Hall of Fame coach John Madden has claimed that Pete Carroll will be haunted forever by his decision to pass on the goalline in the Seattle Seahawks' defeat to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks had the chance to clinch a second Vince Lombardi title in back-to-back seasons as Jermaine Kearse's spectacular catch set his side up on the five-yard line before a run from Marshawn Lynch moved them to the one.
However, Russell Wilson passed the ball on second goal in the dying seconds of the game and was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, presenting the title to the Patriots.
Madden believes that the decision not to give the ball to Lynch again will haunt Carroll for the rest of his coaching career.
"That will torment him forever," Madden told The Los Angeles Times. "Winning one game is hard. Getting to the Super Bowl is hard. Then getting that close and losing has to be tough, because we only remember the winners of the Super Bowl.
"One of the biggest gaps in sports is the difference between the winning and losing teams of the Super Bowl. They don't invite the losing team to the White House.
"They don't have parades for them. They don't throw confetti on them. Does it haunt you? Hell yes, it haunts you. I'm still haunted by some championship games."
Madden was coach of the Raiders in the victory in Super Bowl XI.
Simon Sinclair
