Arkansas Football: Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks Approaching a Crossroads

When the Bobby Petrino news broke coming during the weekend, the overwhelming sentiment was worry and hope that the coach would be okay. Once he was deemed in good shape and was able to watch practice, we all realized how lucky he was in his dealings. Now, a few days after his motorcycle accident, there is a new angle to the story.

Apparently it did not all go down the way we originally thought. Yes, this was a one-vehicle accident, however, Bobby Petrino was not the only person involved. A woman half his age was also on the bike with the married father of four. As my colleague here at Bleacher Report Barrett Sallee has pointed out, someone has done told a lie.

Plain and simple, there's some lying going on, and as this story gets into the national spotlight, someone is going to have to answer why the original statement was inaccurate.

While the "who" lied portion of things is a simple question and answer, the real story here will come in the "why" they lied response. The why is a question that invariably will come as the rumors and leaps to conclusion color the story in lieu of actual details.

Right now we know that the female was riding with Petrino, and that either Petrino or Arkansas elected to lie to the public about her presence. Most certainly people will draw their own conclusions as to her role in the accident, but she is not the story. As it stands, she is merely a passenger—a passenger that is having her role in this story become public fodder. Her phone number has been revealed and her wedding registry has been descended upon by trolls en masse.

Again, she's not the story folks. Screwing with her personal life is not funny and it most certainly is not right. This story is all about Bobby Petrino and the University of Arkansas. Regardless of who lied, the big question is going to be why. Why did Bobby Petrino feel the need to hide the fact he had a female companion, and why did Arkansas feel the need to lie to everyone about their coach riding in tandem with a 25-year-old lady?

As a football program and an athletic department, Arkansas is quickly arriving at a crossroads. If Petrino lied to them, can they, in good faith, retain a coach who tried to conceal information regarding his accident? Especially something, that as more details unravel, could paint him in a bad light. If Arkansas did the hiding, then they are at a point where the institution has to question the athletic department's practices.

You don't lie to your employer, and you most certainly do not lie to the media. Not when facts can be dug up, information is on record, and the public has access to the facts. This situation is going to get bad before it ever gets better, and the final question is going to be a simple one: cost versus benefit.

How much is the University of Arkansas willing to absorb to retain their football coach? Is winning football games more important than the compulsory PR hit? Is this 2012 quest for an SEC title worth absorbing all the scrutiny that's going to come with media going through this story with a fine-toothed comb?

We'll see where Arkansas' priorities lie and just how much the school is prepared to take.