tkihshbt wrote:

I just realized Bobby Petrino is going to be coaching a BCS bowl game or another New Year's Day bowl. That's disappointing.

As an occasional Arkansas fan, I think on balance I'm pleased but there was something about the way he wound up going to Fayetteville that left a bad taste in my mouth and Artie has certainly expressed some negative conclusions about him.  Can you fill me in a little more on his past sins?

I have to say that I was really impressed by his game plan and his improvisation against LSU.  And to his credit, he doesn't seem to be as swept off his feet by Ryan Mallett as a lot of Arkansas fans are.

"but there was something about the way he wound up going to Fayetteville that left a bad taste in my mouth and Artie has certainly expressed some negative conclusions about him.  Can you fill me in a little more on his past sins?"

I think TK deserves the credit for being the first one among us to point out Petrino is a jerk, but his greatest offense was leaving a note on the door to his office informing Arthur Blank he was quitting in the middle of the season. By comparison, Vince Young looks like a pillar of virtue because he texted an apology to Jeff Fisher.
Petrino has a brilliant football mind and other than the players themselves he's probably the person most responsible for Arizona State's success during the 1996 season. But he's the second coming of Lou Holtz, without the personal charm.

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought someone wrote that former Mizzou coach Bob Stull was a really nice guy, but it's secondary when you lose 77-0 to Oklahoma.

I'd guess there's more jerk-offs coaching college sports than classy guys. Sometimes they get their comeuppance, like Billy Gillespie. Then there are guys who get rewarded regardless, like John Calipari.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"but there was something about the way he wound up going to Fayetteville that left a bad taste in my mouth and Artie has certainly expressed some negative conclusions about him.  Can you fill me in a little more on his past sins?"

I think TK deserves the credit for being the first one among us to point out Petrino is a jerk, but his greatest offense was leaving a note on the door to his office informing Arthur Blank he was quitting in the middle of the season. By comparison, Vince Young looks like a pillar of virtue because he texted an apology to Jeff Fisher.
Petrino has a brilliant football mind and other than the players themselves he's probably the person most responsible for Arizona State's success during the 1996 season. But he's the second coming of Lou Holtz, without the personal charm.

Actually I think the note was left in the players' lockers (at least the one I remember).  I have a recollection of one of the players crossing out Petrino's name and writing the word "Coward" or "Liar" or something like that and then posting it for the media.  Also, as I remember it, Petrino's departure came after Jerry Jones had requested permission on behalf of the University of Arkansas to interview Petrino and the Falcons had denied the request.  Petrino then gave Authur Blank his assurance that he was staying with Atlanta, met in a clandestined fashion with Arkansas and left Atlanta a couple of days after looking Blank in the face and telling Blank that he was staying.

I also have some vague recollection of Joey Harrington getting a lot of face time after this happened.  I'm not sure why I remember that other than the fact that it might have been Joey Harrington's most notable NFL accomplishment.

Harrington was Atlanta's starter after that. Him or Chris Redmon (sp?).

You have a really good memory, Fors.

Mags wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Also, as I remember it, Petrino's departure came after Jerry Jones had requested permission on behalf of the University of Arkansas to interview Petrino and the Falcons had denied the request.  Petrino then gave Authur Blank his assurance that he was staying with Atlanta, met in a clandestined fashion with Arkansas and left Atlanta a couple of days after looking Blank in the face and telling Blank that he was staying.

I also have some vague recollection of Joey Harrington getting a lot of face time after this happened.  I'm not sure why I remember that other than the fact that it might have been Joey Harrington's most notable NFL accomplishment.

Has Jerry Jones gotten into the picture for recruiting to the University of Arkansas?  Jim Lindsey messed things up enough.  He doesn't need any help.  But I guess you can't keep a good man down.

Here's a story that discusses Jones' involvement.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3152942

"I'm always very disappointed when things like this happen," Baltimore's Brian Billick said. "This profession needs to handle itself better at times."

Leave it to Brian Billick to be the moral compass in all this ...

artie_fufkin wrote:

"I'm always very disappointed when things like this happen," Baltimore's Brian Billick said. "This profession needs to handle itself better at times."

Leave it to Brian Billick to be the moral compass in all this ...

That's like Ara Parseghian whining about Jimmie Johnson running up the score against Notre Dame.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Mags, since you and Jerry Jones are such good friends, can you remind me how he made his money? Wasn't he a pimp, or a drug dealer?
The best marriage of scoundrels ever was Jerry Jones and Jimmie Johnson, followed closely by Jerry Jones and Barry Switzer in second place.

Actually, when I was in law practice he came into the firm and needed someone to handle a non-business matter for him.  Since his principal lawyer wasn't around and it wasn't a major problem, the secretary asked me to meet with him.  She acted like he was really a big deal and I was frankly incredulous.  We did have a pleasant meeting and I found him a lot more humble than he'd seemed in college, where I never actually had a conversation with him.  He was a very easy client to work with and seemed more appreciative than my work warranted.

After he left, the secretary told me he was in the oil business in Oklahoma.  Exactly what aspect of it, I never learned and that's the only time during the three years of my employment that I saw him there.  He didn't grow up in poverty but I think he wasn't much better off when he went to college.  I'm not sure how he got the money to get started in business but most of the ex-jocks who were intelligent, ambitious, and stayed out of trouble nearly all had good business opportunities waiting for them when they finished their eligibility.  Many of them eventually wound up in bankruptcy, however.

I've always assumed that many of them got some sort of help from the Stephens brothers (a hugely successful brokerage firm in Little Rock) and Don Tyson, the chicken guy.  It was widely known that the Stephenses provided Frank Broyles with a lot of financial opportunities and underwrote a lot of the recruiting.  That may have included providing financial underwriting for a lot of ex-players.

artie_fufkin wrote:

I'm sure none of that is true. Those are all NCAA rules violations.

Good point.  I probably have been passing on urban legends.