Pete has jumped the Shark!

Pete Carroll jumped the shark last Thursday afternoon. For those Yardomites unfamiliar with the term, it refers to that moment when Fonzie jumped the shark on Happy Days. It was out of character for the Fonz and it was out of the ordinary to see our local college football icon Peter C. reveal himself to us. He stewed and morphed into bitter Betty before all of our eyes in real time on the local news.

The Yard is an unlikely fan of the USC head football coach. He is preternaturally brilliant with the team, the media and alumni. He seems to always have unique, genuine sound bites when he is interviewed. And he has delivered the myopic Trojan faithful back to their cardinal and gold Xanadu. He is the current prince of this city.

Mark Sanchez, USC 4th year Junior QB, did the unthinkable and declared early for the NFL draft. Carson Palmer stayed for Pete and Norm Chow coaxed him to the Heisman podium. Matt Leinart already had won the Heisman and a National Championship by his junior year. Matt Leinart was the Duke of the City living huge, hanging with Nick Lachey, banging Paris Hilton and hitting the 901 three nights a week. He was not going anywhere with that gig. We understand that he is petitioning for another year to finish his ceramics degree. And no one cared when Reggie Bush declared early for all the reasons that will come to trial in June.

For the first time in the post Norm Chow era, Pete now has to groom a quarterback without Norm, Steve or Lane. He has to find that special someone who will pursue the dream, embrace the myopia and deliver another national title. But alas, there is no true savior in the wings as there has always been throughout his tenure as the USC head coach. With Sanchez barking the signals, USC is preseason National Champion and they get Oregon State at home next year. With all of the skill players are coming back, the legend of Pete would have been cemented with the legendary greats locally and nationally. It may still be but Petey cried and flipped the game board during his press conference tantrum on Thursday afternoon. Just go to You Tube and search Pete Carroll.

Carroll came across like a scorned lover not the unbiased counselor advising his protégés on their future. This objective mentor is the persona he paints with the local media. Pete revealed more about himself with his rant and demeanor at yesterday’s press conference than he had in the 617 press conferences that preceded it. Elliot Spitzer’s wife looked happier standing next to the disgraced governor than Pete did standing next to Mark. And Mark did his part thanking everyone but Pete for helping him make the decision

Sanchez will graduate with his class this June. He will sign a guaranteed NFL contract for at least $2-3 million a year for three years. Are there any of the other SC graduates in the Class of 2009 who will get a better contract after graduation? His USC experience served him in preparation for his future. People who say the money will always be there either never had that chance or do not understand the opportunity cost of money. If Sanchez goes back for one year, he will never again have the chance to earn the money he can earn in 2009. He will have chances to earn money but he will give up the chance to earn those millions FOREVER!! The risk is in going back to USC not declaring for the NFL. Mr. Sanchez must have really appreciated Pete Carroll publicly telling all of his future employers that he was not ready for their opportunity.

Westwood applauds Mr. Sanchez prudent decision on leaving USC early. We had hoped Taylor Mays had declared as well has most of the USC offensive line. We wish Steve Sarkisian the best in Seattle and we sincerely hope that Pete continues his journey to seek redemption for his previous failures in the NFL.

And in the end, The Yard can not ignore the prison shower scene the Utah Utes received in the final BCS rankings. There is nothing that they did all season that would disprove their claim to the title of the best college football team in the land. They absolutely pierced the Crimson Tide from the coin flip to the final gun in the Sugar Bowl. They beat them down more convincingly than Florida did thirty days earlier. Everyone else had a chance but no one but the Utes won all of their games. In the first half of the Rose Bowl, the Trojans showed the nation their argument why they should have been in the Championship game. They dominated Penn State with efficiency and purpose. In the second half, Troy showed why they were playing in Pasadena and not Miami. Florida did what they had to do against Oklahoma to win the championship. They did not prove that they would have beaten the Utes this January 8th in Miami.