...or you could say live life to the fullest because you only get one chance.
Say what you will about Pete Carroll, his coaching style may be unorthodox to some but his positive attitude is the key to his success. I got a real kick out of watching him dance on the sidelines during the Rose Bowl, he exudes so much positive energy! His detractors call him Pom Pom and when things aren't going his way they make fun of his antics and the like.
But in the end it works. He may not be the calm demeanor of a Jim Tressle or the appearance of a dry piece of toast that is Karl Dorrell, but he knows what works and it gets his players up for the game. I remember the 2005 Orange Bowl after OU scored on one of their first drives Carroll could be seen laughing on the sidelines in an effort to loosen his team up. It worked as SC nailed OU 55-19.
From Plaschke yesterday.
"Wasn't this fun?" Carroll exclaimed, again and again. "I mean, wasn't this a blast?"
It was all of that. It was more than that.
USC's 32-18 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan Monday was the most jangling, jitterbugging, joyous win of the Carroll era.
It was jumping jacks and one-armed catches and Booty shaking and D.J. spinning. It was sacks and thwacks and Heisman hallelujahs.
If he were losing consistently we would be singing a different tune but we are winning so go with the flow and laugh it up. We won't have Coach Carroll forever, at some point the voices of the NFL will come-a-callin' and we will say good-bye. Until it does we will continue to embrace his style as it has to work. Enjoy it while it lasts because often it never does. That could happen soon with all the rumors heating up about him heading to the Cardinals anything can happen.
"It was important for us to reconnect with who we are and what our program is all about," said Carroll.
Reconnection made. Statement completed. Farewell issued? If Carroll is indeed headed for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, as some suspect, credit him with throwing a heck of a goodbye party.
"I'm here, I'm back, I have no plans to leave," he said.
Yeah, just like the Cardinals didn't publicly plan to fire Denny Green, but it happened Monday anyway.
Here's guessing that the Cardinals front office will get involved, just like every other NFL front office with a head coaching opening will be getting involved.
At some point, if handed an ownership percentage of a team, Carroll will listen.
With the young Trojans in preseason-No. 1 shape, and the NCAA still out there asking questions about Reggie Bush, Carroll might think it's time.
If Carroll does leave, Trojan nation should thank him for returning them to national prominence, wish him well in conquering his NFL demons, and stick in a tape of Monday's game to celebrate his legacy.
Like I said anything can happen. I won't even attempt to speculate.
This was a great season that had a couple of bumps along the way. I won't deny that there some moments that really pissed me off or left me totally bewildered but boring it was not.
The 2007 season is a long way away and it will have a lot of high expectations after coming off what some would call a "rebuilding" year. As for the other issues out there let's see how it all plays out but no matter what lets hope that we continue to see the dancing and the jitterbugging on the sidelines for years to come!