Anger boils over in Atlanta

Players and executives lash out a day after coach Bobby Petrino leaves for Arkansas.

By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
Published December 13, 2007

"He left a letter in our locker with a stamped signature," running back Warrick Dunn said of Bobby Petrino's farewell to his Falcons players. "To me, that shows no sign of respect."
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT "He sold us a dream. And to go out before season's end is a coward's way to go," said Warrick Dunn. [AP photo] WEDNESDAY: Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he feels "abused" a day after Bobby Petrino quit and two days after he said he was committed to keeping Petrino for 2008. [AP photo] TUESDAY: Bobby Petrino is introduced as Arkansas' new coach. The event included Petrino and family learning how to call the Hogs with the "Woooo, pig, sooey" cheer. [Getty Images] MONDAY: Michael Vick, the Falcons' one-time franchise quarterback seen here in July, is sentenced to 23 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.

TAMPA - The voice was familiar, steady and controlled. But the venom in Falcons running back Warrick Dunn's words was unmistakable. He was hurt and angry.

And ready to talk.

Fresh from practice, the Falcons' first since coach Bobby Petrino's resignation, the normally understated Dunn described Petrino's actions as "cowardly" and "classless" during a conference call with Tampa Bay media on Wednesday.

"He sold us a dream," Dunn said. "And to go out before season's end is a coward's way to go."

Petrino, 13 games into his first season as an NFL coach, resigned Tuesday to return to the college game at Arkansas. He was introduced at a news conference in Fayetteville, Ark., shown in video clips calling the Hogs with Razorbacks cheerleaders, barely 24 hours after the Falcons were blown out by the Saints on Monday Night Football.

"It's classless, classless," said Dunn, who played his first five seasons with the Bucs and, in the most bizarre week of his 11-year career, faces his former team Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

"Arkansas should be worried. Any family or any kid that he recruits should worry. Do you really buy into what a guy says when he did the same thing to Louisville to come to Atlanta, and now he did the same thing to Atlanta to go to Arkansas? I think his history and his rep speaks for itself."

Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who during Monday's telecast expressed his commitment to Petrino for 2008, said Petrino was "wrong" to leave with three games left in the season.

"I feel abused at the moment," Blank said at a news conference Wednesday at the team's facility. "I'm very disappointed in the way this happened. In my opinion, he didn't give us a fair opportunity based on our commitments to him."

The team named defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas interim coach. Thomas, 64, was an NFL player for 13 seasons and has been a coach in the league since 1981.

"We have to rally around Emmitt," Dunn said. "Everybody is frustrated. Everybody is mad. Everybody is at a point where we just need to try to get back and focus on football. To me, that's going to be tough because we all have emotions. Emmitt is a guy who's going to be able to help us do that because he's been there and done that. He understands the players in this league."

Petrino, 46, apparently, did not.

Though he had been an NFL assistant early in his career, Petrino's head coaching success was achieved at the collegiate level. He was 41-9 in four seasons at Louisville.

But NFL players are vastly different.

"You have a college coach who comes in and is trying to do a 360 with how things are run," Dunn said. "I think his personality was strong. I just think this whole season, he was trying to do things his way and it was hard for guys who have been in this league a long time to really understand and relate to what he was trying to do.

"The coach can't force professionals to act like college kids."

According to Dunn, Petrino did not meet with players to inform them of his resignation. Rather, each player came to work Wednesday to find a type-written letter in his locker.

"He left a letter in our locker with a stamped signature," Dunn said. "To me, that shows no sign of respect."

Petrino's resignation is the latest in a series of debilitating blows to the franchise, foremost the loss of quarterback Michael Vick, its cornerstone. Petrino was hired based on his ability to design an offense for Vick, but Vick never took a snap for Petrino.

On Monday, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.

As the losses mounted during a 3-10 season, Petrino's aloof nature and strained relationship with players were revealed. Tight end Alge Crumpler and cornerback DeAngelo Hall, both Pro Bowl players, were openly critical. Adding to the tumult, Petrino started three quarterbacks: Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich and Chris Redman, whom he coached at Louisville.

"I would be lying to you if I said I think we can turn everyone away from all the situations that have happened this year," Thomas said during a conference call with Tampa Bay media. "The point is they have to be pros and go out on the field and play hard."

Bucs players will show no sympathy. They can clinch the NFC South with a victory on Sunday. But receiver Joey Galloway knows what he would do if a coach quit on him with three games left.

"I would kill him," he said.

For Dunn, who surpassed 10,000 rushing yards last month, the past year has been marked by one setback after another for the Falcons.

"I don't even know if I can sum it up," Dunn said. "It seems like there's been a cloud over this organization."

Perhaps, Petrino's departure is a positive step.

"He wasn't a people person," Dunn said. "He wasn't the one who was going to reach out and talk to you all the time. I'm sure everyone in the building is upset, but at the same time they're probably cheering because we're not walking on eggshells."

Joanne Korth can be reached at korth@sptimes.com or 727 893-8810.

[Last modified December 12, 2007, 22:12:25]