For something that’s supposed to come off as a Very Serious Warning from Mr. Conventional Wisdom, there sure is a lot of unintentional comedy here.
Let’s take a look at what he thinks has changed in the past few months for high-profile coaches, or as he puts it, The New Rules.
Rule No. 1: You have lost the benefit of the doubt and you’re not going to get it back.
Really? Bobby Petrino did, but that was only after the fact. Before then, it was painfully apparent that he was given free rein to do as he pleased. And let’s not forget that even after news of the scandal hit, Barnhart himself thought Petrino would hang on to his job.
If the lesson is keep your pants zipped up when you’re not home, that’s hardly news. Just ask Mike Price.
Rule No. 2: The Freedom of Information Act is alive and well and is going to get a helluva workout in the future.
Houston Nutt totally agrees, Tony.
Rule No. 3: Coaches used to have all the power. Thanks to technology and the social media, that is no longer the case.
If Randy Edsall is your example of a high-profile coach, you’ve already blown the discussion. Besides, last time I checked, Edsall, while a dick, is still employed by Maryland.
Rule No. 4: Thanks to that same technology and social media, the truth will always come out.
Pardon Nick Saban for a moment while he pauses for a chuckle.
Rule No. 5: Don’t think it can’t happen to you.
Well, duh. High-profile coaches who are self-centered and arrogant are hardly a recent development. The ones who are able to keep their focus on the source of what gives them their power instead of getting sidetracked with sexual matters are going to keep on trucking just fine, at least as long as they keep winning. And don’t lie to the NCAA.
I know Barnhart thinks this comes off as a dramatic revelation, but what it really sounds like is a bunch of his AD buddies speaking behind their hands about how this time they’re really gonna step it up and take charge of their coaches. Good luck with that, fellas.
Get The Picture 
Reading Barnhardt has becomes as essential, informative and fulfilling as reading every piece of junk mail, line by excruciatingly, pointless line.
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IMHO Tony Barnhart has completely sold out and is undeserving of any serious attention re: college football. “MR. COLLEGE FOOTBALL” my ass!
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There’s really no difference between guys like Barnhart and Senator, except Barnhart gets paid a lot of money and probably has better contacts. (Well, I guess Bluto gets paid quite a bit from all my ad clicks…)
What I mean by that is Barnhart’s “opinion” is not better than anyone else’s. Because he has better contacts, he can make better “guesses” every now and again.
Happy Sunday to you all,
BD
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Now we know for sure why Tony is so popular with most of the coaches….he’s no smarter than they are.
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Under Rule #4, add Coach Chizik to that list.
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I do not think it was the affair alone that sank Petrino. I think it was him pushing to hire the woman and lying about the relationship to his boss.
This just confirms the addage; most damage is done by the lies and coverups than by the crime
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the adage more succinctly phrased or at least with a more alliterative twist is “it ain’t the crime it’s the cover-up”
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Not really sure why but TB has become a shadow of his former self. It isn’t age, nor lack of contacts/access, so it must be an inflated ego that has made him think he can write anything and influence opinions because of his reputation. Either that, or he has begun writing what he thinks will make him popular with the masses. Not saying he isn’t still informative at times, but his take on the CFB scene aren’t as sharp as they once were. I agree with those who say his point of view deserves no more respect than many posters on this site….sometimes he is right, other cases he swings and whiffs.
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Mac, the guy sold out for the $$$. He just goes along with whatever the conventional wisdom is at the moment. Hence, when moments change, you can actually hear him say contradictory things as time passes. If my memory is correct he was on all sides of the Cam Newton fiasco.
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And what the hell does any one of us know?
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As evidenced by our lack of arena time.
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Writers write for their audience, and writers like Tony come from a training which just drills that into you.
But at some point, without even realizing it, really successful types like Tony stop writing to “us” and start writing to the people writing the checks. It’s almost a form of caraciture.
Look at Reilly pre- and post- ESPN paychecks. He used to be good. Now he’s a brand. Brands don’t take risks. Brands are boring.
Moral: stay thirsty, my friends.
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“I don’t talk to FU grads that often, but when I do, I order large fries”
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“Living in Marietta, I enjoy giving the UGA grad a big tip when they deliver my pizza.”
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Nothing like bad-grammar sarcasm about somebody else’s academics.
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+1. Well played, sir.
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Interesting article when compared with the recent articles on how meyer lost control at fla. If the AD’s do weaken the coaches then the players will really take over and that will be the end for a lot of college football fans. Some of us will not invest time and money to watch 18-21 yr old kids act like thugs b/c the coaches cant control them b/c they are afraid of a bad tweet or facebook post.
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