The CheckerBoard

Where do you get that idea? If Strong was going to talk to him as a "source" why wouldn't he just make a public statement?

Last week when Strong shot down the Auburn rumors he personally called two reporters, Thamel and Forde.

Admit what?

Who knows exactly how this came down? But Thamel probably called Strong. Strong may have called Thamel, who knows? They talked, Strong told him he'd made up his mind. He most likely wanted to stay off the record since he has to work with all the Louisville beat writers and doesn't want them to know he personally gave the scoop to Thamel. So Thamel quoted him as a source.

He gets the decision out, it's off his mind and he starts moving forward. At some point, hopefully before he talked to Thamel, he called Hart or Cheek and told them.

I'll drop the Strong as the source as I still don't get the logic if it was him.

I really agree with you on this. If Cheek is doing the talking what is Hart doing, carrying his briefcase? That is the part of the Thamel report that I just don't buy. It was reported that Hart met with Strong on Sunday, right?, but this report claims only Cheek ever spoke to him. Why would Cheek be in a front-line position on the interview. Seems to me he might do a second to buy in to the the decision to hire but not at all in the vetting process.

The problem for Strong may have been the admin situation. I read somewhere that Strong as well as Gundy were asking questions about said admin situation. This may answer why Cheek is involved in the interview, if he was.