Bengals Linebacker Keith Rivers Defends USC And Pete Carroll

by Josh Kirkendall on Jun 16, 2010 11:19 AM EDT in Analysis

To the outside observer (me), Pete Carroll leaving the University of Southern California for the Seattle Seahawks gave me pause. More like a "WTF" moment. Carroll's previous efforts in the NFL includes one season with the Jets (6-10) and three seasons with the Patriots between 1997-1999 that led to three non-losing seasons. Decent. But why leave USC, where you're the man, only to be eventually recycled amongst the ranks of NFL head coaches where it's harder to build the same unity and cohesion in the pros as it is in college? Not that I'm an expert or anything in the differences between a head coach in college and the pros. It just seemed to the outside observer (me) that Carroll had a sweet gig with USC. Maybe he just wanted to renew the challenge of successfully coaching in the NFL again. Maybe that's all it is.

Then the wrinkle was added. Suspicion sets in. The trouble started. An investigation led to lethal NCAA penalties that included a two-year bowl ban, 30 lost scholarships and five years on probation. Already stripped of its 2005 Orange Bowl, questions are swirling if the team will be able to keep their 2004 BCS National Championship trophy -- something that won't be determined until after the appeals process which would include vacating 14 wins between the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Not that the NCAA has anything to do with the BCS.

From the outside observer (me), it appeared that Carroll left just in the nick of time. But does this taint his record at USC in general? Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers chimed in on Tuesday, reacting to the sanctions imposed by the heavy handed NCAA.

"That's absolutely and utterly absurd," Rivers said in a telephone interview. "What does any of this have to do with what we did on the field? It doesn't have anything to do with anything."

...

"Everyone wants to call us cheaters. We didn't cheat. We dominated on the field."

Even Carson Palmer chimed in, saying that the 30 lost scholarships hurts the kids that would have received them. Now, if we can get Rivers to convert into a defensive play-maker (not just a stable tackling machine) with that same vigor that he defends his former head coach and university, we could have the best defense in the NFL. So I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

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"What does any of this have to do with what we did on the field?"

Um, Keith, it has a LOT to do with what you did on the field if your players were inelgible, and only on the field becasue of the benefits USC was giving them :)

by ephram on Jun 16, 2010 12:11 PM EDT reply actions

Wrong

USC didn’t give players anything. The agents gave Bush and O.J. Mayo the benefits that are illegal by NCAA standards. The only thing that USC is guilty of is allegedly knowing that these were given to these players by agents and not really doing anything about it—NOT giving them the items themselves.

by Anthony Cosenza on Jun 16, 2010 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

"The ONLY thing that USC is guilty of "

I like that. It’s kind of funny, as if USC is completely innocent or something :-)

I have to disagree with you, because:
If usc KNOWS what is happening, and if usc does NOTHING about it….
They are as guilty as the people physically giving the gifts, because they are allowing the gifts.

You know the saying, “If one is not for me, they are against me.”
SImilarly, if usc is not against the gifts….then they are for the gifts, and as guilty as the ones physically giving the gifts, and by association, usc is guilty of giving gifts.

In my humble opinion

by ephram on Jun 16, 2010 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

They knew nothing about it as to

they turned their heads at what was going on. They didn’t want to know, but actually knew some way, some how… They are guilty as charged. The agents are involved with the alumni or the boosters.

by WHYUS!! on Jun 16, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions

omg..yeah and this only happens at USC lol!!!

are you an OSU fan? You have to be.

by DonMegga on Jun 17, 2010 6:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Ohhhhh Yeahhhhh,

O – H !!

by WHYUS!! on Jun 17, 2010 7:11 AM EDT up reply actions

N – O

by steveinaz on Jun 17, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I - O

by ephram on Jun 18, 2010 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions

biggest difference between USC and a winner....

USC gets caught :)

Of course it’s not hard to get caught when the evidence with OJ Mayo & R Bush is so obvious. It wasn’t just 1 sport, but it was apparently systematic. That sure doesn’t help you hide it….

Pete Carroll knew what he was doing when he skipped town…..

by ephram on Jun 18, 2010 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Even Carson Palmer chimed in, saying that the 30 lost scholarships hurts the kids that would have received them.

True, it does. But don’t blame the NCAA because these kids won’t get their scholarships, Carson.

Blame your beloved alma mater for cheating. It was their actions that led to these kids not getting the scholarships.

Own up to it Carson. USC was in the wrong here.

by ephram on Jun 16, 2010 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

Love it.

Like the kids that would have gotten an offer from USC will never get to play anywhere else and will have to live on the streets now. Man Carson what it might do is take 30 scholarships from marginal division 1 prospects that won’t get them now due to the trickle down effect of USC not having 30 to offer. The kids USC won’t get, 10 per year, will go somewhere else and play. What Palmer meant was that it sucks his alma mater won’t get to hoard 10 other players from UCLA or Cal and they may help those teams fill the gap in talent.

by JoseOle on Jun 16, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry JoseOle you are wrong here.

If you go to Bengals.com and listen to Carson’s video you will find that he was referring to the prospects for the smaller schools won’t get a chance to play. He was not crying about USC at all. He said what you said. You mischaractorized his statement.

"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Jun 16, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

There are what, 120 or so D1 schools that give out scholarships, plus a pile of D1AA and D2 schools that give scholarships. So it’s 10 scholarships out of what, 1500 players. So Carson is worried abot the 1490th thru 1500th best high school football players now?

If 10 players from USC now go to Ohio St
and 10 players from Ohio St will now go to Oklahoma
and 10 players from Oklahoma will now go to Iowa St,
and 10 kids from Iowa St will now go to Marshall,
and 10 kids from Marshall will now go to Montana,
and 10 kids from Montana will now go to McNeese St,
then 10 kids that were going to go to McNeese St will not get scholarships.

So ultimately it trickels down so much, that Carson is arguing about the 3rd string fullback at McNeese state not getting a scholarship.

Anyway, if each Pac 10 school chose to redshirt 1 less kid each year, that’s it – 1 less kid….you have your scholarships back.

So I think Carson’s argument is a puff of smoke…..without substance…..

by ephram on Jun 16, 2010 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess it doesn't matter unless you are one of those guy who won't get to go to school.

To those 30 guys it is much more than a puff of smoke. Just because they won’t be pros does not mean they don’t matter. I am not commenting on how Carson really feels. I don’t know that and you don’t either. I just know what he said.

"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Jun 16, 2010 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions

HA

I just don’t understand everyone defending Carroll. You don’t have Reggie Bush driving around town in a car, with his parents who are living in a new house without having questions come in from someone. The university knows if these kids aren’t in class, they know where they live, and they would know if something doesn’t smell right. USC didn’t know b/c they didn’t want to know. They looked away so they would have plausible deniability, and guess what. It didn’t work. They got slammed for lack of control, and yes Keith you played with players that were taking money. So they were ineligible, so maybe YOU personally didn’t cheat but YOUR team did. Let it go.

by JoseOle on Jun 16, 2010 12:52 PM EDT reply actions

I could care less about USC

I was never a USC fan so if they are fined or even thrown out of the NCAA I wouldn’t care.
That said I think Kieth is doing just fine. Some people think he’s a bust and nothing could be further from that.
He’s doing a fine job with the Bengals and will only get better. Just because he was the #1 pick doesn’t mean every single season has to be HOF stats every time.. Kieth does his job and does it well.

by Yeah-Yeah on Jun 16, 2010 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

Seriously, who cares

The NCAA is retarded to begin with, and now they think they can fire up the flux capacitor and erase what USC did all because of one guy. Sure it was wrong for Reggie to do what he did, and for SC to turn a blind eye, but trying to undo what has been done is an exercise in futility. And Keith is right, this has nothing to do with what all the other SC players did on the field.

by stripesinseattle on Jun 16, 2010 9:25 PM EDT reply actions