Feb. 05--Pete Carroll spent nearly 20 minutes Thursday telling the "Today" show's Matt Lauer that everything is fine following the Seattle Seahawks' disastrous final minute of Super Bowl XLIX, during which the team went from likely repeat champions to runners-up to the New England Patriots in an instant.
The coach was pretty convincing during the interview, appearing very serene and sounding quite wise while discussing the much-questioned play call that led to a victory-sealing interception by the Patriots and its aftermath.
But Carroll did admit that at one point he cried about everything that had happened.
"There was a break where I allowed all of the rush of it to hit, and really in essence just sharing the energy of what everyone else is feeling," said Carroll, who said the tears started flowing while he was lying in bed at exactly 4:50 a.m. Tuesday.
Except for that moment, Carroll said, he has mainly been focused on helping everyone else through what he knows is an extremely difficult situation.
"Immediately, I mean within the instant of the turnover, the gravity of what just happened I understood, and there's only a second or two before you stand up and start looking ahead and getting ready for what's coming," Carroll said. "I had to get myself in the right place so I could do a really good job for everybody."
Carroll said he still does not agree with those who feel the Seahawks' decision to pass the ball from the Patriots' 1-yard line rather than hand it off to all-pro running back Marshawn Lynch was the worst call ever.
"It was the worst result of a call ever," Carroll said. "The call would've been a great one if we catch it. It would've been just fine and nobody would've thought twice about it."
He added: "We did so many beautiful things to get to that point, so many positive things that happened, so many players that played so well and coaches that coached so well and on and on and on that that one moment isn't going to define this team and who we are.
"This is a championship team."
