Don’t forget about Friday’s mailbag, we still have a couple of spots open.
From the “Talks Too Much Studios” here we go.
Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino walks to the sideline as the Razorbacks took on Mississippi State during an NCAA college football game in Little Rock, Ark. Arkansas fired coach Petrino on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, publicly dressing him down for unfairly hiring his mistress and intentionally misleading his boss about everything from their relationship to her presence at the motorcycle accident that ultimately cost him his job. (AP Photo/El Dorado News-Times, Michael Orrell)Bye-bye Bobby
Arkansas canned Bobby Petrino on Tuesday. It’s hard to disagree with Razorbacks athletic director Jeff Long’s decision, too, after Petrino’s off-the-field actions. (Background: Petrino had an affair with a 25-year-old former Arkansas volleyball player, helped her get a job within the Arkansas football offices, lied about said relationship, reportedly gave her $20K, was involved in a single-motorcycle accident in which his mistress was involved and lied to everyone within ear shot in an effort to cover it up. Caught up? Side note: There were questions about why we assumed there likely would be a sexual harassment suit at some point, and to put it plainly, if/when the affair ended – and it would have ended badly – there’s always at least grounds/claims whether they are real or perceived for sexual harassment when the relationship involves superiors and subordinates. Always.)
Well, apparently Long and the Razorbacks said this was it, and good for them. Long, who looked noticeably worn down during the news conference, delivered the message clearly and cleanly about Petrino. In the end, the fractured trust between Petrino and a growing number of folks inside the Arkansas athletic department was too much to ignore. And with that, the book was closed on Bobby Petrino at Arkansas, a wildly successful ride ended in part by a wildly sketchy motorcycle ride, and all that is left this morning are more questions. Let’s try to cover a few of them.