Though it pains me all the more to dwell on this, AND in addition does little to improve the situation in any way, having had if anything certain impressions only further reinforced I feel compelled to share them--unpalatable as they may be:
According to the one individual whom I know and understand to be a longtime "influencer" and confidant among those whom at least in turn participate in the discussions that ultimately lead to "who decides and what are the parameters?" regarding the direction and limiting factors in each phase of most ongoing UF Football decisions (while frankly conceding that the best I can do, despite a longtime personal connection, is to patiently wait until HE, though well aware of my great interest, is ready to tell me something, ANYTHING), even now, at this rather late stage in a confusingly vague process, having only just guessed this somewhat disappointingly anxious and frustrating confirmation of what solely my paranoia had begun to conclude on its own...
To wit: That it was OUR OWN PEOPLE, the UF "Search Team" led by Scott Stricklin, with the close paid partnership of this "Turnkey" organization and the supposed close oversight snd scrutiny of a number of wealthy, long-involved and active boosters, had THEMSELVES pulled out of negotiations with Kiffen and his agent due to a supposed "impression", on the part of Stricklin (who had long resisted Lane's hiring prior to this latest sequrnce) and the dreaded "certain others" (still unidentified) that "HE had lost interest", that "HIS people, suddenly more difficult to meet with, appear to be themselves moving on..."
In other words, Stricklin and his anti-Kiffen faction, despite a promised intent to fulfill a consensus (built around a number of highly wealthy and influential boosters, not to mention the bulk of Gator FANS solidly behind them) whom supported a clearly stated policy of "Lane or BUST!"/"Kiffen and ONLY Kiffen until HE comes right out and tells us NO!", had basically "moved on in THEIR search", without any such clear negation from Lane, based on a claim that THEY felt like "KIFFEN wasn't as interested as before"!
Now, it IS the opinion of a number of angry and frustrated individuals who've thus far been forced into a "wait and see what actually HAPPENS"-box (folks I personally completely agree with) that THIS ALONE, the above sneaky "end-run AROUND his earlier promises" hereby immediately qualifies Scott Stricklin for firing RIGHT NOW'...
BUT it sure LOOKS like we are going to have to wait until he sticks us with another failed hire at Head Football Coach before we'll finally be RID of him...and THAT of course implies ANY real change won't come, will not even BEGIN until AFTER we make another mediocre "gray man" a RICH man while he drives our program DEEPER into ignominy.
How long can we go, hemorrhaging money paying for past failures rather than for future greatness, before our growing irrelevance lodges us FOREVER in that dreaded "Second Tier", where "The Best", whether Coach or player, begin to do THEIR best to avoid?