![]() ![]() Everything he said he stood for was a lie. He was not liked by the front office except for Blank, whose apparent love dissipated in a Wednesday news conference when he said, “I feel betrayed.”Īdded safety Lawyer Milloy to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Everything he preached over the past eight months was a lie. Taking over for the beloved but flawed Jim Mora, Petrino, according to media reports, talked too tough too early and hated dealing with the salary cap and players’ concerns. Don’t talk to me like I’m a 17- or 18-year-old kid.” Among the nicer terms used were “coward,” “cancer” and “liar.”įalcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall told ESPN on Tuesday night that Petrino was “a college coach that didn’t fit. But listen to the Falcons and you wonder how long Petrino would have lasted. He can lament to Arkansas boosters with plastic pigs on their heads about the little unfortunate mishap of Michael Vick getting convicted for torturing and killing dogs. Neither does lying.Īnd Petrino was a flop. ![]() As you see, flopping in the NFL does nothing to hurt your negotiating power in college. Of course, he went to Alabama, signing for eight years and $32 million, again making him the nation’s highest-paid coach. While Miami flopped last season to 6-10, Saban denied Alabama rumors so many times his rapidly growing nose nearly stretched to Havana. Two years later, he split for the Dolphins and $4.5 million per. In February 2004, LSU gave Saban a seven-year deal worth $2.3 million annually, making him the nation’s highest-paid college coach. Saban jilted Louisiana State and the nation’s most rabid following that would kill alligators for him after leading it to the 2003 national title. What should be a red flag to all NFL owners was the brazen way Petrino this week - and Nick Saban the year before - left when the going got tough and their savings accounts got filled. He left 12 starters from a 12-1, Orange Bowl-winning team, and under Steve Kragthorpe, considered one of the best young coaches in the game, this year’s Cardinals collapsed to 6-6.įor a school that got turned down by the likes of Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe and couldn’t get alumnus Butch Davis of North Carolina to even discuss it, Arkansas landed the biggest tarpon in the gulf. He transformed Louisville from a regional program to a national powerhouse on the strength of lockdown in-state recruiting and one of the most entertaining offenses in the country. The irony of Petrino imitating a pig was not lost on anyone. Less than 24 hours later, Petrino had been reduced to this: looking stiff and silly in a nationally televised news conference doing Arkansas’ “Woo Pig Sooey!” call. He lost all of that after he told Falcons owner Arthur Blank - the day of the game! - “You have a coach.” Petrino lost most of that when his players said good riddance as he left town. Will some corporate CEO explain what you can buy with $4.8 million a year that you can’t buy with $2.5 million a year, particularly when you get $2.5 million every year for a decade? You can’t buy credibility. That’s as flimsy a term in college athletics as “student-athlete.” But in July 2006, Louisville gave Petrino a 10-year, $25.5 million contract, which he bolted from the following January for a five-year, $24 million offer from the Falcons. I understand the coaches’ quest for security. When will NFL owners learn that college head coaches don’t make good NFL head coaches? When will successful college coaches stop jilting their loyal fans and players for what amounts to a cheap, get-rich-quick scheme, then bounce back to a rival school? One more mercenary college coach had cashed in on an NFL promise, then lied his way back to his comfort zone. That seemed odd, with his Falcons getting waxed 34-14, putting him 3-10 on the same day his star quarterback was put away for 23 months. He had the serene look of a man at peace. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪs I absent-mindedly watched that dog-awful “Monday Night Football” game from Atlanta, giving thanks that I cover a better product, I couldn’t help noticing something peculiar about Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |