As we often mention here at Crystal Ball Run, generally we like to take a look at the lighter side of college football. We as a staff which loves everything there is to love about the sport; the tailgates on Saturday’s, the coaches on the sidelines, and yes, USC’s song girls. The key thing is though that we do in fact love the sport; we’re not hard-hitting investigative journalists, but fans just like you and your buddies. Therefore, whenever we can have fun with something, we do. Because really, if you can’t have fun talking college football, what can you have fun doing?
There are times where we need to buckle down and get serious though, and in the case of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s recent accident, we have reached one of those times.
By now, you probably know the particulars, and know that on Monday morning it was reported that the head football coach at Arkansas was rushed to the hospital after getting into a pretty serious motorcycle accident. Details were limited from there, but as was later reported, the coach was ok, but definitely a little banged up.
Well, for the first time this afternoon Petrino met with the media, and Petrino shared details. And as you can see from the picture above, they weren’t totally pretty.
First, the facts: Petrino has serious, but not crippling, career-altering or life-changing injuries. He suffered four broken ribs, a cracked vertebrae and a neck sprain, and is currently wearing a neck brace because of it. Petrino will be allowed to keep coaching Arkansas’ spring practice from the press box, and under the supervision of physicians. Petrino also told reporters that he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. He had two sitting at home but elected to wear neither, because “one was too hot” and he didn’t like the way the other one looked. Petrino made it clear that he will be wearing a helmet going forward, telling reporters, “It was obviously a bad call.”
As for the incident itself, well, it sounds like it could’ve happened a million other times over very similar circumstances. Petrino has been riding bikes for years, and it sounds like he knew he was in trouble on Sunday night. At about 6:45 that evening he was blinded by the sun ahead of him, and lost control at a turn after that.
Petrino told reporters:
“I knew the sun was going to be in my eyes the rest of the way home and it got to the point where I wasn’t going to be able to maneuver the turn,” Petrino said. “There were about 15 seconds where I said, ‘Oh no, here I go.'”
As for what will happen going forward, it doesn’t sound like all that much.
As we mentioned, Petrino has been released from the hospital, and will be at the remainder of Arkansas’ spring practices, even if he won’t be barking out orders from the sideline. It doesn’t appear as though there will be any reprimand for Petrino, nor should there be. As my colleague Michael Felder pointed out to me (which I mentioned in yesterday’s article), there is nothing in the coach’s contract that says he can’t ride motorcycles, therefore it doesn’t appear that he was under any sort of breach of contract. For what it’s worth Arkansas Athletics Director Jeff Long doesn’t seem upset at Petrino’s decision making at all, and instead relieved that the most important employee on his staff is safe.
Long told reporters Tuesday:
“Seeing him back up and being able to see him do what he love is nice,” Long told the media on Tuesday.
We at Crystal Ball Run feel the same way.
Here’s to a speedy recovery Coach Petrino.
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