The San Francisco Gate reported that University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin would face a deposition in his fight against the Oakland Raiders. Care to guess what Mr. Kiffin will be questioned about?

If you guessed lies, then you win.

“Kiffin’s deposition will focus on his repeated lies to the media, team and fans,” Raiders public relations director Mike Taylor said in an email Friday that was quoted on the Gate website. The Gate also provides this interesting information: “Tops on their complaint list was how Kiffin violated the NFL constitution, which was amended in March 2008 to require coaches to communicate with, respect and not embarrass ownership. For all the details, look for a longer story to post in these web pages with a copy of the letter. I like the part where they call out the Tennessee athletic director for dissing the Raiders.”

The letter was dated January 22, and you can view the PDF at SFGate.com, or you can read the text extracted from the pdf file below for your reading pleasure. In a nutshell it reveals that Kiffin lies and violates rules—sounds like his tenure so far in Knoxville.

January 22,2009 .
Dr. John D. Petersen
President
831 Andy Holt Tower
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN ,
37996-0180

Catherine S. Mizelk,,Esq.
719 Andy Holt Tower
Knoxville, TN
37996-0170

Re: Lane Kiffin

Dear president Petersen and Ms. Mizell:
In January, 2007 the Oakland Raiders had just finished forty-seven years of professional football. The team played in five Super Bowls with four separate coaches and four separate quarterbacks. It is the only team in the history of the National Football League to have played in Super Bowls in four decades.

During those illustrious decades, the team had the highest winning percentage in football, had many of the greatest players, many of the greatest coaches, and played in some of the greatest games with some of the greatest plays. In the past several years the team slipped during the leadership of several coaches, including your new head coach, Lane Kiffin, and these coaches were terminated. During the interview process Mr. Kiffin professed to know about the history and tradition of the Raiders, espoused it and said that he believed in it. He also said he would carry this forward with a high-powered offense, that he had great respect for the defensive coaches and publicly stated that the Raiders had great players.

Yet, Mr. Kiffin’s proclamations that he believed these things could not have been farther from the truth. Mr. Kiffin was found to be someone who broke NFL rules and made false statements that mislead the media, Raider fans, and the entire team.

Mr. Kiffin’s termination followed two written warnings and several verbal admonitions that he was in breach of his contract and must comply with the terms of that agreement and the NFL Constitution and By-Laws. Mr. Kiffin repeatedly failed to do so during his tenure with the Raiders and was terminated as a result of his multiple violations of his contract and continued insubordination. Unfortunately, the multiple breaches and misdeeds by Mr. Kiffin tarnished an organization that has stood for excellence for nearly fifty years and for most of that period of time had the highest winning percentage in professional sports.

Among a number of examples, at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in March, 2008, the NPL Constitution was amended to require every coach “to communicate openly and candidly with the principal owner andlor his designated representatives; to ensure that club’s ownership is informed on a complete and timely basis of all matters affecting the club’s operations; to respect the authority and responsibility of ownership to make decisions on behalf of the club; and to avoid actions that undermine or damage the club’s reputation or operating success. These obligations shall be fully implied and incorporated into any contract.” Mr. Kiffin failed to comply with this portion of the NFL Constitution but rather disregarded it.

Mr. Kiffin’s contract required that all of his services relating to coaching were “all subject to the direction and supervision of the General Partner of Club.” Mr. Kiffin failed to comply with this express term in his contract.

Mr. Kiffin’s contract also required that all of his duties supervising assistant coaches were “all subject to the direction and supervision of the General Partner of Club.” Mr. Kiffin failed to comply with this express term in his contract.

As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr. Kiffin is involved in arbitration with the Raiders. Not withstanding the fact that Mr. Kiffin must have told you about the pendency of this proceeding, we want to put you on notice of it, and the University’s involvement in some of the underlying facts.

For example, after the University hired Mr. Kiffin he induced one of the Raider assistance coaches, James Cregg, to breach his contract with the Raiders in order to begin immediate employment at the University. Mr. Cregg simply walked off the job prior to the completion of the Raiders’ season, discarding any intention to perform further services under his contract with the Raiders. At no time prior to his abrupt departure did Mr. Cregg seek permission to breach his contract, nor did he give any prior notice of his intent to do so. Mr. Kiffin was equally secretive in this regard and did not seek prior permission from the Raiders to lure Mr. Cregg to the University.

Then, when the Raiders’ Head Coach, Tom Cable, expressed his displeasure at this clandestine maneuver, Mr. Kiffin, used his platform as the University’s Head Coach, to launch yet another attack on the Raiders, as if there was nothing wrong in inducing an assistant coach to breach his contract during the season. As Mr. Kiffin’s employer that would seemingly place the University in the position of ratifying this behavior.

Furthermore, at the press conference that announced the hiring of Mr. Kiffin, Mr. Kiffin and your athletic director went out of their way to laugh at the Raiders, and referred to the team as “dysfunctional” and as always in a state of crisis. It is our view and that any such dysfunction was brought about by Mr. Kiffin during his period of time with the Raiders. His behavior, including violating the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, violating the NFL Constitution and team rules, and making intentionally false and misleading statements to the press about the Raiders, all contributed to his termination for cause by the Raiders. Those matters will be included in the arbitration that will involve Mr. Kiffin’s time over the next five months and include the public comments that Mr. Kiffin and others associated with the University have made concerning the Raiders.

Please also be aware that since your employee filed an arbitration claim in which he is seeking payment pursuant to his contract with the Raiders, the Raiders have made a request for all of his employment agreements with the University, not only his employment contract but any and all collateral agreements. It is highly likely that these various agreements will be the source of deposition and/or arbitration proceeding questioning in this matter. It is also quite possible that during the period of time for which Mr. Kiffin is seeking compensation from the Raiders he was also actively supplying information about the team to its opponents.

Over the past five decades many of the University’s greatest players have played or worked for the Raiders, including Willie Gault, Tee Martin, Mickey Marvin, Terry McDaniel, Reggie McKenzie and Bruce Wilkerson, among others. Mr. Kiffin has already used his position and authority with the University to damage the goodwill and reputation of the Raiders. It would be very unfortunate if the past history and association between the University and the Raiders is further discarded to suit Mr. Kiffin’s personal agenda in his apparently on-going efforts to damage the Raiders. It cannot be in the best interest of the University to continue to serve as his ally in his personal, though misplaced, war to rewrite the past.

Please understand that the Raiders intend to vigorously pursue all of its rights and remedies and we will not stand idly by as your employee continues to go out of his way to damage the Raiders.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions in this regard.

Sincerely,
Jeff Birren
Counsel

21 thoughts on “Kiffin Watch: Kiffin to face deposition Monday”

  1. Whooie don’t ya just love it! Our 2 most hated rivals have disasters for coaches! Lame Kitten is gonna implode like a supernova, and after Cheezbit loses all of Tubbys recruits and has to play his 3*s he’ll be catchin the next train outta town too! rtr!

  2. Yep UT, couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch of inbreds! Poor ole Smokey. He’s gonna be ashamed to go out to the sideline wearing that orange and white thing on his back and have to stand there with Lame Kitten for the whole country to see. How embarassing! rtr.

  3. TYPICAL CRAPSTONE REPORT MO!

    THIS IS TYPICAL OF THE BAMMER MORON NATION AND THE CRIMSON TURD PROGRAM. LIKE BAMMER CAN CAST STONES AT ANYONE AFTER THEIR DEBACLES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.

    OPINIONS ARE LIKE AS*SHOLES, EVERYBODY HAS ONE. THE BAMMER MORON NATION SHOULD TAKE ITS OPINIONS AND STICK THEM WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE.

    YOU IDIOTS SHOULD BE MORE CONCERENED WITH THE RAMPANT CHEATING THAT CONTINUES IN TUSCALOSER!!

    ON BEHALF OF THE VOL NATION; F*CK OFF!

  5. LOL…you’ve got to love the cheatin’ tide. You guys are always hopin’ that someone else will have the crap rep that you cheaters have. Bammers crack me up.

  6. Stupid Indiana Vol! If it does all of you penis envy shitheads good to think your pathetic schools and their athletic supporters are any more innocent than Bama, fine, we don’t give a crap what you think. Bama wouldn’t have been in trouble if you didn’t have a narc coach. Are you proud? Additionally, the University of Alabama did nothing wrong. It was rogue boosters who put together the money and gave it to Logan Young who gave it to Albert Means coach to give to Means. In this country only the frickin facists at the NCAA can penalize when there’s no direct involvement or control. Nazis! Oh by the way Dickhead, there is no Vol nation! They’re all hiding out, ashamed to show their faces or admit who they are after the beatdowns Bama put on you the past two years and now the nationwide embarrasment that is your head football coach! Orange neck inbreds! HEY VOLS, HEY VOLS! RAMMER JAMMER YELLOW HAMMER! BAMA BEAT THE HELL OUTA YOU! RTR!

  8. Hey E. G. White (aka BAMMER MORON)

    Same ole Crimson Turd bullshit! Bammer cheated, got caught and was punished. Yet you mullet tards still deny ant wrongdoing by Bammer. You have less brains than I give you credit for having. If you want to stick your head in the sand and believe Bammer did nothing wrong over the past 30+ years, then you truly are the most stupid people on earth. You are too stupid to read, so let me enlighten you. Steve Spurrier sent a letter to then Crimson Turd coach Dubose warning that Stevie knew what was going on in Memphis and would go to the SEC and NCAA if it continued. Obviously, it continued. How do you know that Spurrier didn’t turn in the Turd? YOU DON’T!

    Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. Take your opinions and stick UP YOUR ASS!

    By the way, I can’t wait for the NCAA to drop the rammer-jammer hammer on your cheating school again for this textbook fiasco. Hopefully, the NCAA will do what it should have done after the Means affair, close down the Crimson Turd football program and do all of college football a fover by ridding us of the most classless, inbred, loudmouth, idiotic fans in college football!

    rammer-jammer, yeller-hammer; GO TO HELL ALABAMMER!

  9. BTW EGGWHITE,

    What was Phil Fulmers’s record vs the Crimson Turd????

    HE OWNED YOR SORRY ASS AND THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING YOU OR ANY OTHER BAMMER IDIOT CAN DO ABOUT IT!

  10. It’s amazing how you sister humping inbreds know more about Bamas business than Bama does. Must be a hell of a life searching the internet 24/365 looking for info on Bama! When do you find time to eat, shit or hump your sisters? Yes, Spurrier had his nose in it and so did Auburn, brain fart. He knew what Young and others were up to. Doesn’t change the fact that it was boosters acting on their own. There wasn’t one red cent of Bamas money involved, nor were there any requests by the university administration or staff for Young to proceed. Therefore in any legal court of law Bama would have been innocent. Now did people within the administation know what was going on? Well, Bama admited as much. However, Bama cannot give orders or control the actions of rich American citizens and what they do with their money. If you think UT, AU and UF boosters don’t give $100+ handshakes too, then the syphilis has already reached your brain. You narc motherfuckers need to watch your own asses cause we are!

  11. Indiana Vol, does your little brother have hemorroids yet? Who gives a shit what Phat Phils record was against Bama? We beat him 3 out of the last 4 and ran his ass off! Guess he would have a good record against us after he narc’d us out and weakened the program dipshit! He never beat us down like we did him the last two years though! Stupid inbred bastard. You want to live in the past? Want to brag about your measly winning record over the past 10 years? Ok brain fart then we’ll just talk about the beatdown Bamas put on you and everybody else in the SEC during the past 100 years. We are your daddy mf’s. Oh by the way we owned the great General Neyland too! Go back to the movie Deliverence where you belong! The beatdowns coming again. This year 52 -0! RTR!

  12. EggWhite,

    You Bammer boobs know the NCAA is going to stick that rammer jammer hammer up your ass and lay the wood to you for cheating again. You are also worried that Kiffin is going to open a case of whoopass on the Crimson Turd this October and you are scared shitless! Keep towing the Bammer Moron Nation line because you are headed for a fall!

    BTW, BP and the boys laid a massacre on your Crimson Turd last night!

  13. That’s allright shit-for-brains, we’re without a coach and we beat your ass last week in your own house! Ha! Ha! I almost wish Bobby Knight would come. Then you could hate our basketball coach equal to our football coach! Your times coming with the NCAA dude. Kiffin brought from USC the thumb your nose at the rules attitude that’ll get your ass busted in the SEC. There’s only two teams that are gonna worry Bama on a regular basis and that’s UF and LSWho. UT has become irrelevant. Rtr!

  14. Indiana Vol…….Dont try to debate with E.G. It isnt fair to pick on the handicapped. You can plainly see that he has turretts syndrome. Leave the poor kid alone.

  15. And Ballplay, you are just jealous you don’t get so much attention. You are funny saying he is picking on the handicapped. What does that make you? You want to be buds with the influx of the inbred Tennessee fans that have settled here? Well, I guess ya’ll do have the same Bama site obsession in common. I guess since Auburn isn’t making any waves, you are starting to root for TN now. It doesn’t matter which one you root for really. Both will be taking severe ass whippings this season anyways, so ya’ll be sure to stick around. And that goes for you little boys too, Indiana Vol and Carol S Howes. Ya’ll please come back during the season so we can get some insight on all your excuses.

  16. Brandy……..”What does that make you”………I know you are but, what am I ? We aint in the 2nd grade anymore man. If you want to get on my nerves try another angle dooshbag. You act like your the quartback/Rampage Jackson. YOU wont be kicking anyones butt. The football team might, but not you. Internet nerd / armchair quarterback / dooshbag/ winemiester = brandy.

  17. Ballplay, I will bet if WE were in a cage match, I could make you tap out in the first minute.

    I didn’t say anything about me doing any ass whipping. I said: (Let me copy and paste here)
    Both will be taking severe ass whippings this season anyways, so ya’ll be sure to stick around.

    Did I say anywhere in that I was doing it? No, I think Bama is at least a few years ahead of Tennessee and Auburn, so I made a prediction for this season. You know it is coming again, so just used to it.

    But if I was talking about myself, it would be like, Ballplay, I will seriously kick your ass. Or something along those lines. You would know if I was referring to myself. Got it? But you understand that my favorite football team is going to beat your favorite football team this year. And Carols favorite team too. Does that sound better?

  18. Yes. It does sound better.

    What makes you so sure you could kick my tail ?

    Just askin?

    Maybe the way I type ?

  19. Ballplay, I was making a point about if I was referring to myself that you would know it. But yeah, if you look and act like the way you type, I could so kick your ass…

  20. Uhhhh…Nope. Dont think so. Do I type like a 6 foot 3 270 pound war machine ? You should go into the FBI for a profiling job if you figured that out.

    That, or your one bad mother.

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