I like to think that after two decades of covering sports, I am hard to shock. But when the University of Southern California (USC) head football coach announced he was moving to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks I was caught off guard.
Pete Carroll had become USC football. When he arrived there in 2000, he instantly turned the programme from mediocre to dominant.
During his tenure USC won two national titles, had two Heisman Trophy winners and had 14 players selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
He became a household name as the coach of the best college football programme in the west of the United States.
"We've had a marvellous run of players who made this thing happen," Carroll said of his success at USC.
"These have been the most cherished times of my life. I don't expect to ever top this."
Carroll was last an NFL head coach in 1994 with the New York Jets. He failed.
It had always been rumoured that even with all his success at USC, Carroll had unfinished business with the NFL.
"It hurts to separate right now, but it can't keep on going because I can't pass up this opportunity." Carroll said.
"This is the challenge of a lifetime and it's too difficult to pass up. It's not about money or any tangible issues. It's about the challenge."
I see his point. This is an area in coaching that he has yet to tackle successfully, but I still have two questions?
Why Seattle? I am not saying Seattle is not a nice city or that their football team are second rate, but to leave one of the premier jobs in college football for an NFL franchise who are not media favourites seems an odd move.
He will be paid a ton of money and have total control of the Seahawks, but on the food chain of American sports, being Seattle coach is not a premier position.
So maybe the reason is that USC football tailed off a bit this year. They neither dominated nor played for the national title. Maybe big-time NFL teams stopped calling Carroll and maybe Seattle were his only option.
Why now? Beyond the fact that USC football had an off year, there are two ongoing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) investigations into the programme and possible rule infractions by USC players for taking improper benefits from the boosters who fund the team.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that Carroll saw NCAA punishment on the horizon and bailed out for the first offer that came his way.
We will not know if that is true until the NCAA finish their investigation.
When I see Carroll jump back into the NFL coaching fraternity, I wonder what the attraction is that makes successful college coaches leave secure jobs for the uncertainty of the NFL ranks.
Steve Spurrier was on top of the world at the University of Florida in 2001 when he left to coach the Washington Redskins. He flamed out in two seasons.
Nick Saban did the same when he left Louisiana State University in 2004 for the Miami Dolphins. He too lasted just two years.
Is it just that the NFL is the pinnacle of American football coaching? Is it tougher to deal with naïve 18-year-old college football players or 25-year-old millionaires?
It seems to me I would prefer coaching at college level, but time after time top college coaches leave the comfort of a successful programme for the challenge of the NFL.
So in two years will Carroll be another Spurrier or Saban?
Will he be kicking himself for leaving USC when he was on top? He probably answered this the day he left USC.
"I never thought this would happen," Carroll said. "I thought I'd be here forever."
@Email:ppabst@thenational.ae
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
