Why Jody Allen, Bert Kolde’s Dismissal Of Pete Carroll Is Not What Paul Allen Would Have Wanted

By 750 The Game Staff

The Seahawks made a surprising move this week moving on from Pete Carroll as head coach after fourteen seasons.

Was it the right decision? That remains to be seen. But fans in the northwest are reasonably skeptical of the decisions made by Jody Allen, the sister of the late Paul Allen and trustee of his estate that includes the Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers.

Brian Berger, host of Sports Business Radio and longtime PR executive joined John Canzano on 750 The Game on Wednesday with his thoughts on the move.

“I’ve said this before on your show,” Berger said. “The only reason Jody Allen is in the position that she’s in, is that she’s Paul Allen’s sister. He had no other relatives to leave his estate to, and he didn’t leave his estate to her, she’s the trustee.”

Berger says had Paul Allen still been alive, he would not have made this move with Carroll.

“I think he’s rolling over in his grave,” said Berger. “I don’t think this is what Paul wanted. I think Paul would have kept Pete Carroll. I just don’t think she (Jody) has any qualifications to make the decision that she’s making. And unless Pete came to her and said ‘I don’t want to be here anymore’, I don’t know why she would make this change.”

Berger said he would understand the move a little more if the Seahawks know for certain who Carroll’s successor will be, especially if it’s former Seahawks and current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

“Unless you tell me that they are convinced that Dan Quinn, who used to be there, is their guy, and they’re going to miss out on him on this cycle, and that they have to have him, that’s the only thing that makes sense,” said Berger. “But frankly I don’t think that Jody and Bert are that smart.”

Kolde, executive vice president of Vulcan, Inc., had been alongside Paul Allen since their undergraduate days at Washington State University. But Berger says neither he nor Jody have any real qualifications that validate their moves with the Seahawks and Blazers.

“Bert Kolde won the college roommate lottery by being Paul’s roommate at Washington State. Jody won the genetic lottery by being related to Paul. That is the only qualifications that those two have to be in the position that they’re in,” Berger said. “And as someone who worked for the Blazers for a long time, I’m really disappointed to see the decisions that have been made. Jody hasn’t made a statement or done an interview since Paul died. There’s no vision that’s being shared. It’s like a mad scientist running these two franchises.”

Listen to the full conversation with Brian Berger and John Canzano at the podcast below.

John Canzano delivers the Bald Faced Truth afternoons 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.