The Point After
There are no people on earth as reactive as fans. I know because I happen to be one. Now I am not saying it is the worst thing in the world, but it is not the greatest thin, either.
For example, my most beloved team, the Boston Red Sox, have not started the season very well, showing the world what happens when your bullpen is full of a bunch of tagalong scrubs.
With that said, it is important to note the reactionary thought processes should bear very little on how an organization deals with significant changes. Sport decision-makers cannot afford to share the morality of their fans at the cost of the one thing they should be worshiping … WINS.
I cannot tell how much I think Arkansas made one of the worst decisions of the year when they fired Bobby Petrino. I understand why they did it: he had an affair; he lied about it to the administration; he got into a wreck with said woman and lied about her being there.
Yes, as a person who believes in the sanctity of marriage between two people who love each other, I find his behavior repulsive. Yes, I think the employer has the right to fire someone who lies about his behavior, especially when it reflects so negatively upon the university.
No, I do not think Arkansas should have fired Bobby Petrino.
Why, Louden? Why support a man who is clearly the scum of the earth?
Two reasons.
Firstly, if Arkansas beats LSU or Alabama, all is forgotten. (What does that say about our morality?) And, two, Bobby Petrino made Arkansas relevant in a conference that has dominated football for the last eight years.
It is understood that after his first two years at a school, a coach’s recruiting ability begins to show. After his first two years of coaching at Arkansas, Petrino’s football program was 21-5.
Should Petrino have been punished? Well, of course. Should he have been fired?
Are you out of your mind?
The morality of fans does not win football games, nor does it put money into the hands of schools. Petrino’s affair is going to pale in comparison if the Arkansas football program doesn’t stay at the level to which it has risen.
Have people forgotten that this is SEC football, where anything goes and it doesn’t matter as long as you win games?
That is the lesson Arkansas is about to learn.
Morality will win you points with the public, but it won’t put points on the board. The fans will remember Petrino’s indiscretions for about as long as it takes them to call for the heads of the people that fired him when the team starts losing games.
That is the nature of fans. We are reactive, which is why we are not in charge.
Shout outs to all the seniors who have played or will soon play in their last collegiate games. I, as well as the rest of the Maryville College community, just want to thank you for your dedication, energy and commitment to representing MC in the best possible light.
You played the game the way it should be played. You fought the good fight. Thank you!
Also, props to Phil Humber for throwing the 21st perfect game ever in the MLB. He has now etched his name into the annals of baseball history.
The perfect game is the most difficult accomplishment in all of the four major sports: 27 batters up, 27 batters down, no one touches a base.
That is incredible.