Pro Football Talk: why Len Pasquarelli is so upset about Gibbs coming bacck to DC

TC4 · January 8, 2004

Okay, I realize this IS Pro Football Talk here, but this time they could just be onto something with this one:

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

VINNY VEXED OVER GIBBS HIRE?

Len Pasquarelli's scathing commentary regarding the decision of Joe Gibbs to return for a second tour of duty as the head coach of the Redskins was, on the surface, an example of an independent-minded journalist expressing well-reasoned dissent to a move that generally has been applauded by the media.

Among many other digs directed at Gibbs and owner Dan Snyder, Len says that "[t]he first reaction upon hearing that Gibbs has accepted the proposal of [snyder] was to wonder if the coach had suffered what heretofore will be known as a Britney Spears Moment." (Calling it a Matt Millen Moment would have been both more topical and more alliterative, but we like the Britney line nevertheless.)

To the average fan, Len's piece shows that he's got the sack to sock it to guys like Snyder -- to tell it like it is, like it should be.

To the trained eye, however, Pasquarelli's column indicates that not everyone within the Redskins organization is thrilled with Gibbs' return.

It's no secret in league circles that Redskins vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato and Pasquarelli are pals. Cerrato, most league insiders presume, has been feeding inside information to Pasquarelli, which in turn helps Pasquarelli placate his bosses at ESPN.com.

Pasquarelli, recognizing that it's a back-scratching business, surely has from time to time exercised editorial discretion in Cerrato's favor. Indeed, the vast majority of Len's remarks of late regarding the organization have been positive.

So when Pasquarelli hurls insults toward Gibbs and Snyder, it's fair to infer that, at their core, the sentiments are coming from Cerrato.

Why, you ask, is Cerrato threatened by Gibbs? As one league insider tells us, "Vinny should be worried. Gibbs is a high quality human being. He is a smart man. He will figure Vinny out (if he hasn't already)."

And Cerrato's concern is that, when Gibbs tells Snyder that Vinny is a butt-smooching phony (now there's a quality insult!), Snyder will listen. "Vinny will not be able to find work in the NFL," said the source. "He isn't any good. He never has been. Snyder is his only hope."

As another insider offered, "Maybe Vinny is on his way out as part of the [Gibbs] deal. It wouldn't be the first time Snyder screwed someone and not the first time he screwed Vinny. Let's see how it plays out."

If Vinny goes, the thinking in league circles is that he'll end up working with an agent, probably Gary Wichard.

Bottom line -- if Cerrato was enamored with the move, Pasquarelli wouldn't be ripping it. Thus, the fact that Len has teed off on both Snyder and Gibbs tells us that trouble is brewing in D.C. for Cerrato, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him get nudged out the door before the start of the 2004 season, if not sooner.

The only other possibility here is that Pasquarelli and Cerrato have had some sort of falling out within the last week or so. But if that's the case, wouldn't Pasquarelli's article also have taken Cerrato to task for not being able to rein in his boss?

Instead, Cerrato's name wasn't even mentioned.

In the end, that might be the most fitting aspect of Pasquarelli's assault on the move. Because if Gibbs has his way, our guess is that, very soon, Cerrato's name will never be mentioned again at Redskins Park.

TC4 · January 8, 2004