Football contracts worth nothing?

[SDTitan1]

Bobby Petrino has signed 3 contracts (for about 20 years total) in the last 18 months .... what's the opposite of loyalty? Does this sicken anyone else? Except the Razorback fans/alumni.

[Quartz]

The man's word appears to be worthless. If I ever had to have any dealings with him I wouldn't trust a thing he said.

I'm amazed how easily he seems to be able to get out of a contract.

[37L1]

Fun times when Arkansas play Alabama.

Saban and Petrino deserve each other.

[chunko]

LOL..gotta love 'em.

For those who don't know

In the coming days and weeks, the disingenuous drifter will say what Arkansas fans want to hear.

He'll look at them with blank shark eyes and tell them, in a monotone voice, how excited he is to be the coach of the Razorbacks. He will tell them how impressed he is by the tradition and the fan base. He will tell them that the Southeastern Conference is the place he always wanted to coach (and that might be the one true thing he'll say, given how many times he's tried to land a job in the league).

It will be a trumped-up stump speech, as sincere as a politician's pledge to cut taxes. It will simply be the latest pack of lies in a career full of them.

But it will be what Arkansas fans want to hear, and the poor saps will be desperate to believe him. During their arduous search to replace Houston Nutt, they've been used and abused by one-fourth of the coaches in the ACC -- first Butch Davis, then Tommy Bowden, then Jim Grobe. Auburn's Tommy Tuberville flirted for a minute as well.

So hiring a guy with a 41-9 college record will get the blood pumping. But those Arkansas fans ready to embrace their new hotshot coach and his pretty ball plays need to understand one thing:

[+] Enlarge
Bobby Petrino

Joe Robbins/US Presswire

Bobby Petrino gave Louisville fans plenty of reasons to smile by going 41-9 from 2003-06.

The disingenuous drifter doesn't love you or any other fan base. He doesn't love any school or any NFL franchise. He loves himself, his playbook and his bank account.

That's it. Don't expect it to change.

Bobby Petrino will return your embrace, Hog fans. But while he's hugging you he'll be looking over your shoulder, scanning the terrain for his next hook-up.

Even in a profession rife with dishonest posturing, Petrino is singularly mercenary. Loyalty, allegiance, commitment and honesty are foreign concepts to him. It must be a sad existence.

I apologize to Alabama's Nick Saban -- last year I named him president of the Liar's Club. He's been impeached and replaced by the disingenuous drifter.

Petrino's old boss at Louisville, Tom Jurich, took the high road when asked Tuesday night about the drifter's latest change of address.

"He's a great football coach," Jurich said, adding that he spoke to Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long about Petrino last week and "said nothing to discourage him" from hiring his old coach.

But Jurich did allow that he's "not totally surprised" Petrino would move on less than a year after leaving Louisville for a $24 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

"He's five for five," Jurich explained.

Petrino On Move

Bobby Petrino has been on the move for 15 years, with his four-year stint in Louisville the longest.

Year

Place

Role
1983 Carroll Grad. asst.
1984 Weber St. Grad. asst.
1985-86 Carroll Off. coord./QB/WR
1987-88 Weber St. WR/TE coach
1989 Idaho QB coach
1990-91 Idaho Off. coord./QB
1992-93 Arizona St. QB coach
1994 Nevada Off. coord./QB
1995-97 Utah St. Off. coord./QB
1998 Louisville Off. coord./QB
1999-2000 Jacksonville (NFL) QB coach
2001 Jacksonville (NFL) Off. coord.
2002 Auburn Off. coord./QB
2003-2006 Louisville Head coach
2007 Atlanta (NFL) Head coach
2007 Arkansas Head coach
What he meant: this is the fifth straight year Bobby Petrino has tried to get another job. Every single season he's been a head coach, he's ended it by pursuing something else.

Follow the grease stain that is the disingenuous drifter's career path:

• In 2003, his first year as a head coach at the University of Louisville, Petrino went behind the back of his employer and his onetime boss, Tuberville, to negotiate a deal replacing him at Auburn. He held a clandestine meeting across the Ohio River from Louisville in southern Indiana with Auburn officials, two days before both the Tigers and Cardinals played their final regular-season games.

It was, by any rendering, a spectacular bit of philandering by both interested parties.

Petrino lied about having any contact with Auburn officials -- until two reporters for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal confronted him with documentation of the private plane that brought the university president and athletic director into Petrino's backyard. I was one of the two reporters. And even when faced with the evidence, Petrino resisted telling the truth until Auburn issued a statement owning up to the whole affair.

Boxed into a corner, Petrino asked forgiveness and chalked it up to the inexperience of a "young coach." Louisville forgave him because he was 9-3 and his offense blew up scoreboards.

It wouldn't be the last time Petrino toyed with the school's loyalties, or the last time he was forgiven for doing so.

• In 2004, Petrino interviewed for the Notre Dame job and had discussions with Florida and Mississippi about their jobs. Then, on Dec. 7, he pledged his loyalty to Louisville.

"I want to make it clear that I'm not interested in any other coaching jobs, and am happy at the University of Louisville," Petrino said. "… I'm very excited about our move into the Big East, the opportunity to play in a BCS bowl game and the chance to compete for a national championship. [School president] Dr. James Ramsey and Tom Jurich, through their hard work and dedication, have made this the best job in the country. As I've stated before, Louisville is the perfect place to raise a family and I plan for all four of my children to graduate from high school in Louisville."

On Dec. 21, Petrino signed an enhanced contract to stay with the Cardinals.

On Dec. 26 -- well before the Petrino children had graduated from high school -- he interviewed with LSU to replace Saban. On Jan. 1, 2005, when it became obvious that he'd lost out to Les Miles, Petrino pulled out of consideration.

On the inside, several Louisville administrators were disappointed they had to keep him. They were sick of the game -- but there was no firing a guy who just went 12-1.

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Bobby Petrino

Rex Brown/Getty Images

Bobby Petrino lost more games (10) in a partial NFL season than he did in four full seasons as a college head coach.

• In 2005, Petrino interviewed with the Oakland Raiders. That's after telling people for years that he had no interest in coaching the pros -- college was where he wanted to be. He ultimately turned down the job and professed his commitment to the Cardinals again.

• On July 13, 2006, Petrino signed a 10-year contract worth up to $25 million -- a staggering deal for a school of Louisville's modest football heritage and fan base. The day he signed it, Petrino vowed again that Louisville was home. He made a point of insisting that a $1 million buyout provision be put into the contract, putting his money where his dissembling mouth is.

"We did want to make a statement," the disingenuous drifter said that day about the buyout. "… I wanted to make sure everyone understood -- I know I've said it -- that this is where I want to be, where my family wants to be. But I want everyone to really believe it."

Sure, he wanted everyone to believe it. Not because it was true, of course. Just because he was tired of answering questions about his wandering eye.

Five months later, he was gone to Atlanta.

Even this time around, there have been recent pronouncements of commitment to the task at hand and the people who write his checks.

On Nov. 26, Petrino told the Associated Press that he was staying in Atlanta. "I haven't given it [college coaching vacancies] one bit of thought," he said.

Shockingly, that didn't hold up, either.

Early in his career, Rick Pitino was famously called Larry Brown on training wheels. Petrino isn't Larry Brown on training wheels; he's Larry Brown in a Maserati.

The good news for Arkansas is that it might be the last school willing to give this guy anything more than what he deserves: a one-year contract and a monitoring device on his ankle. The NFL certainly will never give him another chance as a head coach, not after fleeing with three games left in the season and undercutting an owner like Arthur Blank. And every college in the country should know by now how fickle Petrino can be.

Even in what appears to be a major rebuilding year for the Hogs in 2008, I predict Petrino will do better than expected. He's that good as a coach -- for my money, the best offensive game-planner and tactician since Steve Spurrier's heyday at Florida. That will be a welcome dynamic at a school that struggled to diversify its offense beyond Darren McFadden and Felix Jones the past two years.

But a little success can be a dangerous thing. It might tempt some deluded and desperate school to offer Bobby Petrino a job -- and that's a temptation the disingenuous drifter is powerless to resist.

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by 37L1

Fun times when Arkansas play Alabama.

Saban and Petrino deserve each other.

Saban never said he wasn't going to be the Alabama coach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPMkb...eature=related

[matthews]

As an Atlanta native, Falcons fan, and SEC fan (GO DAWGS), lemme say one thing: I don't blame Petrino at all for wanting to leave. ****, I'd want to leave as soon as the Vick stuff started.

BUT...to leave with 3 games left? To lie to Arthur Blank, probably the best, most compassionate and supportive NFL team owner? To write a LETTER to your players? WTF? If you wanna leave, leave...but don't be spineless about it.

And that Pig Souey news conference was retarded. Have fun having your phone records checked by those rabidly intrusive fans!

[37L1]

Originally Posted by matthews

As an Atlanta native, Falcons fan, and SEC fan (GO DAWGS), lemme say one thing: I don't blame Petrino at all for wanting to leave. ****, I'd want to leave as soon as the Vick stuff started.

BUT...to leave with 3 games left? To lie to Arthur Blank, probably the best, most compassionate and supportive NFL team owner? To write a LETTER to your players? WTF? If you wanna leave, leave...but don't be spineless about it.

And that Pig Souey news conference was retarded. Have fun having your phone records checked by those rabidly intrusive fans!

Doesn't Georgia play Arkansas next year?

[matthews]

Originally Posted by 37L1

Doesn't Georgia play Arkansas next year?

Sadly, nope

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by matthews

As an Atlanta native, Falcons fan, and SEC fan (GO DAWGS), lemme say one thing: I don't blame Petrino at all for wanting to leave. ****, I'd want to leave as soon as the Vick stuff started.

BUT...to leave with 3 games left? To lie to Arthur Blank, probably the best, most compassionate and supportive NFL team owner? To write a LETTER to your players? WTF? If you wanna leave, leave...but don't be spineless about it.

And that Pig Souey news conference was retarded. Have fun having your phone records checked by those rabidly intrusive fans!

I agree. I didn't have a problem with him leaving AFTER the end of the season,but the letter to the players crap was about as cowardly as you can get.

37L1,I see you're living in Maryville now,I went to see them play last Friday.WOW, they're just a HS football machine!

[37L1]

Originally Posted by orangepeel

37L1,I see you're living in Maryville now,I went to see them play last Friday.WOW, they're just a HS football machine!

Yes they are, so is Alcoa.

Unfortunately my youngest goes to William Blount, who lost to Maryville 21-20 because their kicker missed 2 extra points. Maryville's streak should have ended at 49.

Cutcliff looks like he is going to Duke, now UT has to find an offense coordinator.

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by 37L1

Yes they are, so is Alcoa.

Unfortunately my youngest goes to William Blount, who lost to Maryville 21-20 because their kicker missed 2 extra points. Maryville's streak should have ended at 49.

Cutcliff looks like he is going to Duke, now UT has to find an offense coordinator.

Yeah, I knew William Blount almost(actually should've) beat them.They also lost another heartbreaker to Farragut the following week if I'm not mistaken.I try to keep up with the East/West TN HS football by visiting coachT.com. Hope you guys knock them off next year,all streaks have to end sometime.

As for Coach Cut I wish him the best,he's a real class act.It's going to be tough for him to get things up and going at Duke,but I'm sure if they get 5-6 wins in a season they'll be happy.

I do hope whoever we replace him with will open up the O a little more. I don't mean we should go to a full spread offense,but it would be nice if we could get to running Gerald Jones more out of shotgun....basically I would love to have a more versatile QB,even if it's just for a couple of series.

[54warrior]

I don't think these people understand the meaning of 'contract'. I just saw that Rich Rodriguez (WVU head coach, just signed a 3 year deal there) is now in talks with Michigan.

[37L1]

Originally Posted by orangepeel

Yeah, I knew William Blount almost(actually should've) beat them.They also lost another heartbreaker to Farragut the following week if I'm not mistaken.I try to keep up with the East/West TN HS football by visiting coachT.com. Hope you guys knock them off next year,all streaks have to end sometime.

As for Coach Cut I wish him the best,he's a real class act.It's going to be tough for him to get things up and going at Duke,but I'm sure if they get 5-6 wins in a season they'll be happy.

I do hope whoever we replace him with will open up the O a little more. I don't mean we should go to a full spread offense,but it would be nice if we could get to running Gerald Jones more out of shotgun....basically I would love to have a more versatile QB,even if it's just for a couple of series.

I was at both the Maryville and Farragut games, heart breaking but what great games to watch. They showed a lot of heart by coming back and scoring after what appeared to be late game breakers in both games.

Fulmer was talking about thinking of going to the spread and I agree about Jones. Makes our offense look more like the Gators and gives defenses fits. Just don't know how good he can throw as, so far, they have only run from the "G" formation. UT is also recruiting a couple of QB's for the incoming class, including Alcoa's QB.

As in any sport, if you throw enough money at someone, no contract is safe. Kind of a different spin on "whore", dontcha think? When's the last time anybody in sports got sued for "breach of contract?"

[orangepeel]

Originally Posted by 37L1

As in any sport, if you throw enough money at someone, no contract is safe. Kind of a different spin on "whore", dontcha think? When's the last time anybody in sports got sued for "breach of contract?"

Thats a good question. I've never figured out how these people get out of these contracts,unless they have "outs" like Les Miles had if the Michigan job came open.

As for the Alcoa QB Randall Cobb, I think he will go to UT now.Its just my opinion but I think he was waiting to see if we signed the #1 QB recruit in the nation Terrence Pryor ......that won't be happening now that Cut is gone.

[37L1]

Originally Posted by orangepeel

Thats a good question. I've never figured out how these people get out of these contracts,unless they have "outs" like Les Miles had if the Michigan job came open.

As for the Alcoa QB Randall Cobb, I think he will go to UT now.Its just my opinion but I think he was waiting to see if we signed the #1 QB recruit in the nation Terrence Pryor ......that won't be happening now that Cut is gone.

We might lose Trooper too to Baylor. That will hurt as much as Cut. Trooper is great recruiting plus I always look forward to seeing him at the Vol Walk and the sidelines. He's just great fun to watch!