TOSS UP! - Who is the Bigger Douchebag Coach?

TOSS UP! is a feature idea that we here at TSoF blatantly stole from "Pardon the Interruption." TOSS UP! takes two of our esteemed bloggers, and puts them up against each other in a spirited debate!

Two sides of an issue!

Scintillating arguments!

Little, if any, discernable resolution!

Here's the question: In light of the recent actions of each, who is the bigger douchebag coach? Bobby Petrino or Nick Saban?

First up, FightingIrishman!

Go!

This one is easy for me--it's Bobby Petrino. Nick Saban may have strung the media and the city of Miami along, he may have lied, but his reasons were understandable if not to be condoned. He wanted to be fair to the Dolphins organization and finish out the season before handing over the reigns. However, the media frenzy surrounding Miami was a distraction, not Saban. He tried to re-direct questions because he wanted to put the focus back on the game. When the media incessantly demanded answers he finally cracked and gave them the only one that would quell the onslaught of rumors and speculation. Yes, he lied. He's human. I'm sure the people of Miami will never forgive him, but his transgressions pale in comparison to Petrino's douchebaggery(look for that in Websters next year)!

Bobby Petrino (by the way, is it just me or is it weird for a middle aged man to still refer to himself as Bobby) is the bigger douche for 3 reasons:

1. He walked out on his team IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON. He walked out on a franchise decimated over the Vick scandal and a city looking to him to pick up the pieces of a shattered team and lead them out of the cellar.

2. He lied too. Tony Kornheiser revealed on PTI that when he pressed Petrino before Monday night's game versus the Saints, Petrino replied definitively that he was remaining the Falcons head coach.

3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, He's a coward and he showed no respect for his players. Petrino informed Falcons owner Athur Blank of his intentions to take the Arkansas job via voicemail, and that he wrote his players A FORM LETTER explaining his decision before hightailing it out of Atlanta to attend his "coronation" in Fayettville. That is classless. It's like Robert Irsay hiring Mayflower trucks to move the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night. People in Baltimore to this day boycott Mayflower movers!

Here's just a glimpse as to what the players thought of Bobby Petrino:

--Joey Harrington said, "That's what I think brought up the anger, to have him talk about family, about team and about commitment, and then to come in here and have a form letter at your locker. That's not how a man acts. That's how a coward acts."

--Running Back and team leader Warrick Dunn said, "It got to the point where guys really didn't care if he left or not. But the way he decided to leave, to me, was just not right."
both quotes courtesy of ESPN.com news services

BOB Petrino acted like a coward. He was the captain that took the only life boat on a sinking ship and left his crew to drown....and that my friends is the peak of douchebaggery!


Well said good sir! Now, WCT!

Go!

Both men lied. Both left their teams high and dry. We have established that both are capable of being disingenuous pricks. But Nick Saban took his douche-ness to a higher level. Saban was the one who stood in front of the media late in the '06 NFL season, and indignantly said, "I don't know why I have to keep going over this over, and over, and over again" when asked about the Alabama job.

But why should we be surprised? Saban was the one who specifically told LSU recruits that he would be the Tigers' coach for at least the next four years, before abruptly leaving to go to the Doplhins.

Saban was the one who specifically told Michigan State recruits that he would be the Spartans' coach for at least the next four years, before abruptly leaving to go to LSU.

Saban's douchebaggery is not even restricted to lying about leaving jobs. This season, after his Crimson Tide lost to Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe in consecutive games, he compared those losses to the attacks of 9/11 and the Pearl Harbor attack.

Last year in training camp he berated a rookie for being too fat, and actually made the man cry! (Actually, I take that back, that was kind of funny.)

And lest we forget, his last two seasons have consisted of a terrible year with the Dolphins, and a disappointing year in Tuscaloosa (including a loss to one of his former employers, LSU, and sixth straight loss to Auburn) so recently he has been a dick and a bad coach!

He is a consistent liar, his coaching abilities seem to be eroding since he won the BCS title four years ago, and, worst of all, he is really really indignant about it. That is why, in this blogger's opinion, he the lowest of the low. He is Saban, King of all Douchebags!

Wily Weis turns into Lloyd Carr???

Picture this. 4th and 8, you're on your opponents 24 yd line, 40 secs left in the game, tie score 28-28....what do you do? Apparently if you're "ND Coaching God" and 4 time Super Bowl champ Charlie Weis, this is 4 down territory. Inexplicably, Weis sent his anemic offense out to pick up 9 yds when a 41 yd FG wins the game!!! This is not bravado, this is stupidity.

Of course, ND failed to pick up the 1st down and away the 2 teams went into OT. 3 OT's later, Charlie and ND lost 46-44 (on another shady two point conversion running call) This isn't a minor coaching hiccup, this is Grady Little in Game 7 of the ACLS, where every knowledgeable fan is screaming at the screen to make the right decision. Weis tonight placed his name at the top of the list among bonehead coaching mistakes of the past 5 years. Granted, this isn't for a BCS bowl birth, this isn't even a blip on the college football radar this year, except for this....Charlie Weis coaches at Notre Dame, a school with a multi-million dollar contract with NBC, so every decision is magnified.

As Tony Kornheiser calls them, ND is the "University of College Football in America." ND FIRED TYRONE WILLINGHAM FOR LESS, yet domers, myself included, the country over have supported Weis through this horrid stretch. My blind faith in Touchdown Charlie ends tonight. I am not calling for his head, I'm just sick of ND fans making him out to be infallible. ND's 43 year winning streak ended tonight solely because Weis overcoached his fragile team to defeat.

College Football Weekend Preview (Week 9)

Let me start off by giving some props to BC for last night's comeback win in Blacksburg. All it took was a miracle 2 touchdowns in the final two minutes of the game! After an onside recovery, Matt Ryan chucked up a 25 yd duck across his body that went nearly the whole length of the field, somehow eluding the outstretched arms of two defenders, for a TD to seal the BC victory. If I hear one more commentator describe him or that play as "Flutie-esque", I might lose my mind! So again, congrats to BC on 58 minutes of mediocre football followed by 2 minutes of dumb luck. Bitter, table of one please.

Moving on to the task at hand, this week boasts plenty of quality matchups between ranked opponents, and if recent history dictates, more than a few surprises along the way. Two matchups in the Big East promise to clear up the log jam near the top of the conference and two Pac 10 showdowns will prove who's a pretender and who's legit out west. So let's dive in....

Pitt @Louisville (noon)-- I thought I should point out that Louisville had high expectations coming into the season, and they have fallen flat on their face. Louisville's problem is Defense or the lack thereof, giving up 35 points or more to Syracuse, Utah and MIDDLE TENN. ST. this season. Brian Brohm is having his best year yet throwing for 25 TD's and only 6 picks, but he's also been forced to throw early and often to keep his team in every game. For Pitt, a freshman QB, injuries and a semi-retarded head coach sunk that ship. Still, if they could eek out a win tomorrow, they're season to date would be considered a relative success. However, against quality opponents Pitt hasn't put up more than 17 points all season and I can't imagine Brohm's offense scoring less than 4 TD's....and as always, the smart money bets against Wanny!
Pick: Louisville -9.5

#7 West Virginia @Rutgers (Noon) -- With home losses this year to Maryland and Cincy, Rutgers Stadium doesn't exactly have opposing players shaking in their cleats. The Scarlet Knights did, however, get their season back on track with a big home victory last Thursday against South Florida (it's worth noting that S. Fla. is West Virginia's only loss of the year, although I don't believe in the transative property in sports). Both these teams boast all-american running backs and both have smart innovative coaches, so no edge there. Mike Teel has been much improved this season, but Pat White he is not. WVU to win, but bettors beware.
Pick: Rutgers +6

#12USC @#5Oregon (3:00) -- Is it just me or is Dennis Dixon built like a flamingo? This kid has the scrawniest legs since Steve Urkel, yet he's a Heisman front runner rarely mentioned among the elite QB's in the nation. Meanwhile the USC quarterback situation remains fluid. Mark Snachez smoked the Fighting Irish last week (fighting back tears) but Booty seems healthy enough to go. Either way, the inconsistent Trojans (one word: Satnford) march into Autzen Stadium Saturday in an unfamiliar position, as underdogs. The Ducks have been flying under the radar all year, so a big win in a nationally televised game will go along way to earning national respect and key BCS votes.
Pick: Oregon -3

#10 S. Fla @#23U. Conn (3:30) -- If I asked 10 college football fans who currently sits atop the Big East, I'm not sure anyone would say Connecticut. U Conn beat Louisville last week to remain perfect in conference (of course it took a group effort, and by that I mean the officiating crew). S.Fla. is "the troof" this year....or at least they can tackle the ball carrier every once in a while, which is better than Louisville's swiss cheese defense, U Conn's last opponent. I love S. Fla. to bounce back after a tough loss to Rutgers.
Pick: South Florida -4.5

#11Florida @#18Georgia (3:30) -- For one day every year I long to be in Jacksonville, the annual site of the "World's largest outdoor cocktail party". This year is no different. Not much analysis on this one. Florida has two offensive weapons: Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. That's it. That's all. That's enough.
Pick: Florida -7.5

#1Ohio State @#25Penn State (8:00) -- The #1 team in the land gets prime time exposure this week as the Buckeyes roll inito Happy Valley to contend with the Nittany Lions and 107,000 of their most rabid fans. OSU is clearly the better squad, but I think this game will be a dog fight. Penn State enjoys one of the biggest homefield advantages in the country, and the game will be contested at night (amid the PSU "white out")and in the rain which should neutralize OSU's athleticism and passing ability. Plus, PSU has a couple big home wins against Ohio St. in recent years. Expect the mud and slop to yield a low scoring game. In the end, OSU eeks out a win.
Pick: If you must, OSU +3, 40 UNDER

#21Cal @#4Arizona St. (10:15) -- The end of this game won't be seen by most people outside the left coast, and you can include me. I realize both of these teams are ranked, but I also question whether either should be! ASU hasn't faced one ranked opponent all year. In fact their 4 Pac 10 wins all came against the worst 4 teams in conference! It's a real who's who of west coast college football that ASU has beaten. On the other sideline we have former media darling Cal, who just came off back-to-back embarrassing losses--first at home to Orgeon St and then at UCLA. I think both of these teams will finish the year out of the top 20. If the Cal that beat Oregon shows up, come Sunday, ASU's cinderella run will be a distant memory, and the talking heads won't utter a word about them the rest of the year. That's the only rooting interest I have in this one.
Pick: Cal +3.5

Slainte!