Arkansas Blog

Alls fair in love and war, eh? The thing that strikes me is the hypocrisy oozing from the NFL about principles and honor. This is the same bunch whose owners move their teams from one city to another, some slinking out in the cover of darkness, holding a gun to the head of cities to get tax revenue to build their staidums for them so they won't have to spend their own money. I could make the list long, but the NFL people need to look in the mirror.

re: the posted NY Times link-

That is troubling to learn that he looked his owner in the eye, shook his hand and told him "You have a coach," and then abrubtly left. Certainly goes on, but you can't hang your owner out there like that. And for a coach to say that his family was having trouble with the losing season is ridiculous. Grow up. Suck it up. Deal with it. Fight through it. It's what coaches families have to do and comes with the salary and the turf. What about the city, the fans, the other players? Having trouble? You're the family. Shut up and get real. That is just pathetic to state publicly.

A good communicator could have put the losing season in context, pointed out what were the setbacks (and Vick was a mjor setback) and held out a vision for building on things and moving forward. But obvioulsy this guy can't communicate other than talk x's and o's, at all. Look at what his players said. To a man, they hate the guy. That should be a red flag. Alot of venom even for whiny spoiled players during a horrible season, to be that negative about their coach.

Maybe he'll be better with boy players and totally manic-depressive SEC college fans rather than men in the pro's,

Wow, you guys actually think the slime ball is going to win big in the SEC?
He coached a good team in the Big EasY Conference. Just good, not great. A
conference thats way over rated. He can't compete in the SEC! He is going
to struggle at first then he'll get you to 7 or 8 wins. That won't be enough
for his ego, so he'll start looking at the next best job before the he is 3
years in. He didn't even have the man parts to face his team in Atlanta to
tell them he was leaving. He snuck out like a thief in the night. How can a
coach who repeatedly lies and doesn't follow his own teachings, actract blue
chip recruits to come here. Arkansas wasted their time and money with this
hire, and better have the next replacement in mind!

I think this Petrino hire has upped the number of new visitors to the site. I'm wondering how many are from Atlanta or are Atlanta fans, or maybe Louisville. It is pretty clear that there is a level of personal anger evident in these posts that just can't be explained any other way. Well, I guess there could be those fans of Houston Nutt who were expecting to wallow happily in their schadenfreude at the result of the coaching search fiasco that appeared to be taking place but were dissappointed when a legitimate coach was found. Who knows.

I have to agree that, if true, the incidents of Petrino lying to the faces of his previous employers does give one pause. I can't help but think of a life-changing downsizing in which I was affected, and my employer stating with conviction every day up until the announcement that our jobs were safe, knowing the whole time that that was a lie. I'm sorry, this kind of dishonesty between employees and employers is par for the course and anyone who sees it as disloyalty should grow up.

A plausible narrative for Petrino here would be that he got his first big head coaching job at Louisville, not exactly a top tier college job, but a decent place to get started. He wants a bigger challenge than the Louisville job can provide him, I can see that. Naturally, when he looks, he looks at the SEC for the most part. The SEC jobs don't pan out, but he gets the opportunity for an NFL job. Okay, so who among you who seem to value loyalty above all else would say, "oh yeah, I'd turn down a head coaching job in the NFL to stay at Louisville." Cue the crickets.

Now, he gets the job in Atlanta and it turns into a disaster almost from the start with Michael Vick being arrested and the aftermath of that. Have any of you ever had one of those moments, maybe it was a job, maybe a relationship, sadly maybe even a marriage, when you can suddenly see the path ahead of you for miles and you know it is just going to get darker and darker until it finally ends in pain and sorrow. Maybe Petrino had one of those moments at Atlanta, his first NFL job, and didn't need any more evidence. Sure it was selfish, but when it comes to your career, you have to do what you have to do. That is certainly what Blank would have said if, down that road Petrino was eyeing, things didn't get any better and he decided to "go in a new direction." Do you think Petrino's "loyalty" would have made a damn bit of difference?

Bottom line, Petrino wanted to coach in the SEC, he took the NFL job because, well hell, who in his position wouldn't want to give it a shot. He found out real quick that it wasn't for him and he took a job that would give him what he wanted, the best competition he could find at the college level. Frankly, I don't find that the least bit nefarious. I mean, you don't pay people millions of dollars because they are loyal, you pay them millions of dollars because they are good. Besides, we tried loyal already. You hire your relatives--you get loyalty; you hire talent--you get results.

You want a national program? You want to compete with the Floridas and the USCs? It ain't gonna happen with loyalty, only with results. Otherwise, you should have been happy with the mediocrity that comes with loyalty. You can't have both.

Petrino may leave tomorrow. I personally don't give a damn one way or the other, but this is the risk you take. Anyone out there who doesn't get that needs to grow up.

Gumm

I think you're right. Rules of engagement are different. Petrino had to play the hand he was dealt. (as do all for most part..there ar eno heroes really. And big deal, so the Falcons have to go find another coacxh to ride out a shitty season. Not the end of the world.) I'm not advocating free-wheeling situational ethics trump bedrock principles of trust and truth-telling as a guiding principle, but, after reading your post I'll agree that Petrino did what he had to do in a context where all sides play each other. Same in corporate world to some extent. You have to be sly like a fox but also know where to place your loyalties and stick to them where it counts. Not always as cut-throat as made out to be.

But survivors have to play the cards in all cases. So Petrino is in. I still say his family needs ot shut up about having hard time with "losing" season. But I'll concede the rest. Point taken.

"Same in corporate world to some extent."

Big-time college sports IS the corporate world these days. The difference: hiring coaches is "public" and therefore gets WAY more publicity. This is de rigeuer in the behavior of the unfortunate greed-driven beings we have become. I forget who to credit but "No one can withstand scrutiny" is operative here.

It's a GREAT move by BP - did anyone notice his demeanor Monday night? What does anyone expect the Falcons to say? There is little doubt that, like many before him, he is not "of the cloth" which makes a good NFL head coach, and yet they keep "moving up" making "career moves," etc. And failing.

My guess: the above, plus the whole MV "matter," its effect on the team, and the number on knotheads who needed to "show their support" for MV the Criminal (including numerous small children in 7 jerseys!!) created a freak-out atmosphere, and he realized what a hopeless situation he had landed in. Unlike so many others gone the same route - Spurrier, Groh, Saban, Carroll come to mind - Coach Petrino is a smart man. They stayed too long!

Solution: Exit, Stage Right.on to Fett'vul - BRILLIANT!! NOW "can we all just get along?"

As for his "lack of people skills," etc. Just WIN, Bobby.

...and click my name for Jason Whitlock's take...

Thanks Larry for the link.

The last two paragraphs say it all.

I am looking forward to the unknown. It will make things more exciting for a change.

Go Hogs!

Go Hogs! is right BIGFAN.

I am fan of HDN's but I certainly hope Petrino takes the program to new heights, BCS bowls and an unbroken string of wins over Ole Miss. And if not, I certainly hope he sets the table so the next coach can take us there. I'm more than ready to move on.

And since our law and society encourages breach of contract where it makes economic sense to do so (as in, don't spend $100k to keep a $25k promise; breach it and pay damages), I'm not upset or surprised at anything parties do in what Larry rightly calls the big-time corporate world of sports. Hey, if it made economic sense for Blanks to fire Petrino and pay damages, you can bet he would have done so, just like a half dozen other NFL and NBA owners are going to do in the next 12 months. Wanna bet some NBA coach doesn't get fired mid-season, because that's what a GM or owner thinks is best for the franchise? To paraphrase Tina Turner, "What's loyalty got to do with it?"

And if Petrino earns his money each year of the 1 or 2 or 5 years he's here, I don't see how a school that reserves the right to fire a coach and pay damages can complain about a coach reserving the right to forego his end of the deal and look for greener pastures.

TAP

Finally we agree on something about the Hogs more than just go Hogs.

I am one of those who realizes that a great coach is alway looking for the next conquest or challenge that he believes he has a chance at proving himself worthy of achieving.

If Petrino wins big the next year or two with the cupboard the way it is gonna sit....he has earned his way out of the black hole that so many think is the Hog's program.

We are not supposed to be big time winners, right?

So if this coach proves we are capable of that here in our lowly state....then it won't be near as hard to find an excellent replacement for this supposed wandering gold-digger. ( I don't think that of him....but so many others do...we'll see)

GO HOGS!

Nice to be on the same page BIGFAN. I think they are going to be fun to watch!!

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson, the Falcons' first-round pick from Arkansas, was asked what he would tell his alma mater about its new coach.

"One word: Disloyal," Anderson replied.

Shut up! You left after your junior year!!