Petrino gives media the silent treatment By Eric Crawford [email protected] The Courier-Journal MEMPHIS, Tenn. — University of Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino called an audible on reporters waiting to interview him after yesterday's practice. He refused to stop and answer questions before getting on the team bus. Reporters had been told that Petrino would take questions but that he would not respond to questions about Louisiana State's vacant head coaching job. After practice, however, Petrino told football sports information director Rocco Gasparro that he wasn't talking and headed to the bus while reporters were talking to UofL players. When flagged down by a Courier-Journal reporter and asked for a minute to answer questions, Petrino said, "No, I'm not talking. It's Thursday. I don't know what Rocco was thinking." By saying it was Thursday, he meant that it was two days before the game, when he generally does not conduct interviews. Petrino, who admitted Tuesday that he had met with LSU officials, is scheduled to take part in a news conference at noon EST today after backing out of a traditional joint news conference with the opposing coach for undisclosed reasons. Boise State will meet with the media separately. U of L athletic director Tom Jurich said yesterday that he didn't see anything could be gained from publicly addressing the LSU situation. "I just want to do right by these players," he said. "So I can't say anything about it." When Jurich took the podium during the annual Liberty Bowl Awards Banquet yesterday afternoon, he was complimentary of Boise State and its program. When he mentioned coach Dan Hawkins, he said, "I admire the great job he's done there and the loyalty he's shown that university." His introduction of his own coach was less flowery: "Now I'd like to bring up our coach, coach Bobby Petrino." LIBERTY BOWL NOTEBOOK By Eric Crawford [email protected] The Courier-Journal MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Recruits watching Petrino Perhaps U of L's most prized recruiting target, Bergen, N.J., linebacker Brian Cushing, said that he's closely watching the news of coach Bobby Petrino's discussions with Louisiana State. "I guess that's the business," Cushing told Mike Farrell of Rivals.com. "If he goes to LSU then Louisville is out. He's the main reason I'm interested in their program." To exhibit the company Petrino has been able to enter on the recruiting front in recent months, consider Cushing's other options. His leader is Southern California but he also plans visits to Florida and Miami and either Boston College or Virginia. His first official visit was to UofL. Cushing added that he'd have no interest in LSU if Petrino goes there. Snakes, not Tigers, would fit Petrino best Jerry Brewer MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Bobby Petrino slipped — no, slithered — away, his self-made controversy still reeking. The University of Louisville football coach avoided another day of media inquiries into his contemptible decision-making. When practice ended, he headed straight toward the freedom of a chartered bus. He stopped long enough to speak briefly with an out-of-town reporter and blow off one of his regulars. Shortly thereafter, the bus started rolling. No word yet on whether he dropped off the players at the team hotel and told the driver to high-tail it to Baton Rouge, La. It wouldn't be so bad if it happened. Since Petrino has decided to wink and giggle with Louisiana State, spurning all this Cardinal love and patience, it's time for him to depart. Petrino better get this LSU job. Because if he returns to Louisville, someone should grab him as soon as he enters the city limits and turn him over to the morality police. In Louisville, Petrino no longer can be viewed as a genius coach who made a bad but forgivable mistake with Auburn last year. No, Petrino now is an arrogant opportunist who can't be trusted because his desire for the so-called big-time means more to him than integrity, honor and truth. Petrino could tell me I was in the path of a tornado, and I'd stand in place. No second chances This man almost slipped — no, slithered — away to Auburn a year ago, even though the Tigers still had a coach and Petrino's bosses hadn't approved the interview. Now this man has spoken with LSU about its coaching vacancy less than a week after accepting a new contract that made him Louisville's first million-dollar football coach. If this LSU incident were isolated, Petrino would be considered shady, but perhaps he could make people understand. LSU won a national championship last season and is stocked with enough talent to win another one soon. Evaluate all the coaching jobs solely on the ability to step in and win, and LSU is easily in the top five. And the Tigers' interest (what's up with this guy and Tigers? Is it a fetish?) in Petrino is understandable. Within two seasons, he's taken Louisville higher than it's ever been and done so with flair. We can't separate incidents, however. Petrino is 2for2 in job-hunting mishaps. It's a yearly thing. If your 2005 calendar doesn't show a despicable Petrino act somewhere between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, consider it flawed and go buy a new one. It's time for Petrino to leave. If he can't get this LSU gig, college football's elite and established programs might begin wondering what's wrong with him, knowing that he goes after all the top jobs and seemingly has the credentials. If he can't get this gig, his integrity becomes a greater concern for future schools that have interest. If he can't get this gig, Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich should give Petrino another raise. And less than a week later, he should fire him. Ben Stiller couldn't create a funnier scenario. Not my kind of guy But Jurich wouldn't do it. Petrino might be the most gifted UofL football coach ever. Keeping Petrino could mean a Bowl Championship Series bowl as early as next season. Petrino will have to slip — no, slither — away from here. "I've always said I'd rather have people want my coaches than not want them," Jurich said in early December after Petrino released a statement saying he was staying here and ending all job speculation. I've always said I'd rather report on people with integrity. Petrino wants to flee. Let him go. Change the locks in case he tries to return. Jerry Brewer can be reached at (502) 582-4373 or [email protected]. Bobby Petrino is innocent in his whole flirtation with LSU. If anything he is fifth in the line of blame. Actually, the line of blame goes like this: 1. The drug dealer who sold Ricky Williams pot. 2. Williams, who could not get past his marijuana dependency, which led to him leaving the Dolphins and then the Dolphins being terrible. 3. Dave Wannstedt, for not being a good enough coach to win without Williams, thus getting fired. 4. Nick Saban, for stabbing the LSU Tigers in the back to take the Miami job after they made him the highest-paid coach in college football. 5. Petrino, for not having the patience to wait until after the bowl game to meet with LSU officials and making U of L vulnerable to lose against Boise State. Actually, now that I think about it, the blame can go all the way back to Ronald Reagan and his administration for losing the war on drugs. Bryan Linde La Grange, Ky. 40031 UofL coach not at liberty to dupe fans Bob Hill Short honeymoon, wasn't it? University of Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino promises to love, honor and obey the school's football fans on Dec. 20 — with a $1million dowry tossed in — and five days later, he dallies with a Louisiana State University temptress on the way to the Liberty Bowl honeymoon suite. UofL fans are told they shouldn't be too concerned. It was just a quick first date; nothing was consummated. But the problem is that it might be the UofL fans who get screwed — again. I don't know Petrino. I met him once, and he said all the right things. He promised a bright football future — and certainly has delivered. What has most upset me is that I believed the man, took him at his word. He said he was happy here, his family was happy and he wanted his marriage with the community to last. Five days later, he's entertaining other offers. Where have you gone, Britney Spears? Mad over money I've been watching college sports become increasingly money-mad for 50 years. I know few of these marriages are forever. LSU football coach Nick Saban is in the first year of a seven-year, $18.45million contract, but last week he told the school to kiss his grits and took a $5million-a-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. But coaches are fired unfairly, too; see Notre Dame and its former coach, Tyrone Willingham. Maybe Petrino — and UofL athletic director Tom Jurich, who gave Petrino permission to talk to LSU — viewed this only as a "courtesy" call. Even at that, it was horribly timed and monumentally stupid, given what UofL fans have endured with John L. Smith's announced departure at a bowl game two years ago, and with Petrino's secret meeting with Auburn University representatives last year. Attention off game Neither Jurich nor Petrino is a stupid person — and UofL has benefited mightily from their presence — so what are they thinking? Try as they might, they cannot manage this growing story, especially in the pre-Liberty Bowl news vacuum. Petrino's LSU meeting stole the thunder from one of the finest teams in UofL history, and it's sure to be the main talk and worry among the 20,000 UofL fans going to Memphis for tomorrow's game. Don't both entities deserve better than that? Unless Petrino stands up and announces he will honor at least the first year of his new UofL contract, much of the pregame TV blather about a great UofL-Boise State matchup will focus instead on the possibility of Petrino leaving — with serious recruiting implications for the Cardinals. Maybe that won't affect this team, but Petrino was being disingenuous when he said the players have been dealing with such distractions all year. This is a new, selfish, irresponsible level; the guy sat down with another school's representatives days before an important bowl game. How much is enough? My favorite perspective on this madness came from Boise State football coach Dan Hawkins, who said that even if Petrino was earning double Hawkins' new $495,000 salary, that's still "more than what 95 percent of the people in world are making." All Petrino had to do was tell LSU to wait a week. Or better yet, just say: "No. We're in the Big East next year, and our bowl future is bright. I like Louisville, I made a deal with UofL, money isn't everything." Isn't $1million — with incredible perks and rational expectations — enough? What's left to buy after that? Can Petrino ever be trusted? Why can't he just turn down the job and end speculation? Most important, why should UofL fans have to put up with this — again? Bob Hill's column runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You can reach him at (502) 582-4646 or e-mail him at [email protected]. You can also read his columns at www.courier-journal.com.
Wow. The Louisville media sounds like another U of L we know (not to mention a poster here with the initials FightinTiger). Petrino is a young coach who's star is rising. Louisville was fortunate to get him when they did and he has done wonders for their football program, but, he did not just appear at Louisville like the Virgin Mary at Medjugore. LSU snuck a peek in his direction and he looked back. Eye contact was made and they are still dancing. It sounds like he'd better get LSU in the sack, though, because Mama's waiting at the door with a rolling pin in her hands. o:
If Petrino doesnt get the LSU job he is going to have some major fences to mend. The assults on him by the media and fans alike are very harsh. He has lost the fans trust and support. It will be interesting to see how the players respond in their bowl game.
I can understand the frustrations of the Louisville fans. Everytime they get a good coach, he leaves for a bigger and better program. But, that's life at a mid-major school...
Hahahahahaha. If he leaves now it will because they're practically running him off. Plus, the way he treats the media is Sabanistic. He'd fit right in Baton Rouge much to the local press' dismay.
They are just upset that he is leaving. What do they want the guy to say? They criticize him for not talking about his interest and they critcized him when he confirmed talking with LSU. I think he is getting a bum rap just like Saban did.
Yikes! For his sake, Petrino better hopes that LSU offers him the job, I think under the circumstances he would grab it quickly. I think the situation could have been handled better by both LSU and Petrino. I don't think Skip should have contacted the L'ville AD and asked for permission to speak to Petrino before their bowl game. This is the biggest game in L'ville football history (maybe ain't saying much, but ...) If I were a L'ville fan, I'd be royally pissed as well. Surely, intermediaries for both LSU and Petrino could have met secretly and assessed each other's interest level, w/o this all going public. Petrino should have told LSU, "Wait til after my bowl game, then I'll talk to you." The list everyone seems to be aware of, at present, consists of Petrino, Del Rio, Miles, Robiskie. Unless there is a big name like Spurrier, Shanahan, Jimmy Johnson, interested in this job, it should come down to Petrino or Del Rio. I think either would be a dynamic, smart hire and I would be excited by either as the new head coach. :thumb:
"Cushing added that he'd have no interest in LSU if Petrino goes there." Ok, this Brian Cushing kid ain't too bright. I wanted to go to Louisville only because of Coach Petrino. Petrino may go to a much more highly touted school in LSU, one that stresses defense much more than Louisville. But I have no interest in following him there. Geez.
He said LSU was too country for him, :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: and he was going to Louisville? This kid isn't too bright.
