Seahawks tuning out Pete Carroll, NFL ponders remote officiating
Sherman says Carroll’s act is wearing thin in Seattle
Richard Sherman, Pro Bowl cornerback who recently was released by the Seattle Seahawks, did not leave on the best of terms. After signing a multiyear contract with San Francisco, Sherman criticized the motivational methods of coach Pete Carroll. “His philosophy is built more for college,” Sherman said on a podcast, Uninterrupted ThomaHawk, with retired NFL players Joe Thomas and Andrew Hawkins. “A lot of us have been there six, seven, eight years. . . . We have heard all his stories, every funny anecdote that he had. He just recycles them. We could recite them before he started to say them.” Sherman suggested that Carroll, 66, may retire if he has a season as disappointing as last year’s, when the ‘Hawks failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Sherman thinks the team has erred in moving away from proven veterans (Michael Bennett, Jimmy Graham and, of course, himself). “I think they’ve kind of lost their way a little bit in terms of how they see players and how they evaluate players.”
Between the Lines: Sherman touched on a problem for anyone who tries to lead a sports team. Former major-league manager Phil Garner once said: “After four or five years, they tune you out, and it’s probably better to bring in someone else.”
NFL considering rule change to let New York office eject players
Concerned that referees are reluctant to eject players for overly violent hits, the NFL is considering a rule change that will allow the league office in New York to eject players. Al Riveron, Senior Vice President of Officiating, could upon replay review demand an ejection at that time. Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk (NBCSports) said that Riveron from his chair in New York would be watching multiple games on television and “it’s too much to expect to have happen in real time. . . . This officiating of games remotely is going to rub people the wrong way . . . There are coaches who are concerned that this pipeline from New York City to each game site can be used as a tool to influence the outcome of games.” He fears a conspiracy to create playoff matchups that would maximize league revenues.
Between the Lines: Another problem is that those in the studio may not be aware of context – who did what to provoke a flagrant foul. The present system is best, with officials on the field determining ejections and the league office later making thorough reviews and inquiries and then assessing fines.
Sam Bradford is NFL’s richest QB, could earn $134 million for his career
Sam Bradford’s free-agency signing with the Arizona Cardinals sent Twitter into a frenzy. The Cardinals guaranteed Bradford $15 million (with $5 million more in the unlikely event he plays every game) on a one-year deal, even though the quarterback has missed half of his teams’ games over his 8-year NFL career. Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle tweeted: “So dumb. Bradford has been paid more for nothing than anyone in history of NFL.” Jimmy Kempski: “If Sam Bradford sees the entirety of his $20 million contract, he will have earned $134,084,404 over his career.” Mike Zimmer, head coach of Bradford’s last team, Minnesota, said he’s suffering from “a degenerative knee,” that “it’s essentially bone on bone.”
Tyronn Lue takes indefinite leave of absence with chest pains
Tyronn Lue, 40-year-old coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has taken an indefinite leave of absence because of chest pains, loss of sleep, coughing up blood, and other unspecified health issues, some probably related to the stress of coaching in the NBA. “I need to step back from coaching for the time being,” he said. “My goal is to come back a stronger and healthier version of myself.” Cavs assistant coach Larry Drew is now the interim coach.
Between the Lines: Lue recently has shown signs of stress. He had a shouting match with LeBron James on the bench. James said Lue’s health issues were “affecting the team,” and his absence “is long overdue.” But he added, “It’s like losing one of your best players.”
New York Post’s Andy Marchand decries crying kids on March Madness TV
Andrew Marchand, who covers the sports television beat for the New York Post, disapproves of CBS “showing crying children at the end of March madness.” He wrote that ‘it’s gratuitous . . . young kids – around 8 to 12 years old — crying after their team’s losses. . . . This past weekend there was a Cincinnati boy who looked like he was not only crying, but maybe throwing up. . . . . Worst of all, the networks went for seconds and thirds on some of these shots. The lingering felt especially wrong.” CBS Executive Harold Bryant said his network will continue showing kids crying because “it is part of the drama and storytelling of the event.”
Dear Howard: A couple of seconds of children crying may be newsworthy, showing the passion of even the youngest of basketball fans. But your network is crossing the line into child exploitation.