jan. 23, 1942 black-and-white file photo, Major James A. Ellison, left, returns the salute of Mac Ross of Dayton, Ohio, as he inspects the cadets at the Basic and Advanced Flying School for Negro Air Corps Cadets at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Ala. Sixty years after President Truman desegregated the military, senior black officers are still rare, particularly among the highest ranks. (AP Photo/U.S. Army Signal Corps, File)

    Rangel on black America's truest heroes

  • Obama honors veterans during Memorial Day weekend

  • Woman claims she dressed like Obama for Berlusconi

  • Florida voters support 'Stand Your Ground' law

» Read More in Politics

Business

  • © olly - Fotolia.com

    Black Enterprise celebrates largest black companies

  • Facebook unveils Instagram rival

  • Donna Summer album sales up 3,277 percent

  • 5 resources for black entrepreneurs

» Read More in Business

Living

  • thanksgiving-travel-16x9.jpg

    Holiday safety tips

  • Good staying celibate

  • School to distribute condoms at prom

  • 'He tucks me in,' first lady says of president

» Read More in Living

Inspiration

  • 20120528-003600.jpg

    How Harry Truman desegregated the military

  • How WWII vets helped lead the civil rights fight

  • Remembering America's black war heroes

  • Tuskegee Airman grants b'day wish

» Read More in Inspiration

Entertainment

  • In this Friday May 25, 2012 photo provided by Parkwood Entertainment, Beyonce performs at Revel in Atlantic City, N.J., for the resort's premiere. (AP Photo/Parkwood Entertainment, Robin Harper)

    Beyoncé performs for first lady, Malia and Sasha

  • Rap Genius: Top 5 rap lyrics of the week

  • 50 Cent endorses marrige equality

  • Meet the breakout star of 'Battleship'

» Read More in Entertainment

News

  • This May 24, 2012 file photo shows Brian Banks reacting in court after his rape conviction was dismissed in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

    Rape conviction overturned: Now what?

  • Hidden WWII film could aid today's vets

  • Kyrie Irving poses as 'Uncle Drew' in new Pepsi ad

  • Backlash against African migrants in Israel

» Read More in News

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Living
  • Inspiration
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with TheGrio
  • About
©2010 NBCUniversal
Powered by WordPress.com VIP