The original story for today — the one written yesterday afternoon before the agreement to end the lawsuit really raced toward completion — was about WVU’s court appearance this afternoon as it attempted to depose University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Athletic Director Bill Martin, but also to stamp out the highly suspicious role of one Dusty Rutledge.

Then, deep in the deposition, came the Hail, Mary. Mary, thy name is Dusty Rutledge.

Rutledge was Rodriguez’s video coordinator at WVU and he followed Rodriguez to the University of Michigan. Seems as if following the leader wasn’t anything new, either. Robon asked Pastilong if Rutledge was at WVU President Mike Garrison’s house Dec. 15, 2007, the night Rodriguez alleges Garrison told the coach WVU would not be fulfilling previous promises. Pastilong was not there, but said he heard Rutledge was.

Robon continued:

Q     Did you know that he overheard the conversation between President Garrison and Coach Rodriguez on (December) 15th, 2007? 

[WVU attorney] MR. FLAHERTY:  Object to the form of the question.

A     No.

So Rutledge was there and apparently overheard the conversation, though one wonders how admissible the idea of Rutledge with his ear to a glass and a glass to the wall will be in court. Then again, he was the video coordinator, so perhaps he put managed a covert recording of the conversation. Who knows?

Well, now we know and we know there was nothing. After all that was made about where Dusty was the night P-Rod met P-Garrison and what he overheard, after all the speculation that he might be able to contradict Garrison’s rendition with something more than a rather biased opinion, WVU attorney Jeff Wakefield said there was nothing.

“We have asked repeatedly in written discovery requests if there are any recordings Mr. Rodriguez and his representatives have or are or aware of and they have repeatedly denied that there are any,” said Wakefield, who added a recording would be inadmissible if one suddenly appeared.