Not everyone is on Ann Curry's side with her firing from Today: just ask Brian Stelter. The New York Times reporter has just released a new book, Top of the Morning, in which he accused Ann of not being good at the job. Stelter claims that not only was Curry's incompetence the reason for her firing, but Stelter also accused Curry of being a primary reason that Today fell behind in the ratings against Good Morning America after 15 years.

Speaking on Piers Morgan Live, Stelter slammed rumors of a conspiracy firing by Lauer and said that NBC's main mistake was promoting Curry in 2011 and not taking the time to find a suitable replacement to sit with Lauer.

"That was the fatal mistake. Promoting her in the first place is where things started to go wrong. Removing her was the right thing to do by lots of different measures but it was just done the wrong way," said Stelter.

In his book, Stelter wrote that Curry "was pretty bad at the job" and "wasn't getting a lot of support to get better." Anonymous producers at the show have also accused Curry of being unreceptive to feedback and constructive criticism regarding her on-air reporting, even alleging that she broke down in tears in a producer's office at one point.

Curry tearfully announced her departure from Today in June 2012, and many people believe that Lauer worked behind the scenes to get her booted from the show. Producers who spoke off the record also believe that Curry may have been a pawn and collateral damage for the failings of executive management.

Last week, Kathie Lee Gifford tried to take out a one-page ad in USA Today showing support for Lauer and had collected hundreds of signatures from fans and Today show employees, but Lauer asked her to "keep it in the family" and not run it.