Carrolling Past the Graveyard.

The recent events that occurred at the University of Southern California got me thinking.  The same USC that was handed some of the stiffest penaties a big time football progam has receiced in years.  Probation for 4 years, 20 lost scholarships, no bowl games for 2 years and the forfeiting of wins from the 2004 season. Plus, USC returned to the Downtown Athletic Club the Hesiman Trophy won by running back phenom Reggie Bush.  AND , they also disassociated themselves from Bush as a public purging of their soul to the college football gods.  It is also expected that the DAC will request that Bush return his Heisman.(we used to call that "indian giving" back in the old politically incorrect days of my youth). 
Why all the fuss?
Because Reggie Bush allegedly received illegal cash payments from an agent.  An agent whose feelings were hurt deeply when Bush dumped him for a more savvy agent upon his departure from USC.
What got me thinking was former USC head coach Pete Carroll.  He was the man in charge of the USC football program when all of this took place.  The one whose responsibilty it was to protect the young men who signed with the program while under his watch (at least I'm told that's what the coaches tell the parents of these players).  The  same Pete Carroll that bolted from the program when it looked like such events were about to unfold.  Did he get a heads up from someone in the know at the NCAA? We'll never know.  But we do know this.
While USC received those stiff penalties, Reggie Bush was publicly humiliated , stripped of his Heisman, and Athletics Director Mike Garett was fired, Pete Carroll was long gone to the NFL.  Rewarded to the tune of  5 years at $33 million. Thats $33,000,000 and control over football operatoins of the Seattle Seahawks.
Huh?!
Wait! Surely, this is a joke! How can this be?
I'll tell you how.
You see, in the NCAA, coaches are allowed to leave for greener  pastures.  It doesn't matter if that coach was in charge of a program who now must pick up the pieces of the mess he left.  He is free to pursue other opportunities, including the NFL and even another college job.  All this without the penalty that his departed school received, which he caused or had a hand in causing.
Players, on the other hand ,are restricted to stay at the college they signed or face sitting out one year as a penalty for transferring.  They are allowed to transfer without sitting out only if that program goes on probation.  It's like in the movie "Good Fellas".
If a player has a change of heart? Tough. Sit out! Gets beat out and prefers to go to a school he feels gives him a better chance to play? Oh well. Sit out!  Maybe a family member is sick or even dies,.Too f**ing bad! Sit!
But Carroll gets to start over with no penalty, in fact, rewarded ,as his former program fries.
My dad had a saying when someone "skates" by out of trouble.  "He's just whistling past the graveyard".  As in, "he just got away with murder when everyone else involved fried"
Or in this case, Pete is just Carrolling past the graveyard.