Official Jon Gruden thread XLI

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OrangePill

OrangePill

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Per Freak's request please start #42 at 6,500 posts. Another reminder from Freak:

Based on a couple emails I’ve received today, I feel the need to reiterate that THiS IS A PRO-GRUDEN thread.

If you don’t believe any of the hype, simply move to the Mullen or Norvell threads, or any other thread on the site for that matter. This particular thread isn’t for you.

This is a lighthearted thread for those who are having a blast following all the Gruden rumors and wish to do so with other fans.

We don’t need trolls, anti-Gruden folks trying to stir the masses, or self appointed mods trying to call out others in here.

It’s not for everyone. I get that. But it is what it is and many of us have enjoyed the ride so far, however it turns out.

Please make sure this post makes it to the top of the next Gruden thread. If not, please report that post and remind us to include it. Also please report obvious trolls who are clearly here only to harass and incite. I’m not referring to those sharing respectful opinions. The difference should be obvious to most.

Thanks for reading.

Go Vols.

EDIT: Just to be clear, since everyone likes to spin things, in no way am I stating that civil respectful discussions are not allowed.
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#5
#5
happy_headbang.gif
 
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#11
#11
Murge

Edit: I'm saying the "JG to the Hill" announcement will be in thread 45.
(In honor of Johnny Majors)
 
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#20
#20
1st page!

mrmax86's Guide to the Gruden Threads (v3.1.41):

I’ve been putting together data using the number of times we’ve all been posting since the beginning of the Gruden Threads. [post=14636836]Here[/post] is a list of all, and [post=14641566]here[/post] is the top poster from each thread.

Below is user Atlanta Vol’s important post regarding coaching search details (click the Spoiler button):
Atlanta VOL said:
Watching this thread when I can I must admit can be pretty entertaining. Trying to catch up on a flight as we speak. Couple of bullet points to keep some folks that have really bad information in check here...and that’s really all I can do at this point again have to protect the university, the process, and my relationship with it. Everyone will know when we have a new hire...

1. Gruden was not at Calhouns yesterday.
2. Currie primarily flies commercial on UT business..guy is a hustler and should be respected for that.
3. No need to ever track wheels up planes those are not being used for UT business
4. The vast majority of meetings are NOT happening in any location that would “make sense” (Ie, Knoxville etc)
5. Great lengths have been gone into keeping the tail numbers etc that are being used different from ones that have really ever been posted in here before. Take into account my company alone has 5 planes now that may or may not be used all of which none of those tails are known...so imagine how many others are out there. Additionally usually the registration of said planes are done with essentially phony LLC’s in states other than where the planes are used or kept that have no connection to anything that could ever get traced back to an individual.
6. There is a sense of urgency to get this done as quickly as possible but you can’t force someone’s hand purely with $$$. If it were that easy we would have someone already.

I hope everyone who was able to go to game yesterday enjoyed the experience as much as possible. I was bummed that the weather sucked....first time in box for entire game for me in a long time.

I am around a bit today relaxing preparing to turn and burn for the holiday week...I wish each and everyone of you and your families a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. Take time to hug your wife, kids, and parents if they are still around. That’s what its all about.
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Below is user [redacted]’s detailed synopsis of Gruden's deal and the coming days (click the Spoiler button):
Enjoy... I'm not sure there is much more for me to find out at the moment. I'll let you know if I hear anything new, but at this point I believe we're just waiting for an announcement.

Buyout:
  • Buyout terms were agreed upon prior to the Tampa meeting.
  • Don't know the exact terms, but was told that it is "very open on both ends" allowing both sides an easy exit.
  • Gruden's agent initially wanted them to have a liquidated-damages clause of 0 and Tennessee wanted a mutual buyout. This was the eventual compromise.

Endorsements:
  • Since first contact a major source of contention has been Gruden's current and future endorsements.
  • Frankly I don't think my two sources know how this ended up turning out and they acted like it may still be an issue.
  • As best as I understand it, Gruden does not want Tennessee meddling in his endorsements, while Tennessee is adamant that he will need to drop endorsements.
  • I got the feeling money wasn't the issue, but it was more of an issue of principle with Gruden.

Additional contract info I picked up:
  • Gruden has an out-clause on his ESPN contract. No buyout.
  • Was told a contract length of 4 years by one person, other did not know.
  • 3 leased vehicles.
  • "Around 25" season tickets.
  • Bonus of 1m.
  • Not as heavily incentivized as rumors have said. Base salary is pretty close to total salary.
  • Around 9m with around 1.5m in bonuses.
  • I wasn't given exact numbers on the salary so I would take that number with a grain of salt.

Staff:
  • Most of the staff-related issues I referenced two days ago I found out centered around Tee Martin.
  • Gruden has placed a great deal of importance on Tee due to his recruiting prowess.
  • Gruden has made it clear that he does not want to be on the road recruiting every single free night, and he feels (whether right or wrong), that having Tee on staff will take a lot of that pressure off of him.
  • When Tee was contacted 2 weeks ago it appeared as if there would be little to no resistance on either side if Gruden was hired. Things became complicated late last week when Tee was contacted by Georgia Southern. Another source I talked to said he's also been contacted by UTEP, but I'm not as confident in that source.
  • Tee is currently in limbo and no one I talked to knows who a potential replacement would be.

Timing:
  • Gruden has no interest in coaching this year.
  • He will not coach vs. Vanderbilt regardless of when an announcement is made.
  • If we somehow win the next 2 games he would be involved in the bowl preparation.
  • Due to that he prefers an official announcement on 11/28, with controlled leaks beginning on 11/26.
  • As of 2 days ago the AD had pushed for an announcement on 11/21 with controlled leaks beginning on 11/20.
  • Not sure what they've agreed on to be honest.

Source Confidence that deal is done:
  • I was able to talk to 2 of my 3 sources face-to-face yesterday and they both say that the deal is done.
  • Last time I talked to my main source they seemed confident as well.
  • I have no reason to doubt them.
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Below is user HearForGrumors Manifesto of the Great Gruden Conspiracy (click the Spoiler button):
HearForGrumors said:
The HearForGrumors Manifesto on the Great Gruden Conspiracy of 2017

It is true what they say, "No one does a coach search like Tennessee."

I've decided to name a portion of the ongoing shenangians the "Great Gruden Conspiracy of 2017" (GGC). There is so many moving parts, players, and contradictory facts it is absolutely insane. Here are my views on the major players and the conspiracy, take them as you like.

I am split on the VolNation crowd. Half are brilliant, kind, inquisitive and generous types. The other half can only be explained as troglodytes (intentionally ignorant, in case you didn't bother to define that word).

To start, let's clear some low hanging fruit.

On Atlanta VOL:

This guy is legit. Here's a fact that should solidify his legitimacy. Yesterday evening, he called the AD and had tickets reserved for a stranger in minutes. Any of us outsiders would still be on hold in the amount of time it took for him to resolve the issue. He has dozens of tickets to every home game. He is assuredly in upper management for a business that owns 5 airplanes (that is nuts).

I don't believe he is involved in the GGC. However, I do very much believe he is involved, in some capacity, in the coaching hire. Anecdotally, I remember back in OGT-XXII, or thereabouts, that a poster said something to the effect of, "Nobody is looking in Currie's eyes and hearing things from his mouth..." AV replied, "I do frequently look in his eyes. I meet with him...." The dude is connected to the program, deeply connected.

On the conspiracy itself:

I do believe there is an orchestrated effort underway to influence the fanbase, and by proxy the administration. I believe that the big money players saw the insanity of 2012, and realized how underutilized the fanbase was in influencing the coaching hire. As is frequently reported, we missed on Gruden last time because the AD, et al., couldn't get out of their own way.

In 2012, this site, and all the other TOS's, were full of insanity (much like today). Insiders, plane tracking, etc. Folks reading into every word that was posted. People looking to connect dots that may or may not even exist. I believe they realized that they could influence the hire relatively easily, and concocted the strategic plan that is being currently executed.

I won't speculate on the details, and I think it is irrelevant. Some folks with a lot of money and power got together and decided they would push hard on the administration. They had intimate knowledge of how the University functions, and what the interests were for all parties. I don't believe the conspiracy involves all the groups, and it may only be one group. That much is irrelevant.

Essentially, I believe the conspirators (the "think tank" and the backing money guys) figured out a way to leverage a variety of assets and interests on all sides. They brought more people to the table this time.

In my practice, I believe that, with limited exception, every time another stakeholder is added, the total value of any deal gets better. (Think the Stone Soup parable, except with only three people you have bone broth, carrots, and a rock.)

The fact that the AD, AA, boosters, major corporations, VC funds, etc. may be involved means that everyone is in a position to benefit. There are so many aligned interests among these groups its not even funny. The hard part is forcing them to take action.

Humans can be incredibly lazy and inefficient. The conspirators found a way to frame their interest (and a method of obtaining them) through the fractal of this coaching hire. It should not be understated, this is the most brilliant part of their plan (the call to action disguised as independent self interest)

Thus, I believe that Bubba, MIT, and likely some other recent posters conspired to play their game. I personally think its brilliant. I only wish I could have been a part of it; it sounds delightful.

On Bubba:

Bubba is the most cryptic and bizarre piece of this puzzle. (Two posts after 10 years of holding the account? For real!?) Never posts much more than a riddle or two. His mentions of VC firms, etc. are almost assuredly intended to bump us down a pathway. I believe his role is to widen the scope of our intellectual pursuits. He has astonishing credibility, which is funny, because his posts are the most far fetched and bizarre (Bitcoins, anyone).

He's here to appeal to the investigators among us. The SFD's, Hawks, Squints of the community. He's here to get us to the point we are at now. This community easily talks about Ergen, Dish, VC firms, the AA, the AD, Davenport, etc. like they are family members. None of that happens without Bubba leaving breadcrumbs for us to follow.

On the Beaver:

I believe the Beaver is legit. His role is to be the ring leader of this circus.

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR XX-XXVI, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!

Part of the reason that many people have trouble believing the Beaver is that they weren't here in the beginning. That account had hundreds of posts wiped clean! The Mods went through and deleted his entire post history. So, there's lots of info that is no longer available.

It amuses me when some new guy strolls into thread 38 and declares the Beaver to be a troll based on what the guy has tweeted in the last week. The credibility gaining phase of his purpose ended weeks ago. He declared (before Halloween) that he would do nothing further to vet his credibility, and he hasn't since.

However, throughout this process he has been our Sherpa. He led us onto the path of Gruden very early, essentially establishing that the time was ripe. That Butch needed to go, that the boosters were prepared, and that Gruden was the target. Honestly, who knows how involved all the actors were, but the path he's led us down sure looks like it gets close to the summit.

Like it or not, the Beaver's been influential enough that even his choice of language has become the lexicon of the Grudenites. He has changed this search process, it is undeniable.

I personally believe he is the stalking horse for our whale hunt. His presence (and the others who associate with him) have provided insane data sets for anyone involved to use. Whether it be to show JC how valuable this hire would be, to demonstrate to the UT Administration how many people would not accept a mediocre hire, or to show JG how much love he really has here - the data from this experiment was useful to someone in the process.

TO those who attack Beaver's credibility:

(1) If you think that he had every comment scripted - you're wrong. He's just working towards an objective. He's fluid, and flexible. Judging him based on mistakes, choice of language, etc, is a huge mistake.

(2) Does he act particularly douchey? Well, yes. But, he is playing a caricature. His role is to be flamboyant, flashy, outrageous, etc. Without his "Bro-flavored" attitude, his comments wouldn't be as memorable. I bet in his personal interactions the tone is significantly dialed down. (I think his more recent posts reveal not only his natural tone, but his intellect).

(3) He doesn't use all the words of VC firm pitches? WHO CARES!!! He's speaking to a message board where likely < 50% of readers have a college degree and <5% even knew what a VC firm does. He wouldn't need to use all the terms precisely, he just needs to get us acquainted with the possible ways that stakeholders can benefit.

(4) He's been vetted by AV - sufficient to note that he is not a kid in his parents basement. That's satisfactory to get past the threshold of credibility.

(5) "Done Deal" was always mentioned and justified with a game theory approach. The confidence comes from knowledge of the interests and values of all sides involved. If you know what the boundaries are, figuring out a range of acceptance for all parties isn't too difficult.

(6) "These guys don't miss." The people who really put together big deals like this do enough back ground research to ensure that the offer they put together is within the tolerances of all parties. When you reach a hurdle, you find a solution, or you abort the project. The fact that we are where we are means that either (a) they accounted for any potential hurdle and/or (b) no unexpected hurdles appeared. Ultimately, it's a easy statement to justify.

On the "Others":

I don't know that there are too many other individuals actively involved in the conspiracy at VN. However, I do believe that there are lots of different accounts that may be involved. Perhaps, MIT of Bubba's main account is involved to some extent?

The ups, and downs, feel bizarrely coordinated. I see no value in knowing why, because there are numerous equally likely potentials. (1) They want to show the despair of people thinking that JG isn't coming (to persuade). (2) they are assisting in controlling the reveal (3) they are manipulating the data for another purpose...

I just feel strongly that the value of having additional points of influence is too high (pivot points) when compared to the cost of development (making another account and waiting for Freak to approve). To the extent that a substantial amount of effort has been put in, they would take the minimal extra step to magnify their effectiveness. It would be like walking 5 miles for $20, but refusing to go another 100 yards for an additional $20.

Conclusion:

I personally believe the smoke. I believe those who have come and said we got our guy. I believe we got the white whale. I believe we have been playing secret agent since then. I believe that we are coming down the homestretch on the finest horse the world will ever know.

Have we all been trolled? MAYBE!!! But, if you don't see the mystery and intentionality you either lack the intelligence to see the pattern or you lack the effort to discover the clues.

It's a profound amount of effort and coordination. And, maybe it's all make believe. All I know is there is enough meat on those bones to sate my skepticism. There's enough justifications to continue believing. And finally, it's been a whole lot more enjoyable than watching our boys on the field most Saturdays this season.

EDIT: PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS WHOLE THING! It'll kill the usefulness of the pages.
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Audio/Video of Gruden's 11/15/17 appearance on Mike and Mike below, where he doesn't deny the rumors and says "As you know in life, you never say never to nothin" (click the Spoiler button):
[twitterv]930777880291835904[/twitterv]
Below is video of Jon Gruden’s interview on Seattle radio, where he brings up Rocky Top un-prompted, and the announcers discuss how he asked them not to ask him about the rumors (click the Spoiler button):
[twitterv]931213488680263680[/twitterv]
Below is the comprehensive list of all Official Jon Gruden Threads (click the Spoiler button):
  • [thread=170135]Jon Gruden thread (merged)[/thread]
  • [thread=174150]Official Jon Gruden Thread II (merged)[/thread]
  • [thread=175559]Official Jon Gruden Thread III[/thread]
  • [thread=176242]Official Jon Gruden Thread IV[/thread]
  • [thread=176862]Official Jon Gruden Thread V[/thread]
  • [thread=177953]Official Jon Gruden Thread VI[/thread]
  • [thread=179002]Official Jon Gruden Thread VII[/thread]
  • [thread=179427]Official Jon Gruden Thread VIII[/thread]
  • [thread=180280]Official Jon Gruden Thread IX[/thread]
  • [thread=180682]Official Jon Gruden Thread X[/thread]
  • [thread=181172]Official Jon Gruden Thread XI[/thread]
  • [thread=181587]Official Jon Gruden Thread XII[/thread]
  • [thread=181912]Official Jon Gruden Thread XIII[/thread]
  • [thread=182223]Official Jon Gruden Thread XIV[/thread]
  • [thread=182757]Official Jon Gruden Thread XV[/thread]
  • [thread=183227]Official Jon Gruden Thread XVI[/thread]
  • [thread=280101]Official Jon Gruden Thread XVII[/thread]
  • [thread=280784]Official Jon Gruden Thread XVIII[/thread]
  • [thread=281025]Official Jon Gruden Thread XIX[/thread]
  • [thread=281136]Official Jon Gruden Thread XX[/thread]
  • [thread=281426]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXI[/thread]
  • [thread=281622]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXII[/thread]
  • [thread=281796]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXIII[/thread]
  • [thread=281970]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXIV[/thread]
  • [thread=282227]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXV[/thread]
  • [thread=282380]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXVI[/thread]
  • [thread=282491]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXVII[/thread]
  • [thread=282592]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXVIII[/thread]
  • [thread=282761]Official Jon Gruden Thread XXIX[/thread]
  • [thread=282916]Official Jon Gruden Thread 30[/thread]
  • [thread=283019]Official Jon Gruden Thread 31[/thread]
  • [thread=283120]Official Jon Gruden thread 32.[/thread]
  • [thread=283330]Official Jon Gruden Thread 33[/thread]
  • [thread=283486]Official Jon Gruden Thread 34[/thread]
  • [thread=283575]Official Jon Gruden Thread 35[/thread]
  • [thread=283660]Official Jon Gruden Thread 36[/thread]
  • [thread=283720]Official Jon Gruden Thread 37[/thread]
  • [thread=283820]Official Gruden Thread 38[/thread]
  • [thread=283948]Official Gruden Thread 39[/thread]
  • [thread=284082]Official Jon Gruden thread XL[/thread]
  • [thread=284202]Official Jon Gruden Thread XLI[/thread]
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  • [post=14325744]preacherwebb's GIF Posting Guide[/post]. Come in here with negativity and he'll put you on his LIST.
  • [post=14448286]How to change your settings to 50 posts per page[/post]
  • [post=14437150]How to multi-quote[/post]
  • [post=14381180]How to link Twitter posts on VN[/post]
  • Other VN BB Code Details
  • Need a summary of the latest goings on? Grand Vol summarizes it all for you every morning, midday, and evening. Check Here to find the latest iteration of "The Grude News".
-------------------------------------------------
  • THIS IS THE JON GRUDEN THREAD. Not The Dan Mullen Thread, or the Scott Frost Thread, or the Chip Kelly Thread. Get it?
  • NO POLITICS.Doesn't matter if you voted for Trump, Hillary, Peyton, or Rupert.
  • NO TROLLING. Quit playin’ games with our heart.
  • Everybody be nice, or Freak will boot your butt. Just ask Grude_Awakening. Pecker. Need an example of what's allowed and not allowed? [post=14635331]Freak has you covered[/post].
  • Most Vol Nugs are crap. Please refrain from posting and quoting them.
  • Our AD is John Currie, not Curry like chicken curry, and not Jon.
  • It's Jon Gruden, not John.
  • It’s Haslam, not Haslem.
  • It’s Charlie Ergen, not Ergin.
-------------------------------------------------
  • Plane tracking is encouraged.
  • Off-topic discussion is acceptable.
  • Please keep everything as PG as possible! Standard VN rule there.
  • Remember when this is all done, Gruden or no Gruden, these threads have made some fond memories for all of us. Let’s make it memorable!
 
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