“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
— Matthew 16:26
I have to say I’m probably in the minority in some aspects when it comes to my opinion of Bobby Petrino.
The former Arkansas coach is still cursed by most in these parts for the way he left the Atlanta Falcons. Those who think that way, however, forget that if the situation was reversed, the Falcons would not have waited until it was a good time for Petrino to get rid of him.
Petrino, for whatever reason, felt the Arkansas job was a better situation for him so he took it. I don’t fault him for that.
There’s been a lot of talk in recent days that karma came back to bite Petrino for the way he bolted on the Atlanta Falcons (and the way he left Louisville for Atlanta and the way he tried to stab Tommy Tumberville in the back, etc., etc.) I’m not sure I want karma wasted on a football coach. I reserve that for people who have gotten away with serious crimes, not a “crime” of leaving behind a football program.
I say I’m in the minority when it comes to Petrino because I don’t judge him strictly on off-the-field issues as some do. To me, he’s a sound football coach, probably one of the most brilliant offensive minds since LaVell Edwards of past Brigham Young University days. (Those two are certainly different in other areas I will confess.)
Petrino had seemingly found a good fit with the Arkansas Razorback program. Somewhat isolated, the Arkansas campus was the ideal fit for Petrino. Even competing in the SEC West with powerhouses Alabama and LSU, Petrino was shaping his program to compete at the highest level nationally. Arkansas’ lone losses in 2011 were to LSU and Alabama, the two teams who played for the national title (although a mythical one) in January. A strong argument could be made that the 11-2 Razorbacks were the third best team not only in the SEC West but the entire country. Since arriving at Arkansas there had been zero talk of him leaving for another school or deciding to dip his toe in the NFL water again (trust me, as a football junkie I keep up with these things.)
All signs for 2012 pointed to a special season for Arkansas and Petrino. The right amount of skill players returned and the Razorbacks would get to play LSU and Alabama at home.
Still, I remember a tagline from a movie stating, “Your whole world can change in 24 hours.” That statement has never been more true for Bobby Petrino, whose world came crashing down — literally and figureatively — after his now infamous motorcycle crash.
We all know the story by now. Petrino was not the only person on the motorcycle and his attempt to cover it up failed. Petrino would be suspended and then fired for his actions which included hiring his female passenger as an employee of the Arkansas football office.
How many times I wonder has Petrino thought, “If only I hadn’t gone for that motorcycle ride” or “If I had only been truthful from the beginning.” So many “what if” scenarios are no doubt still dancing around Petrino’s mind.
In the end, his decisions were selfish for many reasons. First, his family had to deal with the embarrasment of this situation going public. Second, the football players who bought into his system, no longer have their head coach going into what had the potential to be the best season in school history. It still might be a great one, but this will be a large obstacle to overcome.
The shame of it all is, Petrino is a great football coach. A strong case could be made that his knowledge of the passing game is unmatched today.
However, Petrino, while strong in football knowledge, showed a weakness that can — in many ways — be blamed on the fact he is a 51-year-old man who had the ability through his fame and his money to turn the eye of a 25-year blonde female. There’s no telling how many 51-year-old men would buckle to the same temptation.
Yet, it came at such a price for Petrino. Will he ever coach again? I’d say probably so. It won’t be in 2012 and it might not be in 2013, but some school down on its luck will get a great football mind. Will a school be willing to take that chance? If Petrino can make the school a winner — and he’s proven he has that ability — then the answer is a loud and clear “yes.”
I’ve never held it against Petrino that he left the Falcons. I didn’t have that big of an issue with him talking with boosters about the Auburn job when Tuberville was still there. (Tuberville himself has fired more assistant coaches than anyone I’ve ever heard of, so don’t cry a river for him.) However, Petrino clearly let down the Arkansas fan base — a good portion of which still didn’t want him fired — with his recent actions.
It’s a shame because something special was on the horizon for these players. Now, every game they play will be surrounded with talk of the former coach’s actions.
For my way of thinking, Petrino will always be a great football mind. He has proven that.
However, he has also shown that many times power and fame can corrupt and make us turn into something personally that few people want to be around. It will be interesting to see the next chapter in the Petrino coaching saga. I just can’t believe it’s over yet. If nothing else, it’ll be fun to watch.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him with comments about this column at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
