John Madden knows a little something about the psyche of NFL head coaches, and he thinks Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll will be living with some demons for a while.
"That will torment him forever," Madden told The Los Angeles Times. "Winning one game is hard. Getting to the Super Bowl is hard. Then getting that close and losing has to be tough, because we only remember the winners of the Super Bowl. One of the biggest gaps in sports is the difference between the winning and losing teams of the Super Bowl. They don't invite the losing team to the White House. They don't have parades for them. They don't throw confetti on them. Does it haunt you? Hell yes, it haunts you. I'm still haunted by some championship games."
Carroll has always portrayed himself as someone who can rise above and beyond the common mental hurdles we all face.
Unlike many coaches, he gives off the sense that he lives a truly robust life outside of football.
But Madden has been around the profession for decades and has seen the extreme wear and tear that the mental side of the game can take on coaches.
And Carroll has taken the blame for a puzzling goal line call completely on his shoulders. He didn't call out offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. He didn't call out his wide receivers.
So for now, history will be written with Carroll's name attached to what may very well be the worst offensive play call in Super Bowl history.
Regardless of his life outside of football, Madden is right. This one will sting.
From an outside perspective, it will be interesting to see how Carroll handles the first gut-check call of the 2015 season. While we have no doubt he'll bring Seattle back to the playoffs this year, the way he handles certain situations will be intriguing.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Geno Smith and the Jets' QB position and much, much more with special co-host Colleen Wolfe. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
