Petrino and Easter
What a week it could be for Bobby Petrino.
From an April Fool’s Day motorcycle wreck and all the trappings that came with that to Easter forgiveness. That’s what Easter is about, forgiveness for all of us and none of us are without sin.
For some fans Petrino will get forgiveness with wins, but most fans seem very disappointed in their head football coach.
They trusted him to be a strong leader and set a good example for the players.
Forgiveness from his family members is more important because they are the ones who have been unjustly hurt.
Mostly he needs forgiveness for his sins. We all do.
Not going to preach but that’s a fact.
Petrino also definitely needs the forgiveness of Jeff Long. Long is his boss. He lied to his boss so there becomes a trust issue between them.
A professional and personal trust issue.
Which goes back to leadership for both of them.
Long has a lot to look at and a lot to consider especially how Petrino’s mistakes will effect the future of the program because of recruiting, ticket sales and fundraising.
Petrino has cast a very long shadow over not just him but a fine university.
Time heals wounds, but a healthy dose of forgiveness would be the right first step,
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Did Petrino ask u to write this?
Wally, I’ll forgive you for your column praising Petrino’s toughness (4/05) if you could open your mind and see what happens when nepotism, and now, sexual relations with subordinates, occurs within an athletic department of a major university. If your highest paid employee is given one set of rules, what will happen to Colleges and Programs that are given another set of standards.
Well, Wally, let me see if I get this straight.
Day or two back, you write a column praising Bobby Petrino for his Montana Man toughness in the wake of his motorcycle accident. Brought a tear to my eye, it did.
Now, in the wake of ole’ Bobby fessing up to the fact that, in his own press release, he had a cupcake on the back of his bike and didn’t tell his boss about said cupcake ’cause he wanted to protect what he calls his “inappropriate relationship from becoming public”, you’re out here preaching forgiveness, sins, and the lessons of the Bible.
Kinda tryin’ to round off the square you wrote around yourself and ole’ Bobby, aren’t you, boy?
Wally, you look like an ass. First, for backing Bobby and his bouncin’ cupcake. Second, and even worse, for writing this manure about peace, love, tenderness, the Good Book, the Golden Rule, and tryin’ to save what used to be your reputation.
Go into public relations, son. Leave the writin’ and figurin’ to people who ain’t willing to crap all over themselves – twice – for a price.
Happy Easter to you and yours, hack.
Personal forgiveness if one thing, and that’s between BP and his family. But abusing his official position as a representative of all Arkansas taxpayers is unforgivable and would only lead to more occurances by other state employees. I want men of charater representing me and I would think you, Wally, would want the same. Your articles are really reminding me of the days of Orville Henry and him being known as a Homer. You need to really think outside the box, as a taxpayer and family man instead of just a sports reporter if you want to be respected.
That was a great article the other day about your coach being Montana tough, other than you neglected to put Hannah in front of Montana.
Now, pilgrim, if old Gene Chizik or Les Miles had been the captain of that Harley, would you be spewing your pious plea for forgiveness? I think not.
You have no particular fondness for Petrino, as no one does. The only thing you and others care about is the BCS and national rankings, NOTHING ELSE WHATSOEVER.
Now, retire, and let someone do some sportwritng for a change in your crappy little paper.
I am really disappointed with the comments I read. Wally, I think you’re exactly right about showing a little forgiveness. If the shoe were on the other foot, I dare say these comments would be much different.
I don’t agree in any way with coaches’ conduct, but we are not his judge and should be willing to show forgiveness as we have been forgiven.
Coach has a huge job mending family and professional relations and I pray all this will work out.
Wally, give it a rest! If Alabama or LSU were in a similar situation you would be calling for heads to roll. Be a man Wally and stop kissing CBP butt! He lied to Arkansas, he lied to LONG his BOSS and he probably lied to his wife! Probably where most of the scratches on his face came from. He represents the state of Arkansas and the University! He gave us black eyes not a black eye.
Funny how a 1 bcs bowl appearance and a 1 bcs bowl loss will still get you a pass at some Universities! Talk about morals! I guess you guys have none if you still want that liar to represent your team and University! Win at all costs right? Yet what has the guy actually won? SEC Title? NO! NC? NO! BCS BOWL? NO! Why has he not been shown the door already? Because your crappy little team won a few games thats why!
I am ashamed at my fellow Arkansasans. I agree Petrino messed up but bashing Wally Hall for talking about forgiveness is stupid. Sounds like a bunch of Houston Nutt supporters. You guys seem to forget Mr. Nutt had a little thing going himself. Where were you when that came out. You kept your mouth shut. Because he was a good ol home boy. There are only 2 people he needs to worry about getting forgiveness from, our heavenly Father and his wife! His job is secondary right now. If it is not, then he doesn’t need to be coaching anyway. Wally, keep on writing.
First of all I am glad your wife is feeling better. The problem with Petrino is that if he hired a mistress he is paying her not with his own money but with Arkansas tax payers money. That is a pretty big ethics violation. I’m not sure anybody could get a pass on that. If he had an affair I hope he is able to reconcile with is wife and family. Right now we don’t know and I hope that if he didn’t or if it wasn’t with Mrs. Dorrell her name is cleared. Honestly though if it comes around that he hired his mistress and tried to cover it up by lying to his boss, lying to his family, and it sounds like with the help of the Captain, he needs to be fired. I know he has done great things for Arkansas football but with all the drug arrests the last few years can he actually get respect for the players when they mess up again? If he stays there is a good chance things still go south. You also have to worry about getting a new coach and taking care of the assistant coaches that you have already. A huge mess for Jeff Long and U of A that will probably be settled on if the money keeps rolling in Petrino keeps his job.
I always try to forgive at least 1 time and I am willing to do that in this case. However any further acts of dishonesty from BP then he has to go.
Jeff Long needs to put BP penalty (loss of $) out there soon so the healing can begin.
JBK
It’s funny how people will sell their souls to the devil for 10 wins and a bowl game ! Enjoy your coach that lacks character and has no integrity !
Where was all this talk of forgiveness when you roasted Jim Tressel for lying to try to protect his student athletes? Oh, that’s right, Ohio State beat Arkansas in a BCS bowl so they don’t deserve this “forgiveness.” You labeled them cheaters and Jim Tressel as the worst of the worst for his mistakes involving…….tattoos that were traded for items owned by the players. Quite a few leaps away from infidelity, ethics violations involving nepotism and chronyism and attempts to lie to law enforcement to cover up an affair. I especially liked BP’s “apology” where he didn’t really apologize for his actions, rather that he got caught and that it all became public. Folks with a brain can see through these attempts to save BP’s job via the “Like it is” column. For the first time in a long time I agree with the other SEC fans. If this had happened at any other university, you’d be calling for heads to roll. Please just do what you did at the beginning of the week, pretend this didn’t happen and write about something else. I hear the Pro Fishing circuit competition is heating up. Try that.
What Bobby Petrino did was wrong. He lied to Long and his wife. And that is where it needs to stop. It is an issue that should be between Petrino ,his wife and Long. You mentioned that tomorrow is a day of forgiveness, but we must remember the scenario in John 8: 3, 8. “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.” According to Moses law, this woman should be stoned. They asked him, “what sayest thou?” His reply was, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Before judging Bobby Petrino, we need to look within ourselves. Are we without sin? Didn’t we at that time ask for another chance to redeem ourselves? We at that time felt we deserved another chance. Maybe we need to give Bobby Petrino another chance?
You seem to miss the point about Jeff Long’s “one big headache,” particularly your red herring about the “national media.” If Coach Petrino were a tenured full professor at the University of Arkansas, the UA Administration would have given him a pink slip within 48 hours for for sexual behavior with subordinates – as it has in the past. But as the highest-paid employee in the state of Arkansas, the Head Hog will most likely escape with a rap on the knuckles. After all, the Athletic Department dominates what is supposed to be an academic institution of higher learning. During my 38 years in the History Department, we had to put up with ringers run in to take final examinations, erased grade books, and retrospectively dropped courses to maintain eligibility. There was one exception: Danny Ford. In 1995, four of his players took my senior-level course in World War II. Coach Ford made sure that each and every player came to class regularly, took exams during game weeks, completed the semester with a decent grade. I shall always respect Coach Ford for his integrity and commitment to academic learning.
Mr. Petrino has brought shame on the U of A and all its fans. So far we know that he has: 1) Used state taxpayer dollars to hire a woman with whom he was having an affair – which makes him a thief 2) Lied to Mr. Long, his boss – which makes him a liar 3) Not only conducted an affair but also conducted this affair with someone over whom he had financial power – which makes him unethical 4) And that he has conducted an affair – which makes him an adulterer. When you add these facts onto his somewhat checkered past, the conclusion seems obvious. We knew of this checkered past when we hired him, but did so anyway because of his coaching ability, and the chickens are coming home to roost.
What can we do now? At best, and it is certainly no small thing, save our honor and the honor of our athletic department. To do so will require that Mr. Petrino be fired. No other penalty can save our honor. If he stays we may as well put up a neon sign that says we as Arkansans will put up with any activity as long as we win. Do we want the world to think of us in that way? No other action will be right. We even have selfish reasons to want to fire him. We may still get good athletes who want to win, but we will not get good athletes who are also good people. Do you think the parents of a Tim Tebow, or an RGIII, or a Barrett Jones, will want their child to be coached by such a man?
Mr. Petrino should be fired because it is the right thing to do. In addition, our program will be better, in the long run, for having taken this course.
Well, you can read Wally’s blog and Billy Ray Joe Bob’s comment and clearly see which one is the Christian.
How does the $18 million mutual buyout in Petrino’s contract work?
More precious than football victories are a marriage and a family. Common sense would tell us that there was an abundance of lies and misrepresentations going on in the home. Rebuilding this marriage and family is a monumental task which will take all the emotional energy and hard work Bobby Petrino can muster. It will take time. Saying “I’m sorry” is not going to cut it.
Contending for a national championship with all its attendant 24×7 pressures, emotional ups and downs, and ever-present hero-worshipers (many of them females of various intents) would leave any man sapped of the energy necessary to do the hard and messy work of rebuilding trust to be the husband and dad that God has called him to be.
Bobby Petrino can and should be forgiven, but he still has to live with the consequences of his sin. For this moment Bobby Petrino needs to put family in front of football. To paraphrase a common verse on this Easter Sunday “what does it profit a man to gain a national championship ring and lose his family”.
I hope the next word we hear is from Bobby resigning to work on his marriage. If Bobby is not wise enough to see this for himself, Jeff Long needs step into the gap and help Bobby do the right thing. Bobby needs to chase hard after the hearts of his wife and children. It will simply be impossible for him to win back those hearts while also having the white-hot platform of 2012 Head Football Coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Wally, nice job showing your journalistic courage on this one! You are just as bad as this scum bucket coach by trying to cover your tail after holding him up as some kind of heroic figure earlier this week because he wore a neck brace to a news conference. I don’t recall you asking for forgiveness when other mistakes were made by coaches such as Paterno and Tressel. But I guess doesn’t really matter when you and everyone else in the SEC has an inferiority complex that only benefits you on Fall Saturdays. Your just like the obnoxious parent who tells everyone how bad there kids are but sets a second standard for their own kids. Well done and Happy Easter
Why are we surprised by this? We knew what he did at Louisville and at Atlanta when he was hired to come here. How many other previous inappropriate relationships have their been? Still, the issue goes beyond having an affair with a subordinate – this is just symptomatic of a long history of abuse of power and the selfish disregard for others.
In a NY Times article over the weekend, “Scandal Involving Petrino goes beyond X’s and O’s,” Petrino allegedly told a player who asked to miss practice to be a pallbearer at a friend’s funeral, “I guess you don’t want to play football here.” This is manipulation, and in my opinion, cruelty. It’s one thing to be mountain man tough; it’s quite another to be abusive.
What has he been saying to our players? How is this man a role model for them or anyone else?
The University of Arkansas is a place of higher learning. If BP stays, what is this teaching our kids? Abuse of power is fine, as long as you’re a winning coach.
Also, to those who believe first stones should not be thrown: this has nothing to do with me or the university judging BP, or as the student worn t-shirt called him after the LSU game, B”MF”P, nor does this have to do with forgiveness. It’s about accountability for ones’ actions. In my opinion, the university will lose all credibility as a learning institution if it keeps him.
If Coach Petrino does make it through Jeff Long’s investigation and is allowed to keep his job as coach of the Razorbacks…the seniors of the football team need to take turns watching him run stands for the next month. I would love to see him punished the same way he would one of his players!!
Wally–and you thought no one looked to you for leadership!
“It’s a great weekend for forgiveness, with it being the Easter weekend,” said Matt Couch, 33, of Rogers, one of the group’s organizers. “We want to forgive, forget and win.”
Here’s a thought–do you think Jeff Long told the coach, “If you and your wife call a press conference telling everyone you’re going to get marriage counseling BEFORE we come to a decision–I’ll let you predict the effectiveness of that.”
Surely, this column is an attempt at satire: I’ve got to give Wally the benefit of the doubt. He can’t be serious about keeping Petrino after the revelations of the past several days. The guy must go. Period. Forgiveness? Sure, I can forgive sins of the flesh, lying, and fraud (hiring a mistress on taxpayer money). Forget? No, I can’t forget this. Good-bye Bobby. I’ll pray for your family and the healing you all need. BTW, Pine Grove in Hattiesburg has a good sex addiction program, ask Tiger.
Coach P does deserve forgiveness! He truly made a major mistake! However, with these types of mistakes comes a penalty! The penalties must come quick and make a statement! I like Coach P but these infractions could cost him his job…..how far away is Jonesboro again??
“First you make your choices, then your choices make you.” Nobody is perfect, but everybody has to endure the consequences of their choices, bar none. How in the world can a four million dollar “coach” ever command the respect of his young players after this stunt and the lying involved? Anybody is kidding themselves if they think the duplicity will not impact on the hearts and minds of the student-players if this guy is allowed to continue. Let’s see some principles for once in atheletics, guys. Life will go on.
Wally,
Read Tuesday’s Savannah Morning News page 13A editorial entitled ” Of Easter and Bobby Petrino”. This was written by a medical doctor in Savannah.I certainly hope he loses everything including his wife and children. Too bad both the NCAA and the NFL can’t ban him?
Sincerely,
Barry Zuckerman a true Buckeye fan! Go Urban Myers!
Very Nice ! I think Google should look forward to it. They can opt for the same look and feel for brand pages in order to bring innovation.