Here’s something scary you don’t hear every day: Apparently Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino was hospitalized early Monday morning, after getting into a motorcycle accident.
No, this isn’t a bad April Fools Joke, but instead, a very scary reality. Details are limited, but Arkansas360.com has confirmed that it was in fact Petrino who was in the accident, and transported to the hospital. Here is a statement from local police, via Arkansas360.com:
“Arkansas State Police was notified of a single vehicle motor vehicle crash along Highway 16 in Madison County near the Crosses community about 6:45 last night (Sunday). The crash involved a motorcycle that had left the roadway. Coach Petrino was the operator of the motorcycle. He was transported to a Washington County medical facility.”
At this point, Petrino’s condition is unknown, and few other details are available.
As to why someone as prominent as Petrino would be riding a motorcyle (especially at that hour of the morning), well, that is a question unto itself. While my colleague Michael Felder pointed out that there is nothing in Petrino’s contract which indicates he can’t ride bikes, when you’re such a prominent figure, in such an important position, it seems like it might not be the best move. When so many people, from assistant coaches to players and everyone in between are counting on you for their livelihood, it might not totally be the best idea.
Apparently though, Petrino has an affinity for motorcycles, and has been riding them since he was a young kid in Montana. In 2008, Petrino told reporters that he owned four motorcycles, saying at the time, “”It’s relaxing to me. You get out and you get to see good scenery, and I like to ride up to Beaver Lake. It’s pretty up there.”
Crystal Ball Run will continue to update this story as more details emerge.
Update No. 1: ESPN’s Joe Schad just tweeted that Petrino is “banged up” but “will recover.
For late breaking news, opinion and more, be sure to follow Crystal Ball Run on Twitter @CrystalBallRun.
