It is a shame when people make one mistake and it seemingly changes their lives forever. Former Arkansas Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino’s life changed dramatically with just one motorcycle accident.
What was seen as a bump in the road for a guy who was creating some buzz for Arkansas’ football program in fact was just the beginning of a huge mess. Petrino, 51, who was riding with a female passenger named Jessica Dorrell, 25, was secretly having a relationship with this girl.
It is a shame to think that this man who is old enough to be her father was having a relationship with this girl, but that is what the world is like these days.
So, for the Hot Corner this week we will discuss what we think the state of the Arkansas football team will be like with Petrino’s firing, and look into the moral issue of this whole thing.
Nick:
Looking at Bobby Petrino I would not have expected him to go out like this. I thought he would have been fired or quit for a football-related issue.
Petrino is a man who likes to work, but not stay somewhere for too long. He has held 15 jobs for 11 different programs in 24 years to make him seem to be a wayward traveler. Now, Petrino is out of work again.
It is a shame this time though, he was bringing around the Arkansas program. In four years he took the Razorbacks from a 5-7 team to an 11-2 team this past season and back-to back-trips to bowl games.
Petrino is a good coach; he just made a horrible decision.
Hopefully they can rebound from this, and I hope Petrino can realize that once you are in the national spotlight, you cannot hide things like this whether you are married or not. It did not work with Tiger Woods, so it is not going to work with you Bobby Petrino.
Sam:
Bobby Petrino is a class-A punk. The guy is just a genuinely evil man who brings trouble to any program or team that he is with. Ask the Atlanta Falcons or the Louisville University Cardinals.
Not only did this man walk out after a 10-year deal with Louisville after times got rough, but he also
abandoned his Falcons
team when they lost Michael Vick. Arkansas knew that Petrino had shoddy character, yet hired him anyway because of his football credentials. No surprise that after two years of good football, Petrino is yet again thrust into the spotlight for pulling a rendezvous with an assistant that he particularly hired because of her physical attractiveness.
The man is a pig who should be banished from the NCAA for his actions. He deserved to be fired because of his actions, but more has to be done.
However, nothing will happen because the NCAA is more focused on making money than it is for graduating athletes. They are called student-athletes for a reason.
When is the line between student and athlete going to become clear? When are college football programs going to focus on developing their athletes for post-football careers. Not all players get drafted or play in the NFL, therefore they suffer from a lack of leadership from their coaches.
Petrino needs to stay out of the NCAA and worry about corrupting the minds of older athletes instead of college students