Pete Carroll's Intervention: Why Does Seahawks Coach Chew So Much Gum?

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is being faced with the tough questions ahead of Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has developed a reputation for displaying some unwavering youthful energy despite being the oldest head coach currently in the league.

The 70-year-old is constantly running up and down the sidelines with passion that is not easily matched by many of the current head coaches in the NFL.

But, nearly every time the camera pans to him, he can also be seen smacking on what must be the most delicious piece of gum to ever grace a human's taste buds.

There's many mysteries behind Carroll's noticeable in-game routine.

What flavor does he prefer? Mint, bubblegum, other?

Where does he throw the used-up gum?

Why all the violent chewing?

Luckily, ESPN's Adam Schefter is digging into the juicy questions with Carroll ahead of Seattle's pivotal meeting with the New York Jets at Lumen Field.

"We went back through hours of tape and did an exhaustive, investigative process, and we thought it probably would be better for us to come here and let you address your in-game habit," Schefter said.

"It must be chewing gum, huh?" Carroll said.

Even as the Seahawks focus on a playoff-defining game against the Jets, there's clearly no time to waste when it comes to getting down to the details of what's important.

"What do you do with the gum when you're done with it?" Schefter asked.

"Well that's the problem," Carroll said. "I don't always hit the garbage cans, so sometimes they wind up on the ground somewhere."

Worrying about where the gum ends up is not at the top of Carroll's to-do list, and it's hard to blame him given all that happens each game.

But he generally sees this whole "intervention" as a silly waste of time.

"People ask me all the time about it. It's one of the silliest questions, I don't know why anybody would ever care. I have no idea why you're even doing this piece," he said with a smile.

The full reasoning behind Carroll's habit will be revealed on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" as the Seahawks (7-8) get set to host the Jets (7-8) later in the day.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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