11/05/24
April 10, 2012
Arkansas Lays Down Petrino: Bobby Petrino has allegedly been fired as coach of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football team, following a motorcycle accident that expanded to reveal a probable extramarital affair with a Razorback staffer that Petrino had just hired.
Yeah, I was surprised too. I figured he'd get the remainder of this year on unofficial win-the-SEC-or-you're-fired probation.
I don't think Leavitt's employable in a high-profile college program just yet. Gus Malzahn's agent has got to be calling every Arkansas booster he knows, but is April too late in the year for the external hire they really want?
posted by Etrigan at 09:06 PM on April 10, 2012
Jim Leavitt? I'd be surprised if he is allowed to coach North Greenville let alone a top contender in the SEC.
Gus Malzahn's marriage, thankfully, is probably just fine. Right?
posted by basicchannel at 11:28 PM on April 10, 2012
If Petrino weren't such an absolute douchebag, maybe the penalties wouldn't be so harsh. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't seem to inspire a lot of respect from people lately.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 12:12 AM on April 11, 2012
I'd have been much less surprised by this if Arkansas had gone 6-6 last season. Winning usually salves wounds like this, especially when they don't involve any actual NCAA violations.
Given Petrino's fidelity to previous employers, it's hard to be surprised that he'd treat his marriage similarly. That said, I think Petrino will find another job soon enough. This sort of thing will blow over eventually, especially because it's not a problem NCAA-wise.
posted by TheQatarian at 12:21 AM on April 11, 2012
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has the ability to crank out a devilishly smarmy Cheshire cat grin, and he must have a big one of those plastered on his mug right now.
You just had to tempt me. A blast from SpoFi's past: the last Petrino controversy discussed here.
posted by NerfballPro at 07:33 AM on April 11, 2012
Just watched the Kristi Malzahn interview (the minute or so I could handle). Oh my word. Where was she when McCain was vetting veep prospects?
posted by beaverboard at 07:52 AM on April 11, 2012
Petrino wishes he'd been given a chance to talk to his players? Awesome.
He's a bad person who's really good at coaching college football. His Arkansas run proves that. He'll be back. He might not be given control over staffing or spending decisions, though.
Gus Malzahn picked the wrong time to take the Arkansas State job. He's on the short list in Arkansas anyway, but leaving the job before coaching a game would be quick even by Petrino standards.
posted by rcade at 09:30 AM on April 11, 2012
If he joined Jason Garrett's staff
You really think Dallas needs 1 more freak to complete the circus?
I thought they were complete after hiring Ryan last year.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:12 AM on April 11, 2012
By the way, I gotta give a shout out to the great headline for this FPP.
posted by NoMich at 10:53 AM on April 11, 2012
Nice to see those folks at Arkansas consider integrity to be more important than winning in this case. Petrino is a douche and deserved to be fired. A college coach's first responsibility is to build character and teach young people to lead a life of integrity. They are supposed to do that by example as well as through the sports program. Now the pros are a different story. He will turn up somewhere where winning is just about the only thing that matters. John Wooden understood that and winning was just an extension of his entire philosophy.
posted by Atheist at 11:46 AM on April 11, 2012
Wow I just read his firing as cost him a 3.5 million dollar a year job and because he violated the morality clause in his contract by engaging in behavior detrimental to the team and university, the 18 million dollar contractual buyout clause is null and void. The affair with that girl has cost this guy over 20 million bucks. That has got to be some of the most expensive sex ever. Although Tiger Woods probably holds the record by ten times.
posted by Atheist at 12:10 PM on April 11, 2012
That has got to be some of the most expensive sex ever. Although Tiger Woods probably holds the record by ten times.
I think the most expensive sexual liaison would be this one.
posted by grum@work at 01:36 PM on April 11, 2012
You're underestimating Silvio Berlusconi.
posted by yerfatma at 02:24 PM on April 11, 2012
Nelson Rockefeller paid for his sex with his life. (He's in fast company there - a lot of guys have died in the saddle, but not all of them were Rockefellers).
We could probably keep going with this theme and take it all the way back to Greek mythology.
posted by beaverboard at 04:29 PM on April 11, 2012
Oedipus!
posted by apoch at 05:03 PM on April 11, 2012
Arkansas did the right thing.
posted by insomnyuk at 06:39 PM on April 11, 2012
Well, since Petrino's done with coaching, he could always open up an animal preserve.
Specializing in......what else? Wrecked Hogs.
Well, someone was going to say it.....
posted by NerfballPro at 07:08 PM on April 11, 2012
posted by rcade at 08:10 PM on April 11, 2012
Specializing in......what else? Wrecked Hogs.
I thought you were going to say that he was going to open up a rib joint and specialize in pulled pork.
rcade's embedded clip...I'm searching for that sample pack of disposable protective undergarments I got at the Senior Fair.
posted by beaverboard at 10:39 PM on April 11, 2012
LSUfreek is pretty much an auteur of the medium at this point.
posted by basicchannel at 03:38 AM on April 12, 2012
Petrino's been given the Taiwan treatment.
posted by rcade at 10:25 AM on April 12, 2012
I was a bit surprised to see this happen. Thought there would be a day of reckoning and penalties for Petrino, then a return to success.
Some folks in NW Ark. who anticipated the possibility of a firing have been angling for Jimmy Johnson as a successor, which is intriguing.
But the name that occurs to me is Jim Leavitt.
As for Petrino, he may have to go back to the NFL now. Unless he found a job comparable to the UTEP job that Mike Price ended up with.
If he joined Jason Garrett's staff, he might be the guy who could once and for all make a 19 or 20 game gunslinger out of Tony Romo.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has the ability to crank out a devilishly smarmy Cheshire cat grin, and he must have a big one of those plastered on his mug right now.