I remember when Bobby Petrino ditched Louisville to join the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. The writers for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution briefly mentioned Petrino’s penchant for leaving teams in the dust for bigger and brighter opportunities, then they moved right into breaking down his offense and how he could transform Michael Vick into an elite quarterback.

Not too long after Petrino left Atlanta in the middle of the night to go “Call Hogs” in Arkansas, those same writers ripped him for being a coward. He kind of has that way about him.

When he’s on your side (no matter how briefly), you want to overlook his many weaknesses. But as soon as he shows you his true colors, you hope he never wins another game.

Mike Zimmer, who was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator in Atlanta when Petrino performed his disappearing act, had some not-so-nice things to say about his former boss in a recent interview.

“I never even was there,” said Zimmer. “When a coach quits in the middle of the year and ruins a bunch of people’s families and doesn’t have enough guts to at least finish out the year … I am not a part of that.

“You can put that in the Arkansas News-Gazette. I don’t really give a (hooey). I am serious. He is a coward. Put that in quotes.”

“Most people in football have enough courage about them and enough fight to stick through something and not quit halfway through the year. It is cowardly,” said Zimmer. “He came in and said he resigned, he would talk to us all at a later date, walked out of the office and no one has ever talked to him since. Not that anybody wanted to.

“He’s a gutless (expletive). Quote that. I don’t give a (hooey).”

If you’re abreast of the situation, then you know that Zimmer spoke the truth. But apparently at least one writer in Arkansas is still blinded by Petrino’s lore and took exception to Zimmer’s comments.

These are excerpts from an article by Jim Harris of ArkansasSports360.com in reference to Zimmer’s comments:

Zimmer said earlier this week that Petrino ruined lives when he abruptly left Atlanta for Arkansas with three games left in the 2007 season. Please.

Zimmer’s had a very difficult four years of his life, both on the field and off it. Some of it tragic. His parting with Petrino was not among the tragic occurrences, as Zimmer had a contract and also was able to find work with Cincinnati.

Lives were ruined by Hurricane Katrina. Lives are ruined daily in Haiti, in the aftermath of an earthquake and now a cholera epidemic in a country with no money.

Harris’ mention of how Zimmer has “had a very difficult four years of his life” is in reference to the defensive coordinator finding his wife Vikki dead in their home in the middle of the football season. And while Harris has a good point about Hurricane Katrina and Haiti, let’s not mince words here.

I’m willing to bet that Harris doesn’t know Zimmer personally, so how would he know if the situation ruined Zimmer’s life or not? Besides, isn’t Harris being a little too literal here? I’m sure Zimmer would say that Hurricane Katrina was a bigger deal than Petrino leaving Atlanta, but the situation still affected his life in a profound way. It essentially cost him his job with the Falcons and while he still wound up on his feet in Cincinnati a year later, that doesn’t mean that Harris has the right to downplay the situation and go with the standard “life is bigger than sports” anecdote that some writers use these days.

Petrino’s departing of Atlanta didn’t ruin anyone’s lives. It’s amazing how bitter Arthur Blank could be at the time, and yet his franchise has probably been better off with different direction. Who couldn’t see, either from Petrino’s side or the owner’s, that the college-oriented discipline Petrino brought to the Falcons would never cut it with professionals?

Hindsight is always 20/20. At the time, Petrino left the Falcons in the lurch and while an argument could be made that Blank should have never hired Petrino, that’s not the point. The point is that Petrino broke his contract because he couldn’t hack it in the NFL and he left Blank to clean up the mess. And just because things have worked out for the better in Atlanta, doesn’t mean that Blank or Zimmer don’t have the right to call out Petrino for the snake he is. “Please.”

I’m trying to find any old quotes from 1976 on whether Lou Holtz was accused of ruining lives when he told the New York Jets owner that he was going back into college coaching after 11 uncomfortable weeks dealing with the likes of Joe Namath. I don’t think there are any. Holtz was told he didn’t have to stick around for the Jets’ last three games of a 14-game season that year.

But, for some reason, an owner who had fired another coach before Petrino was crushed that Bobby P. didn’t want to hang around for three more miserable weeks in Atlanta, promises broken. It saved Blank millions, and yet all he did was lead a crucifixion of Petrino through his friends and PR contacts via his previous ownership in Home Depot.

It also put Blank’s franchise in a state of major duress, but I guess because everything worked out, Petrino should now be excused. Harris should also do his homework – Holtz didn’t have three games left with the Jets – he only had one. Either way, we’re comparing apples to oranges. The Jets knew Holtz couldn’t hack it and it was a relief that he wanted out. The Falcons still showed/had faith in Petrino and he couldn’t make it through one full season before running away.

Petrino, to his credit, was asked about Zimmer’s comments and didn’t go there. He never does, though he has admitted that he could have handled things differently when departing Atlanta. Petrino absorbed a brutal assault from any ESPN and NFL columnist or TV personality willing to write or talk about him in late 2007 and early 2008. About the nicest thing said about him was that he was “disingenuous” in his dealings with the University of Louisville or the Falcons. Most diatribes read like bitter screeds. Some, such as a few zingers from Sean Salisbury, were unprofessional.

Yeah, let’s laud Petrino for taking the high road here. What is he going to say? That Zimmer is wrong? That he isn’t a gutless wonder? The only thing Petrino could have said was, “I agree.”

Even before Zimmer’s shots across the bow of the SS Petrino, Sports Illustrated Peter King was tweeting some 140-character anti-Petrino blather, while not acknowledging that the guy had donated $1 million to charity.

This is another standard ploy that writers sometimes use. So because the guy donated to charity, he doesn’t deserve the criticism for all of his past transgressions?

Hey, he’s not an easy guy for some of the daily media folks in Fayetteville to cover, and he’s apparently not an easy guy to play for or work for. We get that Petrino, like Nick Saban, turned his back to the NFL before the NFL kicked him out on the street, and returned to college football. Apparently, NFL hides are thin and sensitive. And Mike Zimmer has had a tough go of his life, even if he hasn’t wanted for a job, and had a lot of frustrations pent up that suddenly came roaring out. With the money flowing over these days, the NFL surely can provide him with some help there, no?

You just never know when some of these columnists or outbursts such as Zimmer’s aren’t fueled by rival coaches with connections who would love to continue to poison the recruiting well for Petrino in those talent-rich areas the Hogs staff are mining these days.

College fans are adorable. They’re blinded by their loyalty to their program and win, lose or draw, nobody can say anything bad about their team, their coach, or their players. In some respects I think this is admirable, but Harris is off-base here. Zimmer was asked a question about his days in Atlanta and decided to go off on Petrino. Not totally unreasonable seeing as how Petrino’s situation was the catalyst for Zimmer losing his job.

Personally, I would have loved it if Zimmer said more. He could have talked about how Petrino’s in-game management was a total joke and his mismanagement with the players led to issues that GM Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith (the Falcons’ current head coach) had to clean up a year later. Zimmer also could have talked about how Petrino’s offense was so bad that Zimmer’s defense was left on the field for lengths at a time, or how Petrino was so overmatched that players like DeAngelo Hall told other coaches (Sean Payton) that he wanted to play for them – during the middle of a game, no less.

Was Petrino handed a bad card in Atlanta? Yes, especially considering he took the job to work with Vick, who was hauled off to prison before he had the chance to. But you don’t leave people hanging the way he did and it’s not enough to say that things worked out for the Falcons or, “well, Petrino could have handled things better.” He deserves the criticism.

When Petrino ditches Arkansas in a couple of years for a bigger and better job (because it will happen), I wonder how Harris will feel about Zimmer’s comments then.

There are bad days in football and then there’s whatever Joe Flacco just did in Cincinnati today.

In a putrid display of football on Sunday, Joe Flacco was intercepted four times and completed just 17-of-39 passes for 154 yards in a 15-10 loss to the Bengals. At the start of the third quarter, he was 5-of-17 for 23 yards and one pick…yikes.

He did manage to lead the Ravens on an 80-yard scoring drive to start the second half, but everything went downhill again from there. He wound up throwing three of his four picks in the second half when the game was still in reach.

Credit must be given to Bengals’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who played a key role in Flacco’s horrendous outing. Following their embarrassing 38-24 loss to the Patriots last weekend, Zimmer took the blame for his defense playing so poorly. But he won’t have to do that this week, as his unit limited Baltimore to only 14 first downs and an average of 3.8 yards per pass completion (which is huge considering that most teams win when their average yards per pass is higher than their opponents’).

That said, while the Bengals’ defense got back on track, their offense was rather stagnant. Carson Palmer finished with a QB Rating of 60.1 on 16-of-35 passing for 167 yards and no touchdowns. Cedric Benson was also limited to 3.4 yards per carry (78 yards on 23 carries), although he was going up against a solid Ravens’ front seven.

On a positive note for the Bengals’ offense, T.O. caught three passes for 57 yards, which included a 29-yard reception. Chad Ochocinco also hauled in four passes for 44 yards and rookie Jordan Shipley got into the act with five catches for 42 yards. Palmer wasn’t very efficient overall, but he did complete passes to seven different receivers and also targeted rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, who eventually has to get more involved in the passing game.

While I’ll stop short of calling this a statement game for the Bengals, it was important for them to beat a division rival one week after getting smacked by the Patriots. As for Flacco and the Ravens, this certainly played out like a letdown game, which is unfortunate considering Cincinnati is a division foe.

Chick Ludwig of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote an interesting piece today about head coach Marvin Lewis’ future with the Bengals. With Lewis’ contract expiring at the end of the year, Ludwig predicts that the head coach will be gone after the 2010 season.

But Ludwig’s reasoning is perplexing. He writes that since Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Paul Brown only coached the Bengals for eight seasons, that his son (and owner) Mike Brown won’t allow Lewis to coach behind that time span. (Lewis is heading into his eighth year with the Bengals.)

If that’s true, then the Bengals are more screwed up organizationally than I originally thought. The idea makes sense on the surface, but allowing a good coach’s contract to expire because you don’t want to see his tenure go longer than your dad’s is ridiculous. I realize Lewis has yet to win a playoff game in Cincinnati, but considering the situations that the front office puts him in sometimes in regards to personnel, I think he’s done a decent job. He will likely have suitors ready and willing to hire him if he isn’t re-signed by the Bengals, which is a testament to him as a coach.

I just don’t understand the thought process of not re-signing a coach other than he simply couldn’t get the job done on the field. If they decide not to retain him because they don’t like the direction that the team is heading in or feel as though things are getting stagnant that’s fine, but don’t let him walk because of the number of years he has been there.

Of course, these are the Bengals that we’re talking about here. Everyone likes to bash Al Davis for making stupid decisions, but Mike Brown is right behind him in that category. So I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Bengals do allow Lewis to walk for reasons outside of his win/loss record.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/05/10/will-this-be-lewis%e2%80%99-last-year-in-cincinnati/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/02/04/qa-with-espns-mike-golic/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/02/04/qa-with-espns-mike-golic/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:45:19 +0000 Mike Farley http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=33233

If you listen to ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike In the Morning,” you know that former NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic is one half of the equation and the counterpoint to long-time “Sportscenter” anchor Mike Greenberg. While both share a passion for sports, Golic takes the role of the “man’s man” and frequently discusses his passion for food and in particular, his love for grilling out. Well, lucky for us, Golic recently teamed up with Kingsford Charcoal to promote their new and improved briquets (and their new flavors of KC Masterpiece sauce and marinade), as well as with chef Chris Lilly, who owns Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q and is an award winning barbecue chef. So we’ve got some of their special recipes on our Grub For Guys page on Bullz-Eye.com, but we also had the opportunity to interview Golic about ESPN, grilling out, and of course, football:

The Scores Report: Hey Mike, we know you love to eat and love to grill. What is your favorite KC Masterpiece new flavor and why?

Mike Golic: I’m an original flavor kind of guy – no bells or whistles needed for me. But, I’ve tried the new KC Masterpiece Smoky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce and the smoky, sweet taste gives the original flavor some good competition for best sauce.

TSR: What are your thoughts on the new briquets, and do you use your grill year round?

MG: I have a fairly busy schedule with “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” ESPN analysis, and my family, but I definitely try to keep my grill fired up year-round whenever I have down-time. There is no better way to bring family and friends together than over the smokey flavors of a charcoal grill. In fact, when my boys where in high school, I used to travel to their football camps in early-August and grill for their entire teams during two-a-day workouts.

Kingsford MatchLight is my go-to charcoal – it has lighter fluid built into the briquet formula so it lights quickly and easily – which is especially convenient when I’m tailgating. I’ve heard that Kingsford briquets now light easier and faster, which I can also appreciate since I’m always crunched for time with my busy schedule.

TSR: Do you have any go-to items you like to grill for Super Bowl Sunday, or are you usually too busy working to cook that day?

MG: I will be working the whole week leading up to Super Bowl in Miami, but I’m excited to be able to go home and watch the actual game with my friends and family. But, while I’m in Miami, I will be firing up the grill with my buddy, world champion pitmaster, Chris Lilly earlier in the week. Chris has taught me quite a bit about grilling over the years and has inspired me to create a few tailgate recipes of my own. I will be demonstrating my BBQ Blitz Chicken Wraps for a few TV interviews with Chris before sharing a little tailgate with the lucky winner of the “On the Grill with Golic” sweepstakes that took place earlier this year. The recipe is attached in case your readers want to try it at home. For more great grilling recipes become a fan of Kingsford on Facebook at Facebook.com/KingsfordCharcoal.

TSR: The press notes said you have tips and recipes to share….can you give us a glimpse into that at all, or offer a recipe we can feature on Bullz-Eye.com?

MG: Since I’ve already shared my BBQ Blitz Chicken Wraps recipe, here are a few tips:

· Feeding a crowd doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are many flavorful, inexpensive cuts of meat to choose from that are ideal for serving to a large group. For example, I use chicken thighs in my wrap recipe, which is a cheaper alternative to breast meat that I actually prefer.

· Plan ahead and marinate meat before guests arrive. Try KC Masterpiece® Marinades, which can penetrate meat in as little as 30 minutes, but feel free to marinate longer for more flavor. Two to four hours works well to increase saturation and intensify taste.

· Even when cooking over a single-zone fire, leave a small space unheated so there is somewhere to move food if you have a flare-up or if something is cooking too fast. Take it from me, no one likes burned food!

TSR: In regard to what looks to be an awesome job at ESPN, is it really as much fun as it looks like, or are you constantly working?

MG: Well, I have been blessed to earn a living doing something that I love – playing football, and now talking about sports – I can’t really complain. You know that cliché saying that if you’re doing what you love then it doesn’t feel like work at all? Well, that couldn’t be more true for my “job” at ESPN – sure there are longer hours some days, but I have a passion for sports and what I do and wouldn’t trade my job for anything.

TSR: Is your ribbing and banter with Greeny more of a show or is it really how you guys are all the time?

MG: Greeny and I have a great time on and off set with each other. We are dynamically different people – everything from looks and personalities, to experiences and backgrounds – but I think that is what makes the chemistry between us so special on “Mike & Mike in the Morning.”

TSR: Which NFL team is the most pleasant surprise to you this season, and which is the biggest disappointment?

MG: I would have to say that Cincinnati surprised me the most this year – with the emergence of Cedric Benson from his woeful first few season in the league, a healthy Carson Palmer who is showing no signs of his knee injury, and Chad Ochocinco getting back to his premier status as one of the league’s most valuable receivers. And it goes without saying that this team has shown great strength through dealing with the loss of not one, but two family members this season with the passing of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife, and the tragic death of wide receiver Chris Henry in early December. It was a shame to see the team exit the playoff picture so early this year but I have a feeling this team will be a force to be dealt with again in the 2010 season.

As for the biggest disappointment this year, I would have to go with Chicago. With the huge off-season acquisition of Jay Cutler and what was thought to be a strong running-attack with Matt Forte, no one imagined this team falling apart the way they did.

TSR: I lived in Cleveland for ten years and my wife is from South Euclid…..I’m assuming you live near ESPN now, and if so, what are some things you miss most about Cleveland?

MG: Yes, I live in Connecticut now to be close to the studio, which was a great place to raise a family. However, I will say that I do miss having a local team to root for, as there aren’t any pro teams that represent the state that I now call home.

TSR: Did you agree with Notre Dame (Golic’s alma mater) making a coaching change and are you happy with Brian Kelly’s hire?

MG: I’ve always thought you should get five years and that’s what Charlie got, I like him as a coach very much, but the wins have to come with it – I think the Golden Domers made a great hire with Brian Kelly. The guy has a proven track record everywhere he has coached – building a Division II powerhouse at Grand Valley State with two National Championships in three years, restoring a Central Michigan program to glory with three MAC titles, and recently bringing Cincinnati to the forefront of the college football world with two Big East titles and an impressive undefeated season going into their bowl game.

Kelly is going to bring a different look to South Bend with the run and shoot, shotgun offense, and given the Notre Dame five-year coaching standard, I think he will bring the team back to national prominence.

TSR: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one food item indefinitely, what would that be?

MG: Well, I would have to make one exception to your question – I would want to be stranded on a desert island with a charcoal grill with an endless supply of charcoal. As for food, I would have to go with a nice, juicy steak. I am a meat and potatoes type of guy.

Upsets galore and crazy outcomes have forced us to look a bit harder at the Coach of the Year rankings, but most of our contenders are hanging tough.

1. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts—The poor guy is still dodging proverbial rocks being thrown by Colts’ fans, who wanted their team to continue its pursuit of perfection instead of rolling over against the Jets. Being that the Colts were still in position to go to 15-0 when Caldwell did that, we have to cut him some slack and remember that his team is still the top seed in the AFC and would be in the NFC as well.

2. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Payton surely did not want to back into the #1 seed in the NFC, but after losing two games in a row, his team did just that when the Vikings’ loss Monday night let the Saints snag the top position. And once again, we have to consider the entire season’s body of work.

3. Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers—When you consider that Turner’s Chargers always play lousy in September, only to win when it really matters, that’s far better than it being the other way around. It’s time we started to give Turner his due.

4. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals—The Bengals are another team not playing well, but they have dealt with two tragedies this season—the death of player Chris Henry, and the passing of the wife of D-coordinator Mike Zimmer. And still, the Bengals are 10-5 with an AFC North title. Raise your hand if you expected that.

5. Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings—Yes, the Vikings are floundering and in danger of losing the #2 seed to Philly or Dallas, but I’ll keep mentioning two players who Childress sought in the off-season that made this a championship caliber team—Brett Favre and Percy Harvin.

Honorable mention: Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals; Mike McCarthy, Packers; Andy Reid, Eagles; Bill Belichick, Patriots; Rex Ryan, Jets; Wade Phillips, Cowboys; Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos

The Bengals made a pair of moves on Wednesday, signing free agent safety Roy Williams (formally of the Cowboys) and releasing left tackle Levi Jones.

In Jones, Cincinnati had been looking for the opportunity to give up on the former top 10 pick for a couple of years now and after drafting Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith with the No. 8 overall selection in last month’s draft, they finally had a reason to. Jones is still relatively young at only 29, but he has major durability issues and has largely underachieved throughout his career. He’ll catch on somewhere because he plays such a needed position in the NFL, but it might not be until later this summer after teams have had a chance to evaluate the talent that is already on their roster.

As for Williams, he reunites with his former Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, but it remains to be seen if he can beat out Nedu Ndukwe at the strong safety position. Williams is fantastic in run support, but equally brutal in pass coverage and doesn’t exhibit a ton of range. Still, this was a low-risk signing and maybe Zimmer can get the most out of what is left of Williams’ career.