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The Great Rabbino

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April 25, 2010 | 7:53 am

Taylor Mays vs. Pete Carroll

Posted by Jeremy Fine

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Sometimes I used to watch Coach Bobby Knight on the sidelines and think, wow I would do anything to play for him. That is right. Bobby Knight. He was stern but fair. He was loyal and committed to his players and to winning. I think about other great coaches like John Wooden, Coach K, Jerry Sloan and of course Ozzie Guillen (and the little basketball coach from Saved By The Bell in the episode where Zack goes to the hospital). These are coaches who people rally around.

But you know who I wouldn’t want to play for….Pete Carroll. I know he has won championship after championship. He is a great recruiter. But for the second year in a row he threw one of his players under the bus.

Last year it was Mark Sanchez. Carroll was critical of Sanchez’s decision to go pro. Very rarely do you see a coach publicly bash his player’s choice. Did Callipari dis DRose? No, because good coaches are there for the team and the players.

Carroll stepped over the line once again. Last year, Taylor Mays (Jewish mother, Bar Mitzvahed, TGR Obsession) had an amazing junior campaign Carroll advised him not to go pro. Mays was a lock to be a top 10 pick. He was the preseason god of awards. But Mays, and the Trojans for that matter, had a less than superb year. Mays fell hard into the second round costing himself millions of dollars.

Carroll, who is now coaching the Seattle Seahawks, began the draft he needed help in the secondary. So when the 14th pick came around, Mays felt that his coach, his mentor, his “Adviser” would surely scoop him up and show Mays he did the right thing. Instead Carroll picked Earl Thomas out of Texas. Is Thomas better? Maybe. Did Carroll have a moral imperative to pick Mays? You be the judge. But I say yes.

If Carroll ever goes back to the college game, if I were Mays I would make it known to everyone of Carroll’s track record. Mays had this to say: “I thought, I definitely thought from the relationship that we have, from the things that [Carroll] had told me about what I needed to be, what the draft process is, things that I needed to do, I felt he told me the complete opposite of the actions that he took,” [Mays said.] “There were things he told me I needed to do as a football player versus the actions he took and who he took as a safety. I understand it’s a business, but with it being a business, honesty is all I’m asking for.” [...]“I look forward to playing for Coach [Mike] Singletary 16 games a year than I look forward to playing against Coach Carroll twice a year.”

If I can leave you with two thoughts. 1) Pete Carroll pissed Taylor Mays and myself off. Sports should be about loyalty and Carroll has none. 2) How scary is the hard hitting Taylor Mays going to be with coach Mike Singletary. The 49ers just became my second favorite team.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For more on Taylor Mays and everything else Jewish Sports related check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

7 Comments — Leave your comment

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Taylor mays should just be happy he made it the NFL. He seems like a selfish little punk to me. I can’t wait for golden tate to burn him just like he did last year twice for touchdowns. Mays is a cry baby. I am surprised that Mike Singletary would want such a baby on his team. Coach Carroll is a great and that is why he had the best draft out of any team. You sir do not know what you are talking about and its Mark Sanchez not Matt. No go whack your wiener cause your probably to ugly to get a girl.

Comment by Tony Rebel on 4/25/10 at 9:00 pm

I feel like this article is way off.  In my opinion, the pro sports have never been about loyalty.  It’s almost always dictated by business decisions.  How many times have teams sent off veteran players to non-playoff contenders after those players gave years and tears to their respective teams.  Mays clearly isn’t the only college player to ever make a terrible decision to stay at the college level. In fact, it seems to happen at USC quite a bit.  As far as I’m concerned, pro sports has never been a morality contest.  Almost all the decision are business related.

And it’s definitely Mark Sanchez.

Comment by Spence on 4/26/10 at 2:13 am

I admit I made a mistake with “Mark” and maybe professional sports is not about loyalty but I would expect my coach to be loyal to me the draft after he told me to stay. If I was a player after seeing Carroll over the last two years I wouldn’t want to play for him. Don’t get me wrong I always think you should come out and get your money if you can.
To Mr. Rebel, you can’t tell how good a draft was for at least 2 or 3 years down to road. I am sure on draft day the Raiders were happy with JaMarcus Russell and the Chargers with Ryan Leaf. And I am sure my wife will not appreciate your comment.

Comment by Jeremy Fine on 4/26/10 at 7:12 am

Take the emotion out of it Jeremy. The NFL is a business, not a time to hold hands and sing kumbaya. Get real.

Comment by Chris Crockett on 4/26/10 at 7:41 am

You REALLY need a copy editor.

Comment by Wow.....just wow! on 4/26/10 at 7:53 am

Pete Carroll is now working for the Seattle Seahawks.  His one and only obligation is to make the Seahawks a better football team and to win games.  As a Seahawk fan I am elated that he stayed true to that mission and took the player that many evaluators said was even better than Eric Berry.

Pete Carroll taking Taylor Mays over Earl Thomas would not have been a sign of loyalty, it would have been a sign of negligence and mismanagement.

Comment by Patrick on 4/26/10 at 10:06 am

Some good points. But no way should you hold up Callipari as a ‘good coach’, or as any standard-bearer of ethics or class.

Comment by J-Jo on 1/07/11 at 7:58 pm

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