FanNation

Oso's back-Sort of said 12/13, 01:47 PM
Petrino cutting bait and running is very Bad for the Falcons. This is a team that was embattled from dropping Mora Jr. like a bad habit.

The whole premise of hiring Petrino was that he was going to be best for "the Future of the Atlanta Falcons". This was the same cliche' that Blank used when he dismissed Reeves.

The franchise was already reeling from the unexpected loss of Vick who was in fact the face and body of the team.

Now the Falcons are in shambles because their coach not only left, but skipped out in a sneaky fashion.

The players were contentious with Petrino. Hall and Crumpler were the most vocal about their dislike of the coach. Now they are ripping the same coach they wanted to drive out of the clubhouse to begin with.

This sounds like a "do it yourself" project that some top of the line coach like Shottenheimer or Cowher wants? No.

No. The treatment that the players gave Petrino, coupled with the absolute disaster that the team is in now does not make the team better.

Petrino needed to stick it out and work on winning over key players or getting them off the team, then the Falcons would have been stronger.

Oso's back-Sort of said 12/13, 02:10 PM
Hey...let's not make this a TO vs. Keyshawn argument here. If we do, then I get to be TO...getcha popcorn.

My point is that Petrino may or may not have been ready for the pros. We will never know now.

Petrino should not have just sit back and say "I wish Dante and Agle would like me." Be proactive. Go out and win your team by sticking it out through a tough season. Then clean house and get rid of the malcontents like Hall and Crumpler.

My main point is not that Petrino was the best option for the Falcons. He was a bad choice. But what does it say about a franchise when a coach doesn't want to stick it out with a team and would rather take a *pay cut* just to get away from that team and its players? Not good.

Petrino's exit may open the door for another coach. But just like the Raiders, they will have to search high and low to find someone who will want a reclamation project of a team. I hear Art Shell is game...

Oso's back-Sort of said 12/14, 05:42 PM
The truth is that Petrino could have stuck the job out and did his best to make the most of the last 3 weeks.

There were ways to sit down either now or during the offseason to either win over or weed out malcontents. Rod Marinelli's work in Detriot as well as Bill Parcells previous work in Dallas are models of this idea.

Petrino had experience in the NFL. This is sometimes forgotten in light of his previous experience with Louisville among other colleges. So it's not like he was summarily called up to the majors like some greenhorn rookie.

But let me state my case in a different light. It is immaterial as to whether Petrino was NFL HC material or not. We won't know that.

His quick departure sheds a negative light upon his character and besmirches the Falcons franchise.

Blank's ownership savvy is now brought into question with catastrophic departures of 2 of the most important members of his business.

Cream of the crop HC's will think twice before choosing to even interview with the Falcons because of the disarray that has been left by Petrino's departure.

This is why I say that Petrino's departure was a liability for the Falcons, not a benefit.