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Resignation 'wrong,' says Falcons' owner Dec. 12: Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he thought the timing of head coach Bobby Petrino's resignation 'was wrong.'

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Dunn said Petrino’s rules ranged from a ban on televisions in the locker room at the team’s training complex to frowning on any loud talking at team dinners when the Falcons were on the road.

“It got to the point where I never went down to team dinners to eat because I was not going to sit there in silence,” Dunn said. “It’s a joke. You tell kindergartners things like that.”

The first sign of trouble was Hall’s sideline confrontation with Petrino in Week 3, which led to the cornerback being fined $100,000 and held out for the first half of the next game.

A couple of weeks later, Crumpler complained about Petrino’s offense and said the veterans felt they were being phased out. Those concerns came to a head when 35-year-old Grady Jackson, one of the team’s most effective interior linemen, was surprisingly cut during the bye week.

“It just shows his true color, like a coward with a yellow stripe down his back,” said Jackson, who now plays with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Around the league, others took note of Petrino’s shocking departure.

“He snuck out in the middle of the night like the Baltimore Colts did,” said Kansas City Chiefs running back Kolby Smith, who played for Petrino at Louisville.

Even some of Petrino’s fellow coaches were dismayed by his tactics.

“For my profession, I’m always very disappointed when things like this happen,” Baltimore’s Brian Billick said. “Kind of leave it at that. This profession needs to handle itself better at times.”

The Falcons were particularly upset about Petrino’s jovial demeanor at his first news conference in Arkansas, where he even participated in the school’s “calling the hogs” cheer. It was the first time any of the players could remember him smiling.

“The slap in the face was ultimately when he showed up at a 11 o’clock, or whatever time it was in Arkansas, doing the ’pig sooey’ hog call,” Milloy said. “It seemed like was right in rhythm with the beat. He had been practicing.”

All Petrino left on his way out the door was that letter.

Milloy had a copy of it taped above his locker, with a red “X” through Petrino’s words and the player’s own assessment written in: “Coward.” Center Todd McClure didn’t even bother keeping his copy.

“I think it’s already in the trash,” he said bitterly.

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson, the Falcons’ first-round pick from Arkansas, was asked what he would tell his alma mater about its new coach.

“One word: Disloyal,” Anderson replied.

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