Official Jon Gruden Thread XLIV

[2EastTnVols]

We all remember what a clusterF the process of hiring our athletic director. Out of nowhere, Currie is named. People are pissed and felt misled.

Same thing has happened in this situation with the same puppet master pulling the strings. The Haslam family have had way to much influence at UT and in Tennessee politics for way too long. Time for the family to go. Bill better not be named president or we will NEVER EVER get rid of their influence.

Can you please tell me the story of how Currie was hired, in as much detail as possible? From what I have heard, it seems to be close to being an illegal hire.

 

[BennesseeVols]

Email sent:

I am writing to you as a native Knoxvillian, University of Tennessee alumni, Walters Scholar, and long-time fan of Tennessee football. I have long been proud of my state, of the beautiful East Tennessee area, of our hospitality, and of course of our flagship school, the University of Tennessee. The day that I graduated was one of the most proud moments of my life, and I have proudly spoken of my alma mater and have continued to support the University in the 16 years since I graduated.

However right now, I have never been more ashamed of my school. John Currie, along with Beverly Davenport and whatever booster(s) supported this hire, has made a national embarrassment of the University of Tennessee. Greg Schiano? Somebody who was associated with the Penn State/Sandusky debacle was our first choice? Somebody who may have known that Sandusky was raping children and didn’t report it? After we had to settle a Title IX lawsuit?

Not to mention his football credentials: Somebody who barely had a .500 record in an easy conference? Somebody who by all accounts was more abusive to players and staff than Butch Jones? Somebody who LOST to Butch Jones?

The day after the WORST season ever in Tennessee football, and we were about to name this person as the leader of the University of Tennessee football program? As our first choice?

Really?

How are we supposed to take our children to games and cheer on a team led by this person? How are we supposed to accept that he will be leading and molding young men into decent, educated, upstanding citizens? How are we supposed to accept him as a leader in our community? How are we supposed to accept that this was the first choice for our distinguished school? In a season where there are plenty of available and qualified coaches and tremendous upheaval in the college football world?

After yesterday, we, the citizens of Tennessee, Tennessee alumni, and casual Tennessee fans, have zero faith in John Currie, Beverly Davenport, any member of the administration or any booster (Haslam) to make decisions for our university.

John Currie needs to resign, forcefully if needed, and a new Athletic Director needs to be appointed so that we can start this search over.

Our fanbase is passionate and proud, and we have supported our university through good times and bad. We deserve far better than this dumpster fire of an athletic program and this negative national publicity.

If things don’t turn around, you will lose the 100,000+ people that meet at Neyland Stadium on Saturdays in the fall, as well as all their money, merchandise sales, advertising revenue, and support of local businesses, not to mention the number of quality scholars and donor money for both athletics and academics. This will hurt the value of a University of Tennessee education. This will hurt the state of Tennessee and even more so the greater Knoxville community, and it will be entirely John Currie’s fault for being completely disconnected and tone-deaf to what is needed in this athletic program.

General Neyland is rolling in his grave right now, and I have never been more ashamed of and disappointed in our administration.

Well said.

 

[VinnieVOL]

We have to remove Currie and Haslam before we hire a coach. What happened yesterday was sabotage.

That being said, is Gruden still technically in play?

 

[superdave1984]

I can't believe this is true. The BOOSTERS help grease all the wheels, and I can't wrap my head around him lying to the majority while cuddling up with Haslam.

There has to be another part of the puzzle missing.

Haslam wants to be THE MAN and call all the shots. Currie is his puppet and together they are running the ship. Running it into a vortex, but still...

 

[Behr]

Thanks for all the “insiders” for giving us all false hope. I told myself after 2012 never again and I finally caved two weeks ago and started to believe. I hope the “insiders” feel good about this total crap show we are in now. Feeding the “Grumors” is part of the problem and not the solution for UT.

Also I hate message board etiquette and will never be back. Terms like “first” or posting nothing but “Gruden to the Hill” force people to scroll through pages of mindless crap to try and find the complete BS “inside info” that we are looking for. I don’t care what golf courses you like, I don’t care about what booze you are drinking. I want to know something relevant.

To all the real Vol fans just hoping for a savior I am with you. To all the insiders filling some void in their lives and needing this to feel relevant I hope you got what you wanted.

I like bourbon.

And turtles.

 

[tastycar]

That may be true, but it doesn't excuse them from coming in here and claiming that they know when in they really weren't 100% sure.

That ship has sailed. Please let this go.

 

[Skullbone]

John Currie, you totally screwed up the one thing you were tasked to do and now we're painted as the bad guys for being upset about it.

 

[AMBAVol07]

We have to remove Currie and Haslam before we hire a coach. What happened yesterday was sabotage.

I hope VC funding for academic interests is turned off until this mess is resolved in favor of the Vol Nation. If this is announced there might be more of a sense of urgency by the UT Administration.

 

[Vfl2407]

Here is what is needed
People marching thru campus near the Administration offices with signs that read:

This is NOT Haslam University .
NO More Haslam Hires

This would attract local and national attention.

 

[tastycar]

I like bourbon.

And turtles.

I like turtles quite a bit myself.

 

[schmalfungus]

So seriously, this is where we are now:
Cut- likely not leaving Duke. Too comfy.
Kiffin- Just don’t see I*t* happening.
Tee- UT legend, no HC experience.
Brohm- decent coach maybe
Miles- good coach

Problem is, there are a lot of openings right now, add FSU to the list if Jimbo takes A&M, with the sxxx show in Knoxville right now, it’s gonna be tough.

You mean Tee with no HC experience, like Phil Fulmer, a Tennessee Legend who was OC when hired as HC?

 

[HeadVol77]

I’ve been tweeting my a$$ off over there and then popping back over here.

#fireJohnCurrie
#fireBeverlyDavenport

LMAO

I quoted you but I wasn’t really addressing you

I was more or less adding to your response

Emails, phone calls & social media is what we ALL need to be doing

 

[Sara Clark]

Don't care if you like me, Sara. I am disgusted by my alma mater. I have tweeted my fingers to the bone and sent emails but for CURRIE TO STILL BE MAKING THIS HIRE is letting me know that everyone is tone deaf.

Sorry for being rude, but I'm lost in anger right now.

I didn't say I don't like you of course I do, one of my favorite posters... I said you're getting on my nerves. Currie doesn't have enough time to make a hire if he's fired quickly. You got this, pick yourself up and go to work.

 

[preacherwebb]

Beaver

the first post is clever and funny, but useless.
second post, now he's rowing in the right direction.

 

[rockyhdr]

What do we think of Les Miles?

He would be my first choice!

 

[Switch 625]

We have to remove Currie and Haslam before we hire a coach. What happened yesterday was sabotage.

Sabotage is what I suspected. From what I can tell, Haslam and Currie (probably Davenport, too) led all the other boosters along on Gruden with the plan to backdoor everyone with Schiano all along. They were hoping to get the deed done before anyone knew what was going on. And they would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids!

One other thing I noticed: Hyams was so sure Gruden was never in play, despite all the evidence to the contrary. This is because Hyams gets his info from Haslam and, of course, Haslam knew they were going to Shanghai the hire all along. If the had pulled it off, Hyams would have gloated and been even more insufferable!

Is this pretty close?

Give 'em hell, brother!

 

[SouthpawTN]

Can't believe people are still seriously asking if Gruden is in play lol. When he dies, hopefully a long time from now, will people be asking if Zombie Gruden is still in play?

 

[TenUhSee]

Twitter is highly effective, so if you have a twitter account. use it .

Joe Dipietro -- UT President - @UTPresidentJoe

Bev Davenport - UT Chancellor - @ChancellorDav


use #FIRECURRIE in your tweets

 

[tbones0711]

If Manning came out and rallied the fan base to make a big hire, it would happen in a heart beat. Instead he operates in the shadows as Haslam's pool boy.

Think Haslam may have dirt on him? I'm sure Haslam is that kind of player. Sad he don't tend the Browns properly and has a negative impact on UT.

edit: saw above where davethevol posted about the samething. weird things going on at UTAD.

 

[revjayp]

I can't believe this is true. The BOOSTERS help grease all the wheels, and I can't wrap my head around him lying to the majority while cuddling up with Haslam.

There has to be another part of the puzzle missing.

Tasty your becoming the Indians fan in Major League 2. Removing these clowns is paramount. Either get on board and do your part and stop butching and moaning about it, or find another thrread that suits you. This task isn’t “too high” for us. Yesterday proved it.

 

[austin_vol]

We have to remove Currie and Haslam before we hire a coach. What happened yesterday was sabotage.

can you please elaborate on what exactly they did to sabotage? also if you need funding for the plane we will gladly chip in to fly one over campus.

 

[tastycar]

I didn't say I don't like you of course I do, one of my favorite posters... I said you're getting on my nerves. Currie doesn't have enough time to make a hire if he's fired quickly. You got this, pick yourself up and go to work.

I'm working like heck (sorry, Phil) and I am less about who is hired now and more about who is fired and who can be forced out of the BoT.

Disgusted.

 

[superdave1984]

Can't believe people are still seriously asking if Gruden is in play lol. When he dies, hopefully a long time from now, will people be asking if Zombie Gruden is still in play?

Sounds like a great metal band name.

 

[MikeGolf M2 Vol]

Is Beaver .........Blackburn? Seriously though (Even after a finkle is einhorn comment or gif) I think he may be.....or he may be very close to Blackburn .....he is connected and I think he is from Chattanooga.....

 

[coffeevol]

We have to remove Currie and Haslam before we hire a coach. What happened yesterday was sabotage.

Seriously, this guy?