It’s an interesting world we live in when a player essentially accusing a former coach of trying the lose the Super Bowl is only the third-weirdest story involving someone with a Notre Dame football connection to emerge this week, but in the wake of former Irish receiver Tim Brown insinuating Bill Callahan did just that against the Bucs in 2003, that’s where we are. So does Brown have a point? Well… not that we can tell. More after the jump.

Jon Gruden will not be the next coach at the University of Tennessee, which is probably for the best for all involved. But that won’t keep the Gruden-to-UT rumor from coming up every time Tennessee look for the coach… no matter how predictable the end result.

Last night, it was rumored that Jon Gruden had been offered the head coaching gig at Tennessee. This is about par for the course with everyone’s favorite excitable ESPN announcer: at some point during the season, Gruden’s name is going to come up when you’re talking about high-profile openings. But there was a unique wrinkle to this latest Gruden rumor. More, after the jump.

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, it’s time for Jon Gruden to feel like a coach again and grill some of the draft’s top quarterback prospects. This year, though, we wonder how much the top two prospects are going to give him to critique. See one example of what we mean after the jump.

ESPN announced today that your Monday Night Football announcing lineup will be a little bit leaner next season.

Tales of Jon Gruden’s all-encompassing devotion to football are legion. Last night, he offered us another reminder of why.

Media fiiiight. Pereira, FOX’s Rules Analyst (you know him as the guy who breaks down coach’s challenges during football games), via his column: “I am not a fan of Gruden’s. Not today, not yesterday, not when I worked for the NFL and not when I was working on the field as a side judge. He was a loudmouth as a coach who constantly disrespected officials and he is a blowhard in the broadcast booth who spouts off when he doesn’t know what he is talking about.” Oh, snap. [FOX Sports]

Because they want to make everyone feel bad about themselves, Sports Illustrated has conducted a poll of NFL players in which they’re asked to name their least favorite commentators. I find Cris Collinsworth to be pretty good at what he does. Apparently, pro football players don’t share that sentiment.

Jon Gruden is an intense guy. You know this. The “Chucky” nickname, the cartoonishly straining look he got on the sidelines all the time. But for now, he’s not coaching. Has the time away from the meat grinder taken his edge off? Not so much.

On Monday, ESPN announced that NFL analyst Jon Gruden would remain with the company for the next five years. The deal is an exclusive one that will keep Gruden (who seemed to be rumored as a candidate for every coaching vacancy since 2008) out of coaching, and in Bristol.

Understandably, the mood last night in the Monday Night Football booth was a jovial one.