Former Falcons running back Warrick Dunn is considered one of the nicest guys in the league. He's probably known more for his generosity off the field than his football exploits, even though, at one time, he was one of the league's best backs. (That said, the Bucs were crazy to give him all that dough, at least from an economic standpoint; but as a genuinely solid guy, good for him.)
Which makes it all the more surprising that he laid waste to Bobby Petrino, the dude who coached the Falcons for 13 weeks last season before quitting to take the Arkansas job.
You can listen to Dunn's comments here, but if you're too lazy to click the link, I'll give you the highlights:
"He didn't want to treat us like men, he wanted to treat us like kids who came out of high school ... It wasn't a friendly environment... This guy was calling plays we hadn't even practiced; he wanted everyone to talk at a whisper whenever there was a team dinner, he didn't like a lot of noise on the plane... The way he went as a coward and the people in Arkansas have to worry about that..."So on and so forth -- you get the point. Petrino gets everything he deserves, but Marshall Faulk made an interesting point: Petrino didn't sign up for all the Ron Mexico drama when he took the Falcons job, but he basically spent his first four months dealing primarily with it.
That didn't give him the right to lie to his boss and quit on his team, but if he had resigned after the season -- and not immediately after a Week 14 Monday night beatdown -- I'm guessing people would've been more understanding.
Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Petrino was an a-hole, but at least it might've earned him some sympathy, whatever that's worth (which certainly is less than the $3 million per year he received from Arkansas).
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 11)
101. For Dunn to speak out like this speaks volumes as He is not know for bad mouthing anybody. Oh and we are happy to have him back in Tampa hopefully we can use him the right way this stint.
Posted at 11:10PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Jim
102. fuk richard
Posted at 11:12PM on Mar 15th 2008 by tony
103. dunnce is a overpaid actor. and how ryan wilson can even print this garbage is beyond me? if he has things (dunnce)to say such as these . he himself should look in the mirror really hard !
Posted at 11:13PM on Mar 15th 2008 by rjaelectrical
104. richard momma sucks his dic
Posted at 11:16PM on Mar 15th 2008 by tony
105. fuk mark
Posted at 11:16PM on Mar 15th 2008 by tony
106. mark sucks his own dik
Posted at 11:18PM on Mar 15th 2008 by tony
107. #14. How the hell was Dunn suppose to go face to face with a guy who left the same way the colts left baltimore, in the shadow of the night. He's a coward who left a note in the locker's of his players, he didn't even have the guts to tell them that he was leaving, he didn't have the guts to tell his boss who asked him 3 days earlier if he might leave. He's a liar and coward. So tell me who can't be a man Petrino? or Dunn? And Dunn, he may not be a GREAT player but he is one of the classiest and most respected players in the nfl.
Posted at 11:30PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Brendan
108. Warrick Dunn is an outstanding guy. This is a guy whose mom was killed in the line of duty working an extra shift to support her kids.She was an outstanding police officer who raised her kids right. Warrick Dunn has done so much for so many. For him to come out againist anyone I have to believe he truely had a reason. And it is very cowardly for a coach, any coach, to walk out on his players in the middle of the night (so to speak).
Posted at 11:31PM on Mar 15th 2008 by LaGurl
109. at A fans point of view we just enjoy watching game played at best you can play and I think a player is just better off keeping his words to himself and just be the best you can offer then makes whole team a whole sometimes things are not way someone describes it people will remember each for who they are without insulting each other
Posted at 11:42PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Dorothy Noga
110. #66 You are clueless. You really think Petrino knew about Vick's dog fighting and that homies Hall, Crumpler etc..were going to lead the posse in revolt to the new coach in town? It's amazing to me that Crumpler, Dunn and Hall openly criticize the coach DURING the season then turn around and criticize him when he bolts. Remember how they criticised him during the season - Hall ranting on the sideline costing the team a game then publically blasting Petrino. The Falcons had BAD eggs on the team, Petrino knew it and said screw it..
Posted at 11:45PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Halvin
111. How come no one is bitching about Blank firing Dan Reeves with 3 games to go? I would have left like Petrino did as well with a bunch of dog killing, dope dealing thugs on a team.
Posted at 11:59PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Thugs R Us
112. let me tell you something Im an all-american from college and met warrick and he was a trash talker and we whooped them on their own track when he was trying to get faster and tried to run track but thats beside the point. This coach is a coward and those that defend him are a bunch of fat high school coaches who are jealous of the athleticism they could never achieve. The bottom line is this you can't put all the blame on the coach, but he is the leader and he goes down with the ship and tries to rebuild, this guy left the ship and let his guys drown. COWARD!!!Plain and simple!
Posted at 12:03AM on Mar 16th 2008 by escho
113. petrino's back where he should have stayed....NFL players, for the most part, like the NBA, are spoiled cry-babies, who only think about their bling...petrino is back with the sane crowd.
Posted at 12:16AM on Mar 16th 2008 by no really
114. Chris, you must be kidding. You must not own animals or you are a dog/cock (sucker) fighter. 19-21 months was not near enough for Vick. To take beautiful dogs and I am a pit bull owner and Akita's, and kill them for losing and kill them by the violent fighting, I would have given him 3 to 5 and fined him 2 million dollars. This is an educated man, not some redneck missing teeth.
Posted at 12:19AM on Mar 16th 2008 by Scott G.
115. let's move on...this is becoming rather "old news"....petrino will win 10 games, and the falcons will continue to be the falcons....
Posted at 12:20AM on Mar 16th 2008 by no really
116. So what is so unusual about having a quiet airplane ride?
There are millions of passengers that take quiet plane rides every time they board one. That has been the norm for the 50 or so I have boarded.
Some people like to read, sleep,listen to music etc etc. Maybe Petrino was trying to respect the rights of others.
That statement Dunn made about those airplane incidents emphasized how out of touch he is with the real world because that is the SOP in the real world.
Apparently Dunn thinks he is on some type of party junket. I have always heard many top football players call it a business trip.
I have to believe that Petrino was in fact trying to present that atmosphere to his players. It's a business trip.
Posted at 12:38AM on Mar 16th 2008 by Bill West
117. Maybe Petrino did bail out, who could blame him. I never heard the anyone say this about Michael Vick. He's the coward and most selfish person to ever play in Atlanta. Petrino should have resigned when he seen how the players supported and took up for Vick. Give a thug money and he'll always find something stupid to do with it. He sucked for a quarterback anyway.
Posted at 12:49AM on Mar 16th 2008 by ThunderDave
118. Ignorance seems to prevail here more than most blogs I've seen. All of us need Jesus...who is the divine answer to racism, animal abuse, people abuse and low self esteem which many of you suffer from who feel the need to diminish the value of another person in order to feel secure in your own thoughts. We can have thoughts and opinions that don't agree without personal attacks can't we people? Treating each other with civility and a certain level of respect is what makes us different than animals...don't reduce your position to being just another "dog in a dog fight."
I know some of you will say "Oh shut up you Jesus freak or fool"....that's cool. I am a fool for Jesus..so tell me...whose fool are you?
Posted at 12:52AM on Mar 16th 2008 by Brenda
119. The coach left in the middle of the season. That really pisses people off.
Posted at 12:53AM on Mar 16th 2008 by Falcons Tickets
120. Bad style, professionally for Petrino to have raised the white flag, turn mom's picture to the wall, desert his troops and bail town. His actions will be unforgettable and will follow him the rest of his football days. You simply cannot treat professional sportsmen this way. I wouldnt play for him...
Posted at 12:59AM on Mar 16th 2008 by Mario