I Was Wrong. You Were Right, Jeff Long

If it is not too much to ask, I would like to rescind my last blog post. Try and watch the first 7 minutes and 50 seconds of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long’s press conference after firing former Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino and tell me Long does not care about the university and its students. Even when answering the press’ questions he demonstrates his passion as the leader of the Arkansas athletic program. 

Long got it right on Tuesday night

As proven through his decision-making, Long truly has the Razorback student-athletes as his number one priority. Long owned this press conference and has received nationwide praise for his excellence in this tough choice.

My original thoughts were full of frustration. Frustrated as to why Long would fire Petrino, who led the Hogs to unprecedented success on the gridiron, because of a personal matter. I expressed my disinterest in letting Petrino go in my previous blog post, but as more details come out about the situation with Jessica Dorell, it is easier to see that Long acted with the appropriate decision.

I was lucky enough to have a church league softball game to take my mind off of the situation, along with a condolence call from my mother to make sure I was ok after the termination of the Razorbacks most successful coach in the BCS era. After the game, I came back to see Twitter beaming with praise of Long and his delivery of the news in his press conference. Once I watched the presser in its entirety, I was proud of Long and even more to be an Arkansas Razorback fan.

Long knows that his actions very well may lead to the end of his tenure as the University of Arkansas Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. Everyone in the South knows: as the football team goes, so goes the athletic department, which made the firing of Petrino especially difficult for Long, who became emotional to the point of tears when discussing his decision. He knows Petrino brought immeasurable amounts of interest to the Razorbacks and millions of dollars to the program. Long realizes that unless the Arkansas football can reach these heights again, he may be gone after a few mediocre seasons.

The Razorback nation must remember that Long has made big hires before and has been commended by many columnists for paying big sport coaches high-dollar (Mike Anderson for Men’s basketball being the other). Long will try to bring in a character of high morals and a winning pedigree. There is no one else I would have making these decisions based on the quality Long expects and his own high character. He has proven time and time again that he will do the right thing.

The most significant message from Long’s press conference was a line at 7:19 in the video below. He said, “No one person is bigger than the team.” He proved this true in his decision to terminate Petrino, who began to think he was bigger than Arkansas football  and became an insufficient role model for Arkansas’ athletes. This powerful message should be placed on a plaque somewhere in the new football complex.