Carroll: Seahawks at forefront of ‘extraordinary’ times
Published 1:30 am Monday, September 25, 2017
By Gregg Bell
The News Tribune
RENTON — Pete Carroll sees this as more than a football season.
He sees his Seahawks in a critical, “extraordinary” time in our society. He sees them at the forefront of a growing movement in our country seeking better treatment of minorities and police reform.
Carroll used his weekly, day-after-game press conference to deliver his deepest and most impassioned comments yet on what his players believe is their role as professional athletes with a platform. And a cause.
Carroll said multiple times on Monday the nation needs empathy. He wants more to understand why the Seahawks — first and foremost Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett — and increasingly, players from across the NFL have been sitting, kneeling or staying in the locker room during the national anthem at games.
“Because you are a football player you should be grateful and shut up? That’s not what this is about,” Carroll said, on a day of more posts on Twitter by President Donald Trump on the NFL’s protests.
One tweet from Trump: “Tremendous backlash against the NFL and its players for disrespect of our Country. #StandForOurAnthem”
“I understand that there’s different points of view here,” Carroll said. “I think this is a really fascinating opportunity for us to understand that there’s differences with how we look at things. These are protests. They’re statements of feelings and expressions of freedom of speech. That can be taken as however you want to take it.
“It’s hard for everybody to see everybody’s view because we don’t have the skills empathy calls for to understand somebody has something to say. Empathy would call on us to listen and to not pass judgment. Whether or not you want to demonstrate compassion by trying to work to help their situation, that’s what’s at stake right here.
“It’s been so directed at just the flag, just law enforcement, other thoughts. That’s not all the players are expressing. They’re expressing freedom of speech and expression. They have a lot to say and they’re skilled at what they want to say and what they stand for.
“This isn’t about the kind of salaries they make. They’re very fortunate to be where they are and they know it and they have the courage to speak out. That’s not being recognized as much as we would like.”
Carroll said he and the Seahawks are aware of other reasons why people are upset about the team protesting symbols and ideals of our country.
“It is not about denigration of the flag, the country or anything that stands for. It’s not about that, at all. It’s about trying to get your feelings out and your ideas across,” Carroll said. “Protests, just by the nature of the word, not everybody is going to agree — that’s why it’s a protest.
“I think it’s extraordinary that this is happening and I think it’s a moment that we all can learn what we want to learn out of this. I hope we learn about empathy, to listen, to come to an understanding that someone else feels without passing judgment. It doesn’t mean you’re going to agree. That’s OK. That’s OK. Hopefully, like I said, the compassion part will come about in the proper manner and there will be action taken and there will be movement made, and we’ll come to an understanding.
“It’s hard. It’s hard, but it’s good.”
Carroll said he hugged Seahawks players who are supporters of Trump this weekend before Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, to let them know their coach and team supported and respected their beliefs. Those players, Carroll said, showed honorable unity by joining in their teammates’ decision to stay inside the Seahawks’ locker room during the anthem as it played Sunday before the game at Nissan Stadium.
Trump told a rally in Alabama that NFL owners should “fire” any player who does not stand for the anthem before games to protest social causes.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a (expletive) off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired,’” Trump said Friday night. “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.”
Bennett has been sitting during the anthem for six weeks.
Carroll said he felt a need to show support for Seahawks players who are Trump supporters before Sunday’s game.
“Directly what I did is I hugged them, talked to them and expressed that I appreciate where they’re coming from and what they feel and with no other thought but to accept them,” the Seahawks coach said. “Exactly what I’m talking about: realizing they have every right in the world to feel the way they feel. They had a choice to make. They had a choice to do what they wanted to do and they decided to stay with the team and that was a hard decision for a few guys and I totally understand that. They know there are times you’re acting on the good of the group rather than what is fit for you personally. That’s about the sacrifice you make for the good of the group. (I) loved them up and hugged them up and were grateful for them and their perspective.”
The Seahawks had hours of meetings Saturday in their hotel in downtown Nashville with core player leaders, and then an emotional team-wide meeting Saturday night. In those, he said the coach had some concern not all players would go along with staying in the locker room during Sunday’s anthem.
“To some extent, yes. That’s why there was a long discussion and a lot of conversation and a lot of emotion shared,” Carroll said.
“I wanted them to feel connected to what was going on in the way that maybe they had to make the sacrifice of their thought.
“It’s a powerful statement.”
Bennett said on Sunday following Seattle’s 33-27 loss at Tennessee the Seahawks not going out for the anthem was “revolutionary” because the Titans players followed suit. That made theirs the first NFL game in which both teams did not come out to participate in an anthem ceremony.
Star cornerback Richard Sherman called what the Seahawks and Titans did “a world-changing, life-changing event. Once in a lifetime.”
“Just in our own world right here, our players have a lot to say,” Carroll said. “They have a lot to offer and it is because they are so concerned and they care so much, and it’s so important. …
“I think a lot of people are speaking about things and making references to stuff because they don’t understand why people are willing to protest or willing to stand up and try to speak out.
“I think this is such an important moment.”
How will it play out from here?
Carroll said the team hasn’t discussed what it will or won’t do before Sunday night’s showcase game on national television at home against Indianapolis.
“I don’t know how that will play out,” Carroll said.
“Right now it’s about trying to do the right thing.”
