is Joe Alleva an evil genius?

He says the outcome of the game didn't factor into the decision yet waits till after the game to tell Les. Is it possible he never intended to let Miles go but instead willfully tortured him by letting it blow up that his job was in jeapordy until finally breaking Les into accepting his firing, left with nothing but the regret of not doing something different?

Then after the game he tells him in the tunnel "Sike! I'm not firing you, you giant hat motherfricker! Now hire the right people and stay the frick out of the way or I'll cut your balls off!"

Was it all just a ruthless scare tactic, like the end of "The Game" with Michael Douglas?