Seahawks and Pete Carroll get completely disrespected by national media

This might just sound like sour grapes. I understand that most of the rest of the country does not care so much about the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is kind of out there on its own with only Portland and Vancouver somewhat in the neighborhood. Boston, meanwhile, is a part of the country where there is a media outlet on every corner. Still, the Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll deserved more attention when Seattle announced Carroll was no longer going to be head coach.

That breaking news was almost immediately overshadowed by University of Alabama coach Nick Saban announcing his retirement. Saban was a great college coach, obviously, but a failed NFL leader. Carroll, though, reached the peak at both levels. The Alabama coach might not even have been a better college coach than Carroll; Saban coached in college longer yet Carroll still won two national championships at USC in nine years and finished in the top four each season between 2002 and 2008.

A day after the Pete Carroll and Nick Saban news, the New England Patriots announced that head coach Bill Belichick would no longer be their coach. Carroll went from being overshadowed by Saban to being overshadowed by Saban plus Belichick. That is the part that bothers me most.

Pete Carroll deserves more respect than the national media is showing him

I understand Belichick outshining Carroll. Belichick won six Super Bowls. But on many different news outlets, I saw a photo posted of Saban plus Belichick as if no other coach existed or had important news between Wednesday and Thursday. The reason my frustration with this does not boil over into me screaming for more respect for Carroll at my television and computer screen is because Carroll, though.

Carroll likely doesn't care that Saban and Belichick are getting more attention. The reason I am assuming this is because Carroll is one of the least me-first coaches of the greatest coaches ever. He was always about team and culture, not about what his own personal next move was. This is probably why Carroll is not getting the attention I think he deserves on a national scale.

We live in a media culture now where the loudest voice not only is heard the best but also gets the most love. Carroll never cared about being the loudest voice. But he still deserves more respect. There is no denying after watching Pete Carroll's final press conference that he is a class individual deserving of our appreciation, not only as a coach but as a human being. If the rest of the country doesn't understand Carroll is as good a person as he is a coach and the media wants to shine the light on others while forgetting the individual, that is their loss.

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