I’m not the biggest Bobby Petrino (or even Atlanta Falcons) fan, but am I the only one who finds all of the hyperbolic hand-wringing over his latest career change a bit much? I must admit I find it amusing how all of the Falcons players who have mailed in this season are now instant authorities on "being a man." If only they played that way.

It seems as if this new concept of loyalty when it comes to coaches is decidedly one-way. Owners and schools have no problem cutting a contract short even in the middle of a season. The difference of course is that a team is usually still on the hook to play the coach when the coach is fired. Teams could certainly build such clauses into the contracts when a coach decides to bolt, but that’s up to them. With fans and teams increasingly impatient for results given the big dollars involved, I can understand (though not necessarily admire) when a coach tries to stay ahead of the game. It makes you appreciate guys like Mark Richt.

When you have someone like Sean Salisbury more or less imploring prospects not to consider Arkansas, it’s clear that the reaction has long since become overreaction. Last year the Hogs got burned by players and coaches bailing on them; now they benefit from a similar move. Just don’t be surprised when Petrino installs a revolving door in his office.

For once, I would be fascinated to see if Lou Holtz weighs in on this once the bowl season punditry gets cranked up. If anyone knows about leaving a 3-10 pro team to coach at Arkansas, no one else is more qualified.