The word culture gets thrown around a lot in sports, but Duckworth has an interesting perspective. She is not a sports fan. She is an outsider, and that distant vantage point allowed her to observe Carroll and the Seahawks through a broader academic lens.
“It’s a very strong culture; it’s palpable,” she said. “And they have all the features that cultures have. They have a common language, they have words that are understood in the group that can be easily misunderstood outside of the group. Like when Pete says, ‘Always compete,’ and then has that particular definition of compete. ‘It’s not about beating the other person but being your best self.’ In a way you’re like, ‘Why would he say that?’
