(Our friend idjpg85 recorded the presser and is hosting it here.)

2:01 pm: The best thing about live events on News10.net's stream – the dead air before and after. Except the mics and cameras are live so you get to watch the media in their element. Always fun.

2:03 pm: Geoff Petrie thanked Muss for the energy and effort he put into the job.

2:04 pm: No existing list of candidates, says Petrie. Wants to talk to all current Kings assistants when he's back.

2:05 pm: Decision made so soon because speculation got heavy. "Unfair to let that drag on."

2:07 pm: It really sounds like this was solely Petrie's call. No mention of the Maloofs yet, lots of references to "I came to this decision." That's an interesting development, because the Adelman firing was solely the Maloofs.

2:10 pm: Petrie comes back from Europe on May 7. He danced around a question about the players' expressed feelings on Muss, which I can't imagine were favorable.

2:12 pm: Petrie says he recommended letting Muss go, and the Maloofs accepted that. He also said he was "leaning" toward letting him go before talking to the players on Thursday.

2:13 pm: One of my favorite things about Geoff Petrie: in these types of things, he's always in complete control of the room. It almost seems as if reporters are afraid to ask ridculous or harsh questions. Icy glare? Mullet of strength? Double-breasted jacket with no tie combo? Who knows. Whatever it is, it's awesome.

2:16 pm: Sam Amick stopped at Togo's on the way. Ailene Voisin takes copious notes; Amick rocks the voice recorder. Key.

Final thoughts: Petrie appeared to not be in full control of some parts of the past two seasons, with the Artest trade and Adelman firing and Musselman hiring and vetoed Bibby trade. This presser, if nothing else, showed me that Petrie wasn't sold on Musselman last year. But this firing decision, it was Petrie's and he made the quick, painless call. He took control back. This is his team again.

(A minor conspiracy theory, if you will: remember how John Whisenant was the front-runner for the job last summer? Obviously, Petrie wouldn't have supported that. Whisenant was a WNBA and small college coach, for God's sake. Petrie, an NBA lifer, would not have supported that. But it looked like it would happen. The Maloofs were puffed up about their call on the Artest deal, which looked like GENIUS last June. They thought they had this thing down pat. So Musselman comes in all prepared and stuff. Blows the Maloofs away. Petrie sense an opportunity to prevent having to reject the Maloofs' choice candidate and possibly having to put his own job on the line by accepting Muss, though he wasn't so hot to the guy. Denying Whisenant the job and making the Maloofs believe Muss was their guy was the key. That happened, Muss failed… and who's back in control? Petrie. No idea if this is all true, Petrie could very well have loved Muss last summer. But yeah, Petrie's power in the franchise got a net gain through all of this. I'm not going to doubt he's gully enough to sacrifice a season for the long-term benefit of the franchise. This hire will be his call, and I'm 100 percent happy about that.)