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Pete Carroll: Seahawks leaving baby decision up to Richard Sherman for Super Bowl

PHOENIX — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the decision will be up to cornerback Richard Sherman, whose girlfriend is expecting the birth of their baby boy any day now, whether or not he plays in Super Bowl XLIX.

"Whenever our players have a personal or family issue that comes up, it's always about family first and they have to decide what's best for them, and I support that," Carroll said in a joint news conference on Friday with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

"We will support that decision."

[Watch the Super Bowl live on Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports - Sunday at 6 p.m. ET]

Sherman appeared confident that his girlfriend, who is in town currently, will not deliver on Super Sunday, thus making for a difficult decision. He said Thursday that his son will be a “disciplined young man” and wait for his father to play the Patriots.

That said, Sherman didn’t rule out the possibility of being with her at the birth if it occurred on Sunday and — possibly — missing the Super Bowl. The decision for athletes missing sporting events, even far less-important decisions than this one, is a hotly debated topic. There are strong feelings on both sides of the aisle on the issue.

Carroll supported Sherman and had a funny line about the impending birth, perhaps easing a bit of his own tension on the matter.

“I can’t wait to meet Little Petey,” Carroll said, drawing laughs — even from Belichick.

No doubt #littlepetey is trending worldwide now.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!