Fun Bobby is REALLY Backstabber Bobby

It’s truly surreal what’s happening to the Atlanta Falcons. When you thought things couldn’t get any worst, Coach Bobby Petrino backstabbed the Atlanta Falcons’ organization by lying, quitting, and immediately taking another job within a twenty-four hour period. On Monday, December 10, 2007, Fun Bobby discussed his desire to continue on as the Falcons head coach with team owner Arthur Blank and general manager Rich McKay. He assured both men that he’d be the Falcons coach and that rumors of him seeking coaching opportunities with the University of Arkansas were false. As a result of Petrino’s assurances, Arthur Blank informed a national televised audience at the Monday Night game that Petrino would be back next year as the franchised hoped to rebound from this year’s disaster of a season.

Within twenty-four hours, Bobby Petrino was being introduced at an evening press conference as the new head football coach of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Some time Tuesday, Petrino went to Flowery Branch while the Falcons’ players were gone, collected his personal things, left a goodbye note to the players, told Rich McKay in person that he resigned as Falcons’ coach, and then called and notified Arthur Blank of his decision to quit the Falcons. Even when asked if he was going to Arkansas, Petrino said no.

Petrino’s actions are so shady and hurtful because he straight up lied to Blank, McKay, and the players about his continued desire to be the Falcons coach. He denied the Razorback rumors, and then he left before the NFL season ended and he didn’t give a farewell address to his players. Falcon management was floored, but Falcon players were not surprised as they’d been complaining about Fun Bobby’s lack of interpersonal skills all season.

The Falcons organization responded to Petrino’s actions in a frank and honest manner. Arthur Blank felt “betrayed” and “let down.” Rookie Jamaal Anderson called Petrino “disloyal”, and stated, “If he can leave players here, what makes you think he won’t leave the players he’s going to coach? I’m just afraid to see what happens if he does bad at Arkansas. Is he going to leave those kids?”

Veteran Lawyer Milloy called Petrino a “coward” and linebacker Michael Boley said, “He [Petrino] took the easy way out. There are a lot of different ways you can handle that. As a man, call us. Come in here for one last team meeting. A note in the locker? That's just saying, 'I can't even look you in the face right now.' That's cowardly."


Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Brooking stated, "I've been totally committed to Coach Petrino and everything that he brought to the table. That's why I feel betrayed. It goes a lot deeper than just me. It's Mr. Blank and everything that he's given to us. There is anger inside of me because I bought into Coach Petrino and his beliefs and what he was trying to do with this football team. I feel betrayed with the decision that he made."


Former starting quarterback, Joey Harrington stated that Petrino lacked communication skills and often disregarded team concerns. Last but not least, typically reserved Pro Bowl and super citizen, tailback Warrick Dunn called Petrino “selfish”, “liar”, and “disrespectful”. He then declared, "This guy [Petrino] comes in, they don't want Allen Rossum, they don't want Grady Jackson, they change the running game from what he did last year and we went from first to almost last…we had a million plays. You didn't hear us complaining…this guy affected not just my livelihood but other guys'. He had guys thinking that I couldn't play football anymore, that I couldn't run. It's not because I wasn't trying. I felt like he was setting us up to fail, and when you look back on it, he wasn't in it…we have to apologize to our fans. It's not because the players are not playing. Obviously, the guy's half-hearted. It's just one of those things where respect is out the window."


Backstabbing Bobby showed a complete lack of class by leaving the Falcons’ organization high and dry. It’s one thing to realize that something wasn’t what you thought, so think, I tried, I failed, and now it’s time for me to move on. We can all respect that introspection and applaud someone being proactive in their life, but when you continuously lie about your desire to be somewhere else, you never come clean about your desire to leave, you leave the people committed to you without proper provisions, and then you pop up at the place you denied wanting to go; Petrino’s actions are just plain pitiful and unprofessional.