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-   -   Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower (https://blackandgold.com/saints/50339-mike-cerullo-outed-nfl-whistleblower.html)

RockyMountainSaint 09-17-2012 09:41 PM

Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
League produces Cerullo declaration fo Vilma | ProFootballTalk
The NFL finally has outed the whistleblower.

After months of blurring the line between reasonably protecting persons who provided information confidentially and unreasonably shielding key witnesses from scrutiny, the league produced a declaration from former Saints assistant coach Mike Cerullo to Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma during Monday’s marathon meeting at 345 Park Avenue, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com.

Per Breer, Cerullo’s declaration contradicts portions of Gregg Williams’ declaration.

Hopefully, we’ll eventually have a chance to compare and contrast the allegations and explanations. Until then, the significant news is that the league has fully embraced its do-over, dramatically reversing course on a stubborn refusal to disclose Cerullo’s name.

Vilma’s lawsuit challenging his initial suspension contends that Cerullo blew the whistle, and that Cerullo had pledged revenge against the Saints and specifically assistant head coach Joe Vitt after Cerullo was fired in 2010. Cerullo had maintained a low profile throughout the bounty investigation.

saintfan 09-17-2012 09:52 PM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
Roger just wants Vilma's lawsuit to focus on someone else. He's now trying to throw yet another body under the bus to protect himself and his agenda. What a douchnozzle.

GeauxForMore 09-17-2012 09:58 PM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
Yea someone who vowed revenge against the Saints is the main person they have as their star witness to launch a investigation. Yea right.

|Mitch| 09-17-2012 10:03 PM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyMountainSaint (Post 440052)
Per Breer, Cerullo’s declaration contradicts portions of Gregg Williams’ declaration.

Really?! :rolleyes:

B005TED 09-17-2012 11:20 PM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
And the soap opera that is Godell continues............

TXGSP 09-17-2012 11:59 PM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
There are currently HOW MANY different stories?

How long will it take Der Kommisar to twist them all to fit his version of the truth?

SmashMouth 09-18-2012 04:41 AM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
:popcorn:

Halo 09-18-2012 07:56 AM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
LMAO
HEY SAPP
HOW YOU GONNA COMPENSATE SHOCKEY
FOR CALLING HIM OUT AS
THE WHISTLEBLOWER?

papz 09-18-2012 08:14 AM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
:needle:

saintsfan1976 09-18-2012 08:20 AM

Re: Mike Cerullo outed by NFL as the whistleblower
 
From a July story on PFT:

Quote:

Though it’s been widely rumored that former Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo is the person who resurrected the bounty probe by reaching out to the league office in 2011, Vilma’s civil complaint makes it clear that Vilma believes Cerullo created the present mess.

Vilma also believes that Cerullo is acting out of spite. At paragraph 105 of the complaint, Vilma alleges that the Saints fired Cerullo after he “disappear[ed] from the Club during the 2009 Season and provid[ed] a pretextual excuse that was shown to be inaccurate” and he “disappear[ed] from the Club during the week leading up to the Super Bowl in 2010, again giving a pretextual excuse that was shown to be inaccurate.”

After the Super Bowl win, Cerullo received “a cubic zirconia Super Bowl ring facsimile rather than a genuine Super Bowl ring, for which Cerullo has strenuously and vehemently expressed his resentment.”

At paragraph 106, Vilma alleges that Cerullo “pledged revenge against the Saints,” and particularly against assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt.

At paragraphs 107 and 108, Vilma alleges that the NFL “relied principally upon Cerullo’s statements” during the bounty investigation, and that the disciplinary decisions were based on the results of “multiple interviews” of Cerullo.

At paragraph 109, Vilma claims that Cerullo “retracted his previous claims” during an April 2012 communication with Goodell.

At paragraph 124, Vilma alleges that Cerullo created the notes regarding the persons who pledged money to the Brett Favre bounty “well after the 2009 NFC Championship Game and in an effort to gain revenge against the Saints for terminating his employment.”

If Vilma’s allegations are true, the bounty case against him and the other players has been seriously undermined.

It’s not the first time a disgruntled former employee has caused problems for the Saints. Former director of security Geoffrey Santini brought to light the Vicodin scandal that ensnared Vitt and coach Sean Payton. Also, it’s believed that a disgruntled former Saints employee provided information to ESPN regarding the fairly recent (but already largely forgotten) claim that G.M. Mickey Loomis had the ability to eavesdrop on opposing coaches.

And so the broader message to the Saints organization is either that they need to treat their employees better, so that they don’t become disgruntled and share secrets with others, or that they need to do a better job of screening applicants who could eventually tell lies about the organization. Or perhaps both.

For the league, the broader message is that there’s no longer any reason to protect Cerullo. He has been outed in a federal lawsuit. Release his notes and the summaries of all interviews to the players and their lawyers, and let’s see what Cerullo had to say.



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