This might be the least surprising news ever, but people are going to talk about it.
Seahawks & Pete Carroll collectively fined by than $300,000 by NFL for violation of off-season non-contact rules, per sources.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 26, 2014
The @Seahawks also lose 2 minicamp practices after review of June 16 OTA practice was deemed unsuitable under CBA rules. Story on @ESPNNFL
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 26, 2014
.@NFL requested the tapes of their #Seahawks practices, which included a fight, deemed CBA violations to have occurred. They appealed & lost — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 26, 2014
The Seahawks aren’t going to fall apart due to the fines and lost practices, but it’s an interesting development considering Carroll’s image as a guy who keeps everything light and loose in Seattle. Like when ESPN The Magazine fawned over the “happiest, greenest campsite in the history of the NFL”:
This is the Pete Carroll experience we always hear about. After flaming out as an NFL head coach, Carroll rebuilt his rep as an ultracompetitive buddy coach at USC. But beneath the perpetual smile was a guy who thought, more than anything, there was a better way to win. Meditation is only part of it. After Carroll was fired by the Patriots following the 1999 season, he agonized over what he’d do differently if he landed another NFL head-coaching job. Almost every day for the better part of a decade, while leading Southern Cal to seven top-10 finishes and one BCS title, he jotted down do-over notes. His dream was to fundamentally change the way players are coached. The timeworn strategy is, of course, to be a hard-ass — think Bear Bryant banning water breaks, Vince Lombardi screaming and yelling, Mike Rice throwing basketballs at players’ heads, Nick Saban berating his team on the sideline. Carroll craved a chance to reimagine the coaching role in the NFL. “I wanted to find out if we went to the NFL and really took care of guys, really cared about each and every individual, what would happen?”
The 49ers seem to prefer practices that aren’t too physical, and it’s well known that both Harbaugh brothers frown on fighting. I’m not sure if the Seahawks are all that different from the NFL when it comes to pushing the boundaries during practices in regards to contact. However, it doesn’t seem like they’re all that different when it comes to taking care of their players, either.
