“Hehe. I can’t believe they bought it!”
So Bobby Petrino has left Louisville. Not shocking. Why isn't it shocking? Because Petrino had one foot out the door the minute he set one foot IN the door at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. At times it seemed as though he had set a goal to interview for every single head coaching position, college or pro, in America. After he flew in a private jet and interviewed for the War Eagle job while Tommy Tuberville was still their coach, did anyone really believe that Petrino was in it for the long-haul at the 'Ville? No, Petrino leaving is not shocking. What is shocking is the fact that Cardinal fans are up in arms, feeling "embarrased" and "betrayed". Of all the fan bases in the country, Louisville's should be the one that lets this series of events pass over them like a Reggie Ball incompletion over the middle. Why does it even faze them? Remember the John L. Smith fiasco? He left at freakin' HALFTIME!!!!! OF A BOWL GAME!!!! TO MICHIGAN STATE!!!! All three of those facts are absurd. After experiencing one of the strangest head coaching swaps in college football history, why should it surprise any Louisville fan that Bobby Petrino, who has been on the lookout for bigger and better things ever since his nameplate hit his office door at the Trager Center, would leave for an NFL gig with an organization not called the Oakland Raiders. It didn't help that Petrino has been called an offensive genius whose play-calling prowess had him pegged as an obvious future NFL head man, praise that only served to inflate his already massive. Does Cardinal Nation feel betrayed because just a year ago Petrino stated that Louisville was "where he wanted to be" and that he wanted to continue to build the program after signing a 10-year contract extension? Were they living under a rock when Nick Saban took the Roll Tide job after categorically denying any interest in a one-way ticket to Tuscaloosa? Yeah, Saban lied. Many times. It shouldn't have been difficult to read between the lines in this situation. Petrino has been constantly dabbling in other jobs, he won a conference title and a BCS bowl game, NFL jobs were opening up, and it had been almost a year since Petrino almost left so he was WAAAAYYYY overdue. Did they seriously think that since he made those comments, it meant he would never-ever-ever-in-a-million-years-for-any-amount-of-money-anywhere-in-the-world leave? It was just a matter of time. What better time than the present? So, let's review. Petrino didn't want to be at Lousville. He is a ready-made NFL head coach. An NFL team with an opening comes calling. He takes the job. A fanbase that has already been left at the alter once is shocked and appalled that lightning has struck twice. Petrino leaving is about as shocking and appalling as the news that Neil Patrick Harris is gay. In other words, not at all.
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