But someone tried. This Los Angeles Magazine profile of the USC coach is tremendous - as complete a profile of the man as I've seen - yet so frustratingly brief (at several thousand words) and incomplete.
From a distance I've tried to understand the modus operandi to the Carroll phenomena. I've come to the same conclusion as the author that it's simply impossible to profile him as we classically define a profile. J.R. Moehringer's failed attempt at least pieces together some new details that should help shed some of those petty mischaracterizations such as The Poodle, Pom Pom Pete, Chetey Petey and so on. Like him or dislike him - and there's solid reasons to feel both - Carroll does not fit simple classification.
If you're too lazy to read the whole thing, be sure to skim to the parts about the "Long Body" mystic and Carroll's late-night van tours of some of the more violent parts of Los Angeles. Dude's interesting if nothing else. Just don't expect a reliable explanation for why USC lost to Stanford or Texas.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. got through the whole thing. actually an amazing article. doesn't really change my perspective on carroll though. im an oregon student and should have every intention of hating him. but im fairly indifferent.
Posted at 3:58AM on Nov 28th 2007 by Michael
2. Of course he can be profiled - it's not like he's a renaissance man or anything. He's a football coach with some other interests other than football. Why is this so outrageous? There are many people outside of sports who are much more diverse. Open your eyes.
Posted at 9:03AM on Nov 28th 2007 by hockeydc
3. Definitely a west coast thing. Carroll is a good college coach..but unlike what you USC lovers we know he isnt "great" by any stretch. Much like in Ohio State and Michigan..you get good athletes coming to the school based on the hype and history, the coach? Not a big deal. As long as the Pac-10 continues to be a 10 team no championship game conference...it will be easy to remain high in the rankings.
Posted at 12:10PM on Nov 28th 2007 by S321
4. SEC is over rated with their championship GAME. It's not needed. Bowl games are here to stay.
I'm a USC "lover" and I don't want anything to replace Bowls such as the Rose Bowl. Whether or not Pete is a great coach, will be determinded by longevity. He's better than anything SEC has to offer.
Posted at 1:17PM on Nov 28th 2007 by TJ
5.
For the former, they turned the ball over all game long, played terribly, and got beat by a much less talented team that they should never lose to.
For the latter, they ran into an equally matched team who hung up 570 yards on them and beat them in their backyard, when all the chips were on the line.
Posted at 5:40PM on Nov 28th 2007 by ventures360
6. Agree with #3, it is a west coast thing. Fortunately we on the left coast actually look forward vs midwest looking backwards because their better days are certainly behind them. I lived in Ohio for 2 years after growing up on the west coast and what a sad place the midwest is. Can't blame the people there, they have shut down factories, high foreclosure rates and rampant unemployment. Can't blame them for their jealouy towards our great lifestyle, hope the Japanese will come in soon with some jobs for those poor traditionalists.
Posted at 6:08PM on Nov 28th 2007 by KGar
7. You know truthfully it is a west coast thing. who ever plays in the rose bowl will be more exciting and interesting to watch than the championship game.USC is finally healthy!! personally im not a fan of either conference, but i know if i had to pick a game to watch it would be the rose bowl thats the bottom line. As for Pete Carroll you guys need to remember or look at the whole picture. He came to USC and turned that freakin weak team into a championship contender. Lets be serious and base our opinions on the facts and the truth and try not to base our views of him on the fact that we love our team and hate whos better. The media always blows things out of proportion though so we get excited or pissed so i expect this.
Posted at 9:21PM on Nov 28th 2007 by bro
8. Pete Carroll is one great character coach who happens to coach a great USC team. He is in the words of Donna Summer "A coat of many colors."
Posted at 11:52PM on Nov 28th 2007 by George B Vieto
9. I remember how badly he got trashed as the New England Patriots coach despite having a pretty good record with them. I'm glad he got the last laugh. But many, we need a playoff system. The bowl system will always be a joke, no matter how many reforms they try. I wish everyone would refuse to watch and attend bowls. If that happened, I guarantee we'd have a playoff next year.
Lec Zorn
http://www.leczorn.com
http://www.myspace.com/leczorn
Posted at 8:53AM on Nov 29th 2007 by leczornsales
10. Dear College Football fans,
I am sick and tired of everyone saying a playoff in college football is impossible. I heard recently the major setback for the playoff system is the Rose Bowl representatives, because they want to maintain tradition. There is a simple way to have an 8 team playoff and maintain all the bowl tradition, better than the present BCS. (I mean USC vs Illinois. Hehe, good look Illinois.)
-Rose Bowl
PAC 10 Champ vs. Big 10 Champ
-Fiesta Bowl
Big 12 Champ vs. At Large (team furthest West)
-Sugar Bowl
SEC Champ vs. Big East Champ
-Orange Bowl
ACC Champ vs. At Large (team further East)
-Take the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl winners and play them in an extra Bowl game in, say, Dallas.
-Take the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl winners and play them in an extra Bowl game in, say, Atlanta.
-Finally, take the winners from Dallas and Atlanta and play them in the NCAA Football Bowl Championship Game, changing locations between the present BCS Bowl games every 4 years.
Keep the BCS to decide the rankings and the #1 and #2 at Large teams if you want, or scrap it completely and let the AP and Coach’s Poll decide. It doesn’t really matter.
But this way tradition is maintained and everybody can be satisfied because the games will be settled on the field. Also, that is three more games of major revenue, but only two more weeks of play. It is a win-win for everybody; the fans, the teams, the coaches, the players, the sport, the tradition, and even the corporate sponsors and others who bank huge off these events.
Please promote this idea if you support a playoff or are not satisfied with a BCS system that is controversial and badmouthed year after year.
College Football fan,
Nick Smith
12.3.07
Posted at 12:18PM on Dec 6th 2007 by Nick Smith
11. Folks,
Let's keep this on topic. The subject is Pete Carroll the man, not a college football playoff.
Good sports discussions need to keep their proverbial eye on the ball.
Posted at 1:03PM on Jan 2nd 2008 by Matt Zemek