just so you know, 3 replicas were built for the movie and the garage crash was a prop; 1 of the fakes sold in '20 for $300k; the real ones (56 made) fetch $20m+
sloan did not age well
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https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/longhorns/football/2025/10/29/athletic-reporter-uses-thin-logic-defend-sarkisian-nfl-interest-story/86966130007/
Last Saturday morning, hours before the Mississippi State game, a report set the internet and social media on fire. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was angling for an NFL job, specifically the open Tennessee Titans head coaching job. The reaction from Sark and his agents was swift and angry.
Russini said in her story, "Representatives for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have let NFL decision makers know that he would be interested in potential head coaching openings, including the Titans."
The Athletic scribe didn't give any more information beyond that sentence, which is included within several tidbits Russini added in the "Final Thoughts" section of the article. But the short passage became the lead on the Athletic's social post promoting her NFL rumors column.
In a very rare move, Sark's agents responded on social media. Sark has the biggest agents in college coaching, Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz. Both work for Creative Artists Agency, one of the largest agencies in the world. CAA put out a statement strongly refuting the report from the Athletic.
"Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate. Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team," Sexton and Marynowitx said in a statement.
After beating the Bulldogs in overtime 45-38, Sark also angrily responded to the story in his post-game press converence.
“It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that in turn, the entire media, sports world runs with as factual. To the point of my agency and my agents have to put a statement out that they have never have done. Historically, CAA, Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz have never done that. But I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out." - Texas coach Steve Sarkisian
Russini appeared on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and basically laughed off Sark and his agents denials. She even sort of mocked the reason behind the denials as almost self-serving.
"No, it's horrible! When you're the head coach at Texas and you've got recruits visiting and its game day and you got NIL and just all the weird landscape of college now that goes with this. ... In 2025, there are just so many different factors ... with the portal and players wanting to maybe leave if they don't trust that their coach is going to be there. There's a lot of layers." - Athletic reporter Dianna Russini on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Russini went on to say she understands the backlash, but Sark and his camp never actually said he wants to stay at Texas.
"They have every right to be mad. (chuckles) Unfortunately, they never added that Steve Sarkisian wants to stay at Texas, right? They just said, 'This is not true. We did not talk to any NFL teams.'" - Athletic reporter Dianna Russini on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Basically, Russini takes the position that because in the rare, unprecedented (and in Sark's case) angry public denial of the story, Sark and his agents didn't ADD that Sark wants to stay at Texas for life, thus the story is true. It is a very flimsy argument.
Sark says his inner circle that know his career decision making thought process is small.
"I’ve got a small circle when I make decisions on what I do and what I don’t do, and nobody would speak on my behalf without me knowing. And so where that report came from, I’d love to talk to that person.” - Texas coach Steve Sarkisian
Russini says, her source isn't anyone from Sark's inner circle.
"Jimmy Sexton and Steve Sarkisian, you know just to be clear, the reporting I did did not come from them. Like Steve didn't call me on Saturday morning and be like, 'Hey, like report this!'" - Athletic reporter Dianna Russini on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Russini then goes on to further justify her story by saying because she thinks Sarkisian has thoughts about coaching in the NFL. Her story is fair because Sark is keeping his options open.
"Does Steve Sarkisian have thoughts about coaching in the NFL? Absolutely. I think its totally fair and understanding to say that Steve Sarkisian is always going to keep his options open. He should. It would be smart business for Steve to always have options outside of Texas." - Athletic reporter Dianna Russini on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Her last point is fair and logical. But that's not what she reported. She didn't say Sark has general interest in coaching in the NFL someday. Or that in the future, Sark and the University of Texas might part ways. Of course all of those things are true.
But, even though the "report" was only one sentence, it was very specific to the Titans. Russini didn't say she thought someday Sark would jump to an NFL team. She named a specific team that she was told Sark was going after.
When you peel away the layers of the onion in this story, Russini looks worse and worse. And she could be right. Sark could be angling for an NFL job. But they way it was reported was amateurish and easily dismissed.