The Source: Stephen Jones

[Itchalot]

He is Stephen Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of the Dallas Cowboys.  Not hard to deduce. 

Allen said he talked to the source. Well he would not go around the top brass of the Cowboys to talk to some peon assistant strength and conditioning coach. You just don't go to some lower level guy on the other team and pump him for information. If you are Allen you talk with your like kind.  It had to be one of the main guys on Allen's level who deals directly with GMs.

The top guys in Dallas are:

Bill Parcells:  Head Coach... Parcells would not be involved in hiring his own successor.

Jerry Jones:  Owner... He is directly involved in the operations, but would Jerry be hanging around with the press like Ira Kaufman giving out information?  I don't think Kaufman would be allowed in Jerry's suite.  And if its Jerry spreading this stuff around, I would think that he would get a call from the Glazers.  I just don't see it.

Jerry Jones Jr.:  Chief of Sales and Marketing, Dallas Desperados.
I don't think Allen would call the Sales and Marketing guy to sort this out.


Stephen Jones:  COO  He is directly involved in the matter of the coaches. He's a young guy who may not get a lot of press attention.  A guy who Allen could call directly.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/team_coachExec.cfm

By simple process of elimination, the source has to be Stephen Jones for whatever thats worth.

Not that your wrong, but what makes you think its someone in the Cowboys organization?

[Itchalot]

Good question.  Kaufman's exact quote was "The Tribune has learned Gruden already is sending out feelers regarding potential job opportunities for 2007."  Of course he was in Dallas when he learned this information.  I don't think Kaufman could go with a second hand he said she said source without saying "Rumor has it" or "I heard..."  The words "The Tribune has learned" were carefully thought out words indicating confidence in knowledge that was not picked up off the ground, but right off the tree.  Obviously Kaufman gave the source to Allen on the condition that Allen not reveal it to the public.  Allen spoke to them and said they were misquoted, not that they were misinformed.  It leads to only one conclusion that the information came from the Dallas organization.

[DanTurksGhost]

Not that your wrong, but what makes you think its someone in the Cowboys organization?

Actually, I almost started a thread yesterday saying that I felt that the rumor may have originated out of Dallas. It was the only way I could make it all make sense and not have someone be either a fabricator or an outright liar. However, my thinking on this is probably way too vague to make a lot of sense in a forum like this so after I had typed about four paragraphs supporting my hypothesis, I deleted the entry!

[dbucfan]

Not that your wrong, but what makes you think its someone in the Cowboys organization?

Actually, I almost started a thread yesterday saying that I felt that the rumor may have originated out of Dallas. It was the only way I could make it all make sense and not have someone be either a fabricator or an outright liar. However, my thinking on this is probably way too vague to make a lot of sense in a forum like this so after I had typed about four paragraphs supporting my hypothesis, I deleted the entry!

And I am suspecting Ira should have done the same with his "column". 

[BucsGuru]

Can you leave now.

[caradoc]

I suppose someone out of Dallas could be trying to stir some crap up before the game....

But I'd still think that if Ira isn't just pulling a Rather, then it's someone here, or in Atlanta.  Dropping something like that to someone you know is going to use it to stir up unrest is typically something that is done for gain, or anger.

It's poor choice on Ira's part to spill it.  At the best it only gives any slackers on the team more excuses, and agitates casual fans who are angry with the record but don't have the time or interest to do any research into the issues.  It makes Gruden into a target for uninformed mobs.  Whether he deserves it or not is irrelevant, what Ira did is just Rabble-rousing, and the same kind of crap that gets people turned off of media in other areas; he's not 'reporting' the news, he trying to create it by rolling a pebble and seeing what develops...

[caradoc]

Can you leave now.

you are rapidly becoming the poster child for NARAL, did you realize that?

[BucsGuru]

Can you leave now.

you are rapidly becoming the poster child for NARAL, did you realize that?

Great post!

[original]

The phone call from Gruden to the Cowboys was most likely for Pre Game film to study.  You know, like High Schools do.    Ira heard of the call and asumed the only reason a coach would call is to send out feelers when Gruden was looking for Reels.  Ugh [banghead]

[bucnut]

I suppose someone out of Dallas could be trying to stir some crap up before the game....

But I'd still think that if Ira isn't just pulling a Rather, then it's someone here, or in Atlanta. Dropping something like that to someone you know is going to use it to stir up unrest is typically something that is done for gain, or anger.

It's poor choice on Ira's part to spill it. At the best it only gives any slackers on the team more excuses, and agitates casual fans who are angry with the record but don't have the time or interest to do any research into the issues. It makes Gruden into a target for uninformed mobs. Whether he deserves it or not is irrelevant, what Ira did is just Rabble-rousing, and the same kind of crap that gets people turned off of media in other areas; he's not 'reporting' the news, he trying to create it by rolling a pebble and seeing what develops...

Totally agree. 

Excellent take on things Caradoc.

Whether you like Gru or not, you'd have to be deaf and blind to not know that certain folks in the Tampa area media have a vandetta.  Their "informant" bailed to Atlanta, so now they have to out-and-out fabricate things.

[DanTurksGhost]

Gruden was sniffing about the Dallas job

LOL.

[DanTurksGhost]

Gosh, you mean you don't choose to believe anything bad about your man-crush. Shocker.

Sure I do. But this particular item is simply ridiculous.

[BucsAddict]

I suppose someone out of Dallas could be trying to stir some crap up before the game....

But I'd still think that if Ira isn't just pulling a Rather, then it's someone here, or in Atlanta. Dropping something like that to someone you know is going to use it to stir up unrest is typically something that is done for gain, or anger.

It's poor choice on Ira's part to spill it. At the best it only gives any slackers on the team more excuses, and agitates casual fans who are angry with the record but don't have the time or interest to do any research into the issues. It makes Gruden into a target for uninformed mobs. Whether he deserves it or not is irrelevant, what Ira did is just Rabble-rousing, and the same kind of crap that gets people turned off of media in other areas; he's not 'reporting' the news, he trying to create it by rolling a pebble and seeing what develops...

Gosh, you mean you don't choose to believe anything bad about your man-crush. Shocker.

Sure I do. But this particular item is simply ridiculous.

utterly ridiculous, even. Who would think a coach with 3 out 5 losing seasons would be sending out feelers to other teams in case he gets canned.
Simply preposterous.