RockyMountainSaint

Vilma suit outs Mike Cerullo as bounty whistleblower | ProFootballTalk
The latest Jonathan Vilma lawsuit blows the whistle on many things regarding the bounty investigation. It also blows the whistle on the notorious whistleblower.

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.

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saintfan

What? The source had an agenda? DOH!

The question is, does Roger care? I think the answer is "no", so long as he is able to hide behind the CBA. I LOATHE that man.

CharityMike

Look at that mug shot..you can tell he is a D-bag!

Beastmode

What's a fraudulant pretextual excuse? I have no idea what that means.

RockyMountainSaint

It means he lied.

My dog ate my homework.
My Maw-Maw died.
Aliens abducted me.

Beastmode

So the NFL may have perpetrated a scheme to clear themselves of lawsuits by claiming the Saints perpetrated a bounty scheme when in fact, the real scheme may have been perpetrated by someone trying to get back at the Saints all along who was also caught perpetrating a scheme and was fired...I think that pretty much sums up every bounty thread. Wait I almost forgot..there is no real evidence of anyone perpetrating any scheme.

CharityMike

And the winner for using the word "perpetrate(in singular and plural form" 4times in one sentence goes to....

AlaskaSaints

Again -

It all makes perfect sense if you just don't PUT ANY THOUGHT INTO IT.

LOL

Alaska

burningmetal

As much as it pains me to keep thinking about all this garbage, I still want to know why this can't be brought to federal court. I know the players were idiots for giving the commissioner total control in the new CBA, but just because he has the authority to make decisions shouldn't mean that he can make decisions without just cause.

This case absolutely HAS to be thoroughly investigated by an outside source, not associated with either party, or this will never go away. I still believe we are innocent of a vast majority of these claims, but even if we aren't, a true investigation followed by a public display of whatever findings come about would end the debate.

Yet somehow everything keeps coming back to Roger. I can't think of a bigger waste of time.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

TheOak

"Goodell only has safety in mind when he makes all of his decisions."


What that also fall into that category?