Bobby Petrino's agent fires back at Atlanta Falcons
Posted: December 14th, 2007, 7:00 am
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Bobby Petrino's agent fires back at Atlanta Falcons
Russ Campbell has watched Bobby Petrino take shot after shot since leaving the Atlanta Falcons for Arkansas.
On Thursday, Campbell, who represents Petrino, fired back.
"Bobby Petrino was blindsided," Campbell told me in a 30-minute phone conversation. "I was blindsided. Arkansas was blindsided."
How so? Campbell said from the time they hired Petrino last January and signed him to a contract without a buyout, the Falcons assured the coach of something. They would not stand in his way should he decide to return to the college game.
Campbell said Falcons owner Arthur Blank reiterated that pledge to Petrino "two or three weeks ago."
Atlanta's attitude changed Monday, Campbell said, "and it wasn't a subtle change. They said, if you leave, we've got to fight you."
Last week, Campbell said, Arkansas called him to express serious interest in Petrino and he told Falcons General Manager Rich McKay that Petrino wanted to talk to Arkansas.
On Sunday, Campbell said, he told McKay that some of Petrino's issues with the Falcons were "irreparable."
"I told him," Campbell said, "you can't fix the fact that he's miserable in the NFL and his family's miserable in Atlanta."
Petrino had other issues. "One of the main issues," Campbell said, "was the owner's involvement in the football program."
Blank assured Petrino a year ago that he would stay out of the way if that's what the coach wanted, Campbell said, but "he's in it up to his elbows."
One meddlesome example: After a pregame team prayer, Blank pulled Petrino aside and strongly objected to the prayer's wording.
"Think about this," Campbell said. "How bad do the issues have to be to make a man walk away from $10 million and subject himself to the criticism he knew would follow?"
That number's the difference between Petrino's Atlanta contract and his five-year, $14.25-million Arkansas deal. It includes a $2.85 million buyout and a clause prohibiting him from leaving for another SEC West school.
Campbell said Petrino - after a root canal - went into Monday's meeting with Blank and McKay thinking they would let him talk to Arkansas.
"His absolute desire on Monday was to finish the season in Atlanta," Campbell said, "and, if offered, take the Arkansas job. He wanted to meet (with the Falcons) on Monday to strategize on how to make it happen."
Campbell said Blank and McKay told Petrino, "There's no way you can talk to Arkansas. If you do, we'll make it ugly and embarrassing."
So, Petrino felt he had no choice but to stay. Campbell called Arkansas AD Jeff Long and said, "It's over."
But after Monday night's loss to New Orleans, during an emotional late night at the Petrino house - "his wife was very, very upset," Campbell said - Petrino called his agent. The coach told him, if the Arkansas job was still available, he was willing to take the heat to take it.
On Tuesday, he did. Petrino's been under fire since.
"Criticize Bobby Petrino," Campbell said. "Fair game. But the Atlanta Falcons bear a lot of responsibility in this. The NFL isn't a virgin league. Arthur Blank fired Dan Reeves, a Hall of Fame coach, with three games left in the (2003) season. These people in these shiny glass houses need to think before they throw stones."
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