Tribe Invite 16 Minor Leaguers to Goodyear
January 16, 2009The Sky Shouldn’t Fall Because of Delonte
January 16, 2009Wow. As you all know by now, I am a fan of the Maize and Blue, and their football coach has often been criticized for being—how do you say—kind of a jerk. And, as a fan of Michigan, I’m often finding myself a bit, um, annoyed by the P.C.-ness of Senator Tressel. And, there have even been ruminations here at this very site about a little USC-envy, even in spite of Pete Carroll’s OSU-tinted dismissal of some chicanery.
But there is one thing about USC that reared its ugly head yesterday about which none of us are envious: Pete Carroll all but shoving Mark Sanchez under a fleet of buses after the QB’s decision to enter the NFL draft after his redshirt-junior season.
Really, who can blame Sanchez for leaving? He’s had knee problems (risk of injury: check), two of the three blue-chip underclass QBs (Bradford, McCoy) returned to school (thinner positional competition in the draft: check), and there are some (*cough*Kiper*cough*) who have projected him as high as #1 or #3 (stock at the top: check). He supposedly spoke with Matt Leinart, and financially speaking one would assume Leinart was less than enthusiastic in the hindsight of his decision to return, and the projected subsequent $30 million it might have cost him.
So, why is it that Pete Carroll was so… alright, I’ll say it: snotty to Sanchez during their presser yesterday?
And, more importantly, why was the media so willing to let it slide, for the most part? Other than Arash Markazi, I haven’t read anything from someone at a major media outlet who was willing to call Carroll out for what he said about Sanchez, though Reid Cherner & Tom Weir of USA Today have an interesting question about whether his public scuttling of the Sanchez will end up costing the QB money. After all, if your college coach thinks you’re not ready for the NFL, why would an NFL front office want to pay you like you are?
Carroll is certainly entitled to his opinion, and one can probably guess that, with 21 other starters returning from a top-5 team, he’s a little ticked that his QB is now leaving. Even still, regardless of how Carroll feels about the subject AND whether or not he may be RIGHT in his assessment of Sanchez’s decision, how can a coach possibly think it’s a cool move to publicly slam a player like that? When Carroll left the presser and didn’t even slow down as he passed Sanchez with only a quick “Good luck” and a tap of the shoulder (photo above), even THAT was a jerk move.
Even worse than THAT, there is an article on Carroll’s website (Did you know Pete Carroll has a website?? I know, I didn’t either!!) in which he took the time to delve deeper into what he’d already publicly said about Sanchez’s decision:
“The facts are so strong against this decision,” Carroll said. “After analyzing all the information, the truth is there — he should’ve stayed for another year.”
Carroll cited a study that shows 62 percent of underclassmen quarterbacks who declare early for the Draft eventually don’t pan out in the NFL. He also pointed to Sanchez’s NFL Draft evaluation, which projected Sanchez as a second-round selection.
“Mark’s chance to increase his value and become the top player in college football next year would have been worth $10-$20 million or more — likely more,” Carroll said. “One more year of running a team is almost priceless, so he lost the chance to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL.
“That’s why there’s a 62 percent failure rate for underclassmen quarterbacks.”
Peter Clay Carroll, you get back in this house this instant! Allow me to channel one of the few lines from Dante from Clerks that I can print on this site: “Like, what do you do for an encore?? [Do something really, really bad] while pouring sugar in my gas tank??” More importantly, what could Sanchez have done to you to make you snap like this?
I think it’s safe to say that whatever grudges I have against Tressel (and believe me, most of them are rooted in jealousy) and whatever misgivings I may have about Rich Rodriguez (not to mention the jealousy-driven spite I have for Carroll independent of this little episode), none of us have ever heard our coach(es) publicly bash one of his players. And let’s hope that continues to be the case.
17 Comments
Small typo DP: It’s Mark Sanchez, not Matt.
I have always felt that PC was a pompous jerk. This just confirms it. Can’t help for his recruiting. If other teams are smart, they will bring this up to any recruit who is even contemplating USC. Why go there where the coach will totally disrespect you if you don’t do as he says?
Thank God he doesn’t coach OSU
Best college football coach in all the land. Keep waiting for next year!
Jim Tressel also has a website!
Yes, but we have heard players bash DickRod.
You’d never see that from the sweater vest
Thanks, Matt. Fixed.
🙂
Thanks, DC, for pointing that out, on top of the link I already provided where Justin Boren called him a jerk.
Exactly, Brandon. When Wells decided to leave, JT was like, “Heck yeah he should go! Why not?”
Classless behavior by PC, no doubt. Makes me appreciate that much more a guy like JT.
As for Sanchez… man, what shrewd move on his part! With the other elite QBs returning to school and moving into the 2010 draft, and the relatively thin QB talent coming out this year, he’s maximizing his opportunity to cash in.
As for PC’s attempts to rain on Sanchez’s parade, I think that Cassel’s performance this year–though it may be the exception–had to factor in Sanchez’s (and surely some NFL front-office folks) evaluation.
Who knows how he’ll do in the NFL… but I know I’m certainly impressed with the kid’s savvy, and getting to see PC’s true colors was a nice bonus.
yeah, tressell told him to not even think twice. He was thinking more of the player than his program. PC showed what he thinks
Well, mj, if Sanchez is using Cassel as a basis for his decision, he’s way off. Cassel had no pressure, no expectations, for the first several years of his career, and got to sit and watch behind one of the best QBs in the game.
@DP – Totally agree. I wasn’t suggesting that was the basis for his decision, I just wanted to point out that it certainly can’t hurt. And I’m sure there will be NFL types who consider it as well. As PC was so quick to point out, Sanchez hasn’t started many games or thown many passes at USC, but he’s done infinitely more than Cassel did during his time there. The fact that USC can turn out backup QBs that develop into NFL stars can’t hurt his stock any.
As an NFL fan, I don’t know that I’d want to see my team take a chance on him… but I do give him all the credit for making what appears to be a very sound, shrewd decision for a young kid.
Sanchez will be the second qb selected in this draft. If he stayed, he could have fallen to 3rd or 4th qb selected. Plus there is the injury risk. Sanchez’s stock will never be better. This is a no brainer. He has to come out now. Coach Pete is plain wrong on this issue. I surely hope potential recruits look at how he treated his star qb.
Additionally, I don’t know why Pete is so concerned about losing Sanchez. Mustain will be more than an adequate replacement.
I wish the Buckeyes were the only elite football school in the midwest, similar to the way USC is on the entire Western seaboard. You have to go all the way to Texas before you encounter another elite program. Must be nice to be the only game in town, in the most populated state in the union.
Seriously, this is a plea to the other schools of the PAC-10: will one of you please get your sh#t together and rise up to challenge USC for some recruits? No wonder they’re stacked every year. No other program out west seems to have a clue. Could you imagine how powerful OSU or Michigan would be if every single major recruit in the midwest acknowledged one of them as the only worthwhile school?
I am exagerating a little bit, but you get my point.
Oh yeah, and Pete Carroll IS a jerk!
I actually don’t think that it was a bad thing for him to do. Look at it from his perspective – he needs to bring in new recruits. Would you rather play for a coach that’s going to blow smoke up your butt and lie to you and tell you how great you are? Or would you rather play for a coach that’s going to be honest in his evaluation of your NFL-level talents?
PC was citing some solid facts to back up his opinion – the more years in college you have to prepare, the better you’ll be prepared in for the pros. USC has awesome exposure, and is a good team year in and year out. Sanchez has never impressed me as an NFL-caliber QB (neither did Matt Leinart), so I think that PC standing up and saying “No, this is a bad decision” makes a lot of sense.
As far as the end of the presser, who cares? Sanchez just announced he’s leaving the program, against some solid advice. What do you want PC to do? Stand there an beg him to stay? It’s like an employee just said they’re quitting – “Good luck to you. Door’s to your left.”
Oregon is getting pretty good recruits lately as well. It’s just Carroll has somehow convinced 5star guys to sit behind other 5star guys (especially at RB, but also at QB and LB specifically).