Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Russell Wilson (pictured above) has shocked the world and been named the starting quarterback in Seattle.
By Josh Kramer
When Pete Carroll left USC, I lost almost all respect for the guy. The situation he left behind was inexcusable and a definite admission of some sort of guilt. That’s all in the past though. Slowly but surely, my respect has returned for the coach that picked up a pair of national titles at USC and is currently running the show in Seattle.
At USC, it seemed as if everything was about the money. Just ask Reggie Bush. Since arriving in Seattle, it appears Carroll has had a change of heart. On Sunday, he named a rookie third-round draft pick the starter at quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season. As much as I try to ignore it, sports are a business. Even collegiate ones unfortunately. Money is what makes the world go round. Not in Seattle’s quarterback case though.
Matt Flynn recently signed a three-year, $26 million deal, with $10 million guaranteed. Everyone and their mother expected Flynn to be the starter. Wilson, a supposedly undersized rookie quarterback is guaranteed just $619,400. In simple terms, Flynn is guaranteed to make over 16 times the money that Wilson is guaranteed with their current contracts. Yet, Wilson is the starting quarterback.
Simply based on merit, Wilson has outplayed his higher-paid counterpart, and is therefore deserving of the starting job. Kudos to Pete Carroll on not being blinded by or influenced by dollar bills this time around. The perception was that Flynn would be the Seahawks starter up until recently. Carroll did not let the perception become a reality. He evaluated the two players competing for the spot strictly on merit and performance. Russell Wilson appears to have a very bright future ahead. I do not envision Carroll regretting this decision to start the “undersized” rookie quarterback. Talk about value in a third-round pick. I guess height, money, and the perception of the public aren’t everything when it comes to quarterback play. Continue reading
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