"I believe the definition of commitment is to be responsible, and the best one, to pledge (oneself). That's straight out of Webster's dictionary.
"It is also amazing to me that the call to Brad Durham came on the heels of a big victory over West Virginia. What is even more amazing is that gets followed up with a defeat at Rutgers. How fitting. Maybe there are things such as football gods!
"Petrino had his assistant call this young man and give him the bad news. Petrino wasn't even man enough to do it himself. What's that say? While I might not be happy with (UK coach Rich) Brooks at the wheel in Lexington, I don't think he would have ever done that to a young man. Petrino deserves everything he is getting and more.
"What does Petrino think will happen the next time he goes on an in-home visit to a recruit and asks him for a verbal commitment. I feel there may also be a lot of coaches who will certainly look at Petrino and U of L in a different light after the recent events.
"While I am a Big Blue fan and attend all the home football and basketball games, I am (was) a U of L fan. I will still root for (Rick) Pitino and the basketball Cards (except when they play the Cats), but after these recent events I don't think I'll ever cheer for their football team as long as Petrino is there."
Strong words, but ones that are hard to dispute. Petrino has done a lot of things right at Louisville, but this decision on Durham was not one of them.
* H.B. Quinn doesn't like what Petrino did to Durham, either.
"I am biased against Louisville, but I still agree with you on the scholarship withdrawal and the Rockcastle County coach's statement that UK wouldn't have done that. I also think this is different than the kid privately committing and then the offer being withdrawn. Obviously, U of L wanted an early public commitment to help them in some way. We know schools do that all the time. I was most impressed with how the student handled the situation," Quinn wrote.
Same here. Durham continues to be classy in his dealings with the situation. He has to be bitterly disappointed that this happened, but he's yet to publicly rip Petrino and Louisville.
* Jim Hall of Bardstown, a former Danville resident who now reads The Advocate-Messenger online daily, has some other football news on his mind.
"Does anybody besides me know that UK is second in the SEC East? Wow! I have been of the opinion after last year that only two people who wanted coach Brooks to remain at his post were him and me," Hall wrote. " I have admired his integrity and honesty and now we are in the upper division! I understand it is a 'fluke' with the scheduling and all, but I will take it. I firmly believe that UK needs to extend his contract now before we lose another coach who is making progress.
"It has been a crazy football year. Louisville blows a 25-7 lead and loses its BCS championship hopes, UK is in second place in the SEC East and Bardstown loses Friday night to Bethlehem. Go figure!"
It is amazing to see UK second in the SEC Eastern Division, and know there is no way UK can finish worse than third even if it loses at Tennessee. Don't be surprised to see Brooks get at least a two-year extension of the remaining one year he has on his contract soon.
Finally, I have to agree it has been a "crazy year" because there's no way I figured Bethlehem could upset unbeaten Bardstown. Of course, that should also send a strong signal to Danville that maybe beating Bethlehem here Friday is no given because if a team can win at Bardstown, it certainly must be good enough to win at any other Class A school.
