RUMOR PATROL — MSNBC's Chris Matthews has spent a good portion of the last year dodging rumors he's gunning for a Pennsylvania run for U.S. Senate. But helping quash that storyline was gossip that he was using speculation about his political ambitions to assist him in contract negotiations with MSNBC, which could show him the door as early as next summer. But what if neither of these scenarios is true, and Mr. Matthews is instead headed to the great halls of academia?

Despite MSNBC president Phil Griffin this week trying to silence rumors about Matthews leaving the network for a Senate run by saying "if he were running for office, he wouldn't be on TV," a tipster suggests another scenario::

I'm a '74 graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. That's where Chris Matthews went…before my time. But, the alumni grapevine [via "top Jesuits at [the] college"] is buzzing with the news that the MSNBC thing and the Senate run are both dead wrong and that Matthews is about to enter the world of academia as a political science professor. They'll even provide him w/plane service between D,C, and Mass.

And if Matthews is really lucky, Holy Cross' endowment wasn't affected by Bernie Madoff, and they can afford to purchase one of General Motor's private jets for a steal to usher the Hardballer around in style. You know, so he can still feud on-air with Keith Olbermann whenever the mood arises.