PHOENIX -- Pete Carroll carried Friday's final coaching press conference, showing more personality than Bill Belichick and offering up the morning's only zinger.
Asked about the possibility of Richard Sherman missing Super Bowl XLIX to attend the birth of his son, the Seahawks head coach said the choice would fall upon his star cornerback.
"Well that's up to Richard," Carroll said. "He knows that he has an opportunity to face a big decision. Whenever our players have a personal or family issue that comes up, it's always about family first, and they have to decide what's best for them, and I support that. However he goes with that, if he's faced with that decision, we'll support him, and we'll see how that goes. Wish him luck, and I can't wait to see little Petey."
Along with suggesting baby names, Carroll had plenty to say about Sunday's big game two days away from facing the Patriots:
- Speaking of Belichick, Carroll gushed over the coach who replaced him in New England.
"What I'm always impressed by," Carroll said, "is the consistency of a performer or a team can have over a long period of time and sustain, and the fact that these guys -- some of the numbers that you throw out about having a first-round bye 10 times in your time in one club, all the championship opportunities and all the Super Bowls. The ability to continue to show, regardless of the personnel, and regardless of even his coaching staff -- Bill's had a lot of coaches that have gone on and done great things -- and players that have come and gone, too, they've maintained the consistency of championship-level play, and that's Bill. That's Bill's direction and his leadership."
"You got a first rounder for you? Is that what you said?" Carroll asked. "I was barely a free agent. Maybe that's why Robert threw me out of there after three years. Huh, Robert?"
Belichick: "I was a free agent after Cleveland."
Carroll: "I heard that."
- The Seahawks coach also chimed in on plans for the referees to use signals to properly identify who is and isn't eligible on a given play Sunday:
"I don't have any problem with the way we expect it to be handled, and they'll do a great job, and I know they're very tuned in to it," Carroll said. "Bill has done a job of challenging them with some really unique and innovative ideas in how to moving people around, so they do have to be on their toes, but they're ready to do that, and they'll do a great job. I don't think there's going to be any issue with that, in terms of this game, at all."
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