YES, I SAID IT FIRST. 

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Volume 3; Article Number 27
edited for the Time Vault Sports History Warehouse

One of the darkest days that I can remember for fans of any team happened during the 2007 NFL season to the Atlanta Falcons...they already had lost star quarterback Michael Vick (criminal offense) and any promise of contending...then this! The turn around of that organization into a contender and playoff team in 2010 is remarkable considering...  Editor

There are two ways of characterizing ex-Atlanta Falcon coach Bobby Petrino. Some may make him out to be a gold digger that looks for the money and the easy road. While others may see him as the very gullible coach that was brought into a shining situation that turned awry beyond his control and was justified in reneging on that commitment on Tuesday when he unceremoniously quit as head coach of the Falcons after just 14 games.

The Falcons hired Petrino last offseason after his successful stint as coach at the college ranks in Louisville (NCAA). Falcon’s owner Arthur Blank lured Petrino to the NFL from college, and expected that his past experience as an NFL offensive coordinator would translate into some mentoring for star quarterback Michael Vick. The Falcon’s offense was built completely to take advantage of Vick’s scrambling abilities and he was the leading rusher as well as passer for the Falcons. It seemed at the time a great fit for Petrino to get his first opportunity with the advantage of having a star pro-quarterback under center. Petrino could also deliver some of his no-nonsense sideline style to a team which perhaps was suffering from being let too “loose” under their previous coach. The Falcons were changing stripes to a coach known for more “law and order” and a more intense football style in a division that pretty much is up for grabs every season.

It is doubtful to me that a heralded coach like Petrino who had done well at Louisville with contract in hand would have taken that job and signed a five year deal if he would have known his new team would not have Vick as quarterback. In every situation Petrino had been in he had an experienced play caller to build around. Consider what he had given up in Louisville.

Louisville was constantly losing head coaches to other colleges and other professional programs and in 2006 they had Petrino sign a 10-year $25 million dollar deal to stay as the football coach. It is so important that colleges sew up tenure with good coaches because the recruiting efforts are so heavily influenced by who the coach is. Many of the players that Louisville recruits to enter its program are also candidates to join seven to ten other schools including regional rivals like Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia. The coach’s reputation and expectation that he will stay for a student’s full college career is a big factor as parents and agents consider where the best place is for their prospective football ticket to play. It is often the coach that outlines how he can use the young players in their “system” and that appeals to the decision on where to attend. The coaches’ word is the most valuable tool in the recruiting process for mom, dad, and agents of college bound footballers. As long as Petrino was to stay in Louisville the school reputation as a great place to sign up was enhanced.

Strike one for Petrino? One year later he signs a four-year deal with the Falcons and goes pro. He burned the bridges at Louisville to take on the Michael Vick experience. This may have been overlooked by major media as Miami head coach Nick Saban was going the other way reneging on his pro contract with the Dolphins (perhaps he saw something bad looming) to go back to college with Alabama and millions of dollars.

Petrino gave up $25 million over 10 years in college for the same money over 5 years with Mr. Blank in Atlanta. Gold digger certainly he was, but also the chance to lead Michael Vick is a once in a lifetime chance to go pro. However, not long later the dog-fighting allegations that eventually would send Vick to prison came forward and the Falcon’s 2007 season was dashed. The Falcons were changing for the worst and it was evident that Petrino was not the man for adversity.

The saga of the Falcons started with the trade of backup quarterback Matt Schaub to Houston so the team needed a quarterback and only the oft-criticized Joey Harrington was available. Petrino’s handling of Harrington and subsequent weekly quarterback benching rotating Harrington with the injury riddled slower Byron Leftwich showed that Petrino was in over his head. He had fallout with many of his players and was considered indecisive. The quarterbacks were not getting help from the coach and could build no rhythm and players in general “quit” on Petrino. Petrino even was vilified for releasing a player that was well liked, probably because he was outspoken.

Petrino could have sucked things up and looked at the bright spots. All the money he was making, and the chance to draft high in 2008 and build a “Petrino-type team” which could contend in the short four year cycle of his large contract. His owner was behind him 100% and as recently as last Monday praised Petrino for how “well he handled the adversity since no one could foresee the Vick situation” which was a way of saying I’m sticking by my coach. It was no wonder after the Vick scenario that Blank would be looking for any positives to build upon.

The next day Petrino left a note in the training room saying he resigned as head coach of the Falcons and was going back to coach in college at Arkansas. He could have waited until the end of the season. He could have met with his players and announced his resignation. Petrino did neither, and just skipped town like a thief with no explanation and left the Falcons to a horrendous three weeks to end a season which has been one of the worst seven months any NFL franchise has had to endure since the league was founded. This for a team that is pretty used to losing and on the day after their team’s “future” was sentenced to about two years in jail! Strike two to Petrino – how classless could one be to an organization that gave him a job and a lot of money on a day when the team’s players were still in mourning about their friend Vick?

Enter the new day of Petrino now in Arkansas (NCAA) as their head coach days after saying he was staying in Atlanta for the next season. He was introduced in a late-night press conference. Petrino simply stated that it was a “day of decisions and the decision needed to be made now”. Petrino said after the Falcon’s Monday night loss he already had the offer to come back to college in Arkansas and that is where he wanted to be. He made the decision that night. Strike three to Petrino – he obviously changes his mind often and may be adept to make decisions hastily. There is no doubt that Arkansas or someone would be waiting in January too.