The CheckerBoard

Don't shoot the messenger but this is what a poster from TOS posted. If it's any consolation; one of their most "reliable" posters is chirping the praises of the thoughts...

"Flame me, flog me, fire me, I don't care. Until I see another coach at the podium, I'm holding out hope. Here's why. Over a month ago...around the time of the Miss St. or Alabama game, I was told that Gruden had begun to be wooed by some prominent UT people...Peyton, etc. Right before Halloween, it was said that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Here's where it gets interesting. The tricky part was how to proceed with letting Dooley go, timing of Gruden's current obligations etc. The plan with Dooley was to let him continue as long as there was hope for a bowl due to an automatic bonus in his contract. The decision was made after MS St regardless, it was just a matter of when it would be public. Once we hit loss #7, it was senseless to let it go any longer, so it was made public.

Now to the Gruden side. Gruden (believe it or not) is STILL getting paid from the Bucs. The last paycheck is due the middle of Dec. The last MNF game will be on Dec 17 in Nashville. There is also a game on Saturday the 22nd. It has been said Gruden likes to see everything through and not bail on commitments. So the dilema is how do you slow-play the news from end of Oct to Middle of Dec. By stringing Dooley along as long as they did, it bought them a little time. Once Dooley was gone, was able to keep a LITTLE of the attention on the last game / sending Seniors out the right way. Which brings us to this week...MASS CHAOS. I can only imagine that they didn't quite anticipate the fervor this would bring. I think that is why some of the people believed an announcement would come early...just to get it out of the way. Another HUGE part of the plan to "kill some time" was to waste a couple weeks by putting the focus OFF Gruden and onto other candidates as Hart "intervews some others". I was told specifically and in no uncertain terms that there would be a "misinformation campaign the likes we have never seen around here".. (again, just what was related to me). The campaign would make it appear that the Gruden deal was buried and hopeless. This way, Hart can come to the rescue around the 2nd week of December and be seen as the savior and unifying figure to hammer out the last few differences with Gruden. This way Hart is seen as a strong AD figure and completely in control, when in reality the Boosters drove it the length of the field and let Hart punch it in from the 2 yard line.

If the story holds, you will hear of several interviews, but not a whole lot of serious interest if you watch closely enough.

All of the information that came out this morning makes absolutely ZERO sense. There were more contradictions between reports, it's enough to make your head spin. Gruden wasn't interested....never saw a contract...money for assistants not enough...on and on and on. It just DOESN'T add up.

We might have a press conference next week to hire Coach XYZ, and if so great. I can handle being publically ridiculed...won't be the first time or last time. This is all stuff that i have been told and i believe, because it has unfolded exactly to form so far. We shall see.

Thanks for reading, sorry so long, and FLAME AWAY.....i can take it."