VIDEO: Bobby Petrino declines reporter’s request for a Texas “Yee-Haw”

Following Wednesday’s Cotton Bowl coaches press conference in Dallas, word spread that Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino declined a television news reporter’s request for a big, Texas-style “Yee-Haw.”

“Since we’re in Texas,” asked the reporter, “I was wondering if you could give us a ‘Yee-Haw, I’m ready for the Cotton Bowl’ in your best hearty, Texas twang.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna pass on that one.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna pass on that one,” said Petrino.

As it turns out, the reporter was KATV Little Rock’s Alyson Courtney, who had more than one question for Petrino during the half-hour presser.

“I heard a rumor that you made a New Year’s resolution to cut back on your fiery sideline chat and I wanted to know if that was true,” asked Courtney.

She was presumably referring to actions during (and after) the Nov. 25 LSU game which netted Petrino a spot on Bleacher Report’s list of College Football’s 15 Best Sideline Tirades of the 2011 Season.

“Actually, my New Year’s resolution was to get in shape,” said Petrino.

Oh.

He smiled throughout the exchange, which is good for Courtney. The last reporter to ruffle Petrino’s feathers, lost her job.