Commentary: Jilted fans, save yourselves from embarassment

The holidays are times for forgiveness – old arguments settled over eggnog, lovers’ spats ending under the mistletoe. The exception is college football, which seems to see villains born in December.

Once upon a time, big-time coaching searches were about the team that hired the coach. But this year’s searches at Arkansas and Michigan (and maybe more) have focused more on where the new guy used to work – and how jilted those fans and teams feel.

The easy move is to blame Bobby Petrino for bailing on the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons or Rich Rodriguez, who now doesn’t want to pay West Virginia the buyout it is due. But those guys left for more money and more comfort – something that happens every single day in places cameras and notebooks don’t go.

The real fools here? The fans, who change opinions more and faster than Mitt Romney. On the Internet and talk radio, they blister coaches for lacking loyalty, integrity and the old fallback “best interest of the student-athletes.” Yet as soon as they start winning, they praise the coaches from afar, their success giving them a pass.

Steve Spurrier stayed away from the Florida job in 2004, spurning a potential chance to return to his alma mater and the site of his greatest victories. He turned it down, ending up at UF rival South Carolina. Yet Gators fans genuflect when the guy most of them want to coach returns to their stadium trying to get some first downs against their team.

It will be the same for Nick Saban when he returns to Baton Rouge, La., next season four years after sneaking out to accept the Miami Dolphins job three years ago today. If Michigan ever stomps Ohio State and heads toward a national title, WVU fans will be first in line to praise him from afar.

As for Petrino? Well, Arkansas never will face the Falcons. But Louisville fans kept supporting him and his programs after he jerked around their emotions for three consecutive seasons.

Fan passion is the spice that makes college football one of the sweetest sports out there. But during the holidays, let’s try to get some consistency. So Rich-Rod and the Mountain Man, smooch under the mistletoe. And let’s get Petrino and Arthur Blank a couple of cups of eggnog.