The Source: Stephen Jones

[DanTurksGhost]

The strong su**CENSORED**ion in league circles is that the recent report that Bucs coach Jon Gruden is putting out "feelers" regarding possible 2007 job openings originated with his agent, Bob LaMonte.

Well there you go! Gruden wasn't sniffing around for another job at all. PFT must be a bunch of Gruden lovers who hate the Bucs.

[DeadmenTNT]

Here's how the conversation went with the PFT guys.
PFT: "Have you heard anything?".
Unnamed source: "No, nothing.".
PFT: "How do you think the rumors got started".
Unnamed source: "Well, if I had to GUESS, I would not be surprised if Lamonte...".

This is news? This is confirmation of absolutely nohing. As they say in my business, this is vaporware.

[DanTurksGhost]

This is news? This is confirmation of absolutely nohing. As they say in my business, this is vaporware.

Absolutely. And the Glazers are selling the Bucs any day now. And the new facility will never be built. But some people want to believe, so they believe.

[DefenseWins]

more than 1 source...  It is not hard to believe that Gruden, or anyone would try to cover there ass. Especially with the state of his operation.

I think the issue is that Gruden loyalists feel betrayed, and are upset now.

[DanTurksGhost]

more than 1 source... 

Name them.

[caradoc]

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...

As with other posters you think the media's job is to tell the story you want or only things that dont hurt the team.

Gruden was sniffing about the Dallas job, that's news or it should be but some of you are still Gruden fans and not Buc fans.

Dal, there's a difference between News and rumor.  Ira spread a rumor, he didn't report 'news'.  We have nothing other than his word that "Gruden is sending out feelers".  Whatever a "feeler" is.  This is gossip column crap, not news.  There is no context, nothing solid, just a rumor about an undefined term, "feelers".  It was CLEARLY done to generate the impression that Gruden's job is in danger, or that he has decided to leave after this year.  And yet all we have to go in is "feelers".  That's not news, that's gossip-mongering...

[Pick6]

Well I guess that Gruden isn't in charge of his own agent either. Fits with the general lack of culpability the Grudenista seem to have for his failings - of course by being one place removed from the action Gruden gets deniability so like my guy here in Dallas said, it wasn't Gruden picking up the phone and calling but they were getting calls.

chcwarriorpoet posted the following on the insider board...since it's not Insider info, i thought it might be helpful to share....it sheds some light on what's going on from a guy who's been in agent world:

The Gruden feelers are nothing to worry about. That is typical agent chatter whenever they have a guy that could lose his job, or is really hot and looking for a pay day. I worked for the agent of Urban Meyer, Dave Wannesdet, Marv Levy, Dan Hawkins (Colorado), Schiano (Rutgers), and a bunch of position coaches and coordinators in college and the pros.  Ron Rivera and Ron Turner in Chicago are two of them.  I was working a ton of hours when they were negotiating Urban's deal with Flordia, Wanny in Pitt, Turner to Chicago, and new deals for Hawk and Schiano.
  You guys wouldn't believe some the chatter that goes on in the agent newtork. Stuff like this guy could get fired, this team wants to hire this guy, he'll get a new deal, etc. A lot of time agents try and find out where their coaches can land if they hit the market. The agents were constantly looking into jobs opening up for their clients who were still under contract with another team or school. The coaches knew nothing about it and were doing their normal coaching. I bet that the feelers are true in that they are coming from Gruden's agent and he knows nothing about it. Thus, he gave the quotes that he did. I'd ignore it unless I heard that the Glazer's where itching to fire him.
  I would be surprised if Gruden is coaching somewhere else next year.

[4bucs]

Ira still kisses McKays butt every chance he gets.Everybody knows Jon loves coaching here with all his family ,where he was raised up,to bring something up like that now is just a low blow by another Gruden hater,just to stir something up before they play Dallas...Iras such a turd.

[BTownBucFan]

more than 1 source...  It is not hard to believe that Gruden, or anyone would try to cover there ass. Especially with the state of his operation.

I think the issue is that Gruden loyalists feel betrayed, and are upset now.

huh ... we are?  There's nothing to this, plain and simple. 

[karen anderson]

more than 1 source...

Name them.

   By your definition Watergate was merely a rumor.

[Boid Fink]

Oh jesus.

Who cares.

Gruden stays.

[karen anderson]

  Why are you all so sure he stays? Personal calls from the Glazers?  Did they consult any of you before they fired Dungy?

[Pick6]

i don't think anybody would buy that gruden's job was in jeopardy 2 years after the superbowl, the same year he finished paying the raiders for his services...besides, where was the storyline? was he itching to take the sexy cleveland browns job? maybe wannstedt's rickety dolphins with their aging defense and toothless offense were his dream job? and then there's the 49ers, who might have been plausible, had they not looked like the most hopeless franchise in football at the time.

the story here is gruden supposedly jumping ship for the opportunity to coach up 2 playoff ready teams about to part ways with superbowl coaches. no such story to be manufactured given the jobs available during our 5-11 season, not to mention he'd gotten an extension the previous offseason.

[DanTurksGhost]

not to mention he'd gotten an extension the previous offseason.

That's the only necessary response. And the only necessary response to the current noise is, basically, Gruden is here through 2007 barring something outrageous.

[dbucfan]

Dal - you are so .... inventive.  Have a great Thanksgiving.