"We're not commenting on that," Andy Antrobus, MCCA spokesperson, tells Globest.com, referring to the rumors of Upton being fired. Antrobus refers to Gloria Larson's statement that, "It's a personnel decision." But sources close to the project tell GlobeSt.com that the rumors are true. "I'm pretty sure he is," says the source. "The timing is certainly up in the air but it looks like that's a strong possibility."

The possibility looks even stronger with the recent news that the MCCA board reportedly wants to appoint James Rooney, city Mayor Thomas M. Menino's current chief of staff, as CEO of the convention center project. But GlobeSt.com's source insists that the two decisions are not related. "It's a reasonable conclusion," the source says, "that with Rooney coming in Upton is out but there is no direct correlation at all."

The source tells GlobeSt.com that there is a belief that Upton wants this story out so that he looks like he is being unfairly blamed for the center's recent problems. "He's really making himself look like the fall guy," the source points out. "He sensed the axe was going to fall and he has waged a great effort to make himself the fall guy when that's not the case."