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Sun. Sep 30, 2007

Petrino Wins, But Me D. Needs More Love

I guess it seems like this site has been Football Central lately, but the truth is [1] my workflow is on the “firehose” setting, leaving little discretionary brain power for posting here, and [2] for the Falcons, the past five months or so have been a testosterone-filled soap opera, a Man Drama of epic proportions: “Can the Falcons new QB keep being The Little Joey That Could? Will Bobby and DeAngelo throw down in the locker room, or kiss and make up? And what about Ookie? Tune in next week on … As The Birds Turn...”

After one, two, three losses, this week’s episode opens with …. a win!

For at least one sweet day, the Falcons stopped being a drama workshop and learned how it feels to be a normal NFL team. They did what they were supposed to do and got the result they were supposed to get. They executed Petrino’s offensive schemes and saw, for the second week running, that this stuff will work in the pros, same as it had for Louisville. They saw Hall sit out the first quarter because his coach had had enough of his raging egomania, and maybe they respected Petrino all the more for taking such a stance so soon in his stewardship.

The Falcons don’t get a break from football for their efforts Sunday, but they did earn themselves a respite from all the stuff that has nothing to do with football.

“Since the [Vick] water-bottle incident [in January], it’s been nonstop,” Blank said. “We’re hopeful this can be a quiet week and we can focus on the Titans.”

Mark Bradley, AJC: Tip your cap to Petrino

It was an afternoon of pleasant surprises. The Falcons got their first win since Dec. 11, 2006. Over the past two games, Joey Harrington has completed 74% of his passes for 585 yards and 4 TD’s. And, for once, DeAngelo Hall kept his mouth shut.

Of course, he got more than his quota of “mouth time” earlier this week:

This, we know: Coach and player don’t like each other. Expounding on personal relationships isn’t quite in Petrino’s makeup. But Hall says the two have had problems almost from the time the new coaching staff arrived. He believes he is treated differently than other veterans. He speculates his relationship with Petrino may have “went sour” when he told the coach before the season that he didn’t want to play on offense or return punts.

Asked twice if he thought he could play for Petrino long term, Hall paused before responding: “Some things would have to change, obviously. Like you said, some guys are made for college. Some guys are made for the NFL. If he wants respect given to him, he must give respect back.”

Jeff Schultz, AJC: Petrino lost one Falcon at the start

Oh, my.

So, Mr. Hall thinks [1] the coach needs to change some things for the long term benefit of one out of 54, and [2] the Head Coach hired by the Team Owner doesn’t automatically get the respect that position of authority brings, he must reciprocate, or he gets squat. He gets backhanded references to how he might be better suited to coach college boys, not the NFL.

DeAngelo wants to be an equal with his coach. And still ... “He doesn’t believe his close relationship with Mora created problems, but says he never was given a chance to get close to Petrino: ‘I came in trying to drum up something. But he’s a little different. He’s not as personable. He’s not as loving.’”

“Not as loving“?!? I say again, ?!?

Go ask your average American worker, who makes far less per year than the $100,000 Mr. Hall was fined for his insubordination, how “loved” they feel at the place they earn a living. Then ask them if they think that’s a realistic expectation of employment. Then ask them if they think someone making millions per year to play a big boy’s game should be upset because their boss is “not as loving” as they might wish.

I mean, Geez Louise, welcome to the Real World, Mr. Hall, where bosses aren’t there to be your buddy.

I think it’s possible the Falcon’s now have their own “T.O.,” so I think I will hereafter refer to him as “Me D.”. Like T.O., Me D. is not just talented at his position, he’s gifted. Cream of the crop. And, like T.O., he’s only interested in the concept of “team” as a necessary platform for his “performance.”

Apparently this particular platform is no longer worthy of his presence.

Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall asked the franchise to trade him last week, according to two sources. The Falcons informed Hall that his request will not be immediately granted.

“He’s going to play out the season and see what happens,” said a source close to Hall. “He’s not happy, but he’ll calm down and see how things are … I would expect some teams will be asking about him, but the Falcons said they won’t trade him.”

Both sources said Hall’s antics during a loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 were a product of frustration with losing and from his dissatisfaction with how the team has handled numerous issues. That includes the treatment of quarterback and close friend Michael Vick — suspended by the league and asked to repay the Falcons $20 million in signing bonuses in relation to his guilty plea on federal dogfighting charges.

Asked if Hall and coach Bobby Petrino were getting along, one of the sources said, “Let’s just say, they’ll have some time to figure it out.”

Sources: Falcons’ Hall asked to be traded

Four weeks into the season, Me D. has lowered his personal lifeboat, fired flares, declared he dislikes the captain, and would like to be allowed to abandon ship. But when you are at sea, you are at the whim of the captain.

This sea is 16 weeks long, minimum. Captain Petrino has control of Me D’s life for at least the next 12 weeks. He can, for example, bench his butt, for no reason other than he doesn’t like his attitude. An attitude that shows little sign of abating, despite our hopes he would learn something from last week’s meltdown and repercussions.

It appears he’s learned to alternate the type of fuel he throws on the fire. No telling what he might try next. Remember the circus of T.O. working out with weights in his driveway when he was a holdout?

Yes, do tune in next week for the next episode of As The Birds Turn...

[fade in title music, “Shakedown Cruise” by Jay Ferguson]

The captain laughs he says,
“You boys want some sex?”
You can squeeze the sails,
You can lick the decks…