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 The city of Seattle has announced a victory parade through the
streets on Wednesday that will culminate at CenturyLink Field, where
boisterous fans have given deafening support to the Seahawks and are
known as the "12th Man".
"Heck yeah, they should," Carroll said on Monday at the Super Bowl
follow-up news conference about declaring a school holiday after
Seattle's 43-8 trouncing of the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium in
East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"There's a big education happening on that Wednesday. They should
all show up ... it's their championship.
"In my mind it goes to the kids. I know the adults will take it in
in a big way, but for the kids, that started a memory of what this is
all about and being connected to your team."
After an unseasonably mild evening for the first outdoor Super Bowl
staged at a cold weather site, snow kicked in on cue early Monday
morning just hours after the game and before the Seahawks were to
head home for a warm reception.
Seattle have been virtually unbeatable in front of their home fans
over the last two seasons, losing just once while winning 17 times.
"There's no fan base that deserves this more. Nobody has worked
harder at supporting their team with more passion and love and
spirit than ours," said Carroll.
"Yeah, let's shut down the darn schools. Let's have a darn
celebration — peacefully and rightfully and in great fashion — but
with great music and fun and great enjoyment and creating the memory
that everybody deserves."
Carroll, who was fired after one season with the New York Jets and
after three seasons with the New England Patriots, hit his stride as
head coach at USC. After nine successful years there, he was hired
to coach the Seahawks by Seattle's homegrown billionaire Paul Allen,
co-founder of Microsoft.
SUPER COMMITMENT
The exuberant coach brought his high-energy program with him to
Seattle and motivated a collection of overlooked players to reach
their potential together.
One of them, linebacker Malcolm Smith, who was drafted in the
seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of USC by Seattle, won the
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player trophy and a new car.
"We kind of came together and said that we would commit ourselves to
each other and the greater good of our team," Smith said on Monday.
"It was Seahawks 24/7.
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"We just decided that we were going to be committed to this, give
100 percent and see what happens. It turned out great for us," added
the linebacker, who intercepted a Peyton Manning pass and dashed 69
yards for a touchdown and also recovered a fumble.
Carroll said the final score, one of the widest victory margins in a
Super Bowl, came as the defense began forcing turnovers "like an
avalanche" to bury the NFL record-setting offense of the Broncos.
Seattle intercepted two Manning passes and recovered two fumbles for
four turnovers while not committing a single one.
"We deserved it and we earned it because this is exactly what we've
been preparing for, and we expected it," Carroll said. "That may
sound cocky. That may sound arrogant. But it's a mentality you can't
get in one week.
"They have the understanding, and they came in here knowing that
this could likely happen, knowing that it could be a game just like
it was, and with that kind of result...It comes from a disciplined
approach. That's how they've learned it."
CARROLL REDO
Given control to run his program at USC and to see it succeed,
Carroll said he decided to try and re-create it in the NFL.
Four years after embarking on the mission, Carroll and company hit
paydirt in the Super Bowl, but the youthful, 62-year-old coach vows
not to stop now.
MVP Smith said the hunger is still there.
"We've seen the effort that it takes to get to this point, and,
obviously, we'll try to replicate that and do it again," said Smith.
"We're looking forward to the next challenges and guys having a
target on their back and people trying to come after us."
Seattle has been made a 9-2 favorite to win the Super Bowl next
season by online gambling site bovada.lv.
"Hopefully we'll start stepping into the next one. We've done this
before," said Carroll.
"The first meeting that we'll have will be tomorrow. That starts
tomorrow. Our guys would be surprised if we didn't."
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
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