Gary Klein's daily update on practice noted that Stafon Johnson is making some headway in his game play, but when he lost his temper and threw a ball at Will Harris, Pete Carroll embarked on a teachable moment:
Coach Pete Carroll immediately got into the running back's face, then halted practice for an expletive-laced speech to the team about avoiding unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties.
"It's so important and such a great issue for the young guys, I had to stop it right there," Carroll said. "It's just one of those times you've just got to make a statement. I wanted to put my arm around [Johnson], like 'thanks for the opportunity.'
"He was perfect about it. It wasn't about him at all. It was the issue."
Said Johnson of throwing the ball: "It was just the heat of the moment. . . . Coach was just trying to teach me to keep to myself and play ball."
Johnson responded with several more impressive carries, including a long touchdown run at the end of practice.
Fair enough. As SMQ noted in today's Thursday Hub, it's not the first time that Pete Carroll has used a little Anglo-Saxon invective to make a point...