- Len Pasquarelli
Len Pasquarelli is an American sports writer and analyst with
ESPN.com and a 25-year vet of covering the NFL. He joined ESPN.com in 2001 and has since become a frequent contributor to the otherESPN outlets, including "SportsCenter ",ESPNEWS ,ESPN Radio and "ESPN The Magazine ".Prior to ESPN, Pasquarelli served as a senior writer for CBS SportsLine.com. He has also covered the NFL for the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1989 to 1999, theFort Wayne News-Sentinel from 1985 to 1989,Pro Football Weekly from 1982 to 1985, andPittsburgh Steelers Weekly from 1978 to 1982.Pasquarelli is a resident of the
Pro Football Writers of America and has twice won national awards as the Best NFL Reporter of the Year. He also has won several writing awards, including aAssociated Press Deadline Sports Reporting Award in 1988.Pasquarelli has been on the committee that selects inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During the annual selection meeting on February 2, 2008, he fell ill and was taken to an area hospital. The following day he had quintuple bypass surgery. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/02/04/Giants/3.html]
Pasquarelli is a Pittsburgh native and graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh in 1972. He currently resides inAtlanta , GA.Controversy
Pasquarelli has never been shy about expressing his opinions in online columns. Some, including profootballtalk.com, have alleged that his columns are biased, particularly in favor of players whose agents supply him with useful information.
In 2003, Pasquarelli made his one and only appearance on the "Penner and Mac Show" on WFNZ in Charlotte, North Carolina. When a host referred to former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Todd Pinkston as "Todd Stinkston," Pasquarelli berated the hosts before abruptly terminating the interview in less than a minute. This is viewed by many as a display of hypocrisy by Pasquarelli, as he has repeatedly referred to Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs as "Ordinary Joe" during his second stint with the Washington Redskins (see below).
Pasquarelli has received criticism for columns written about the
Washington Redskins . He has admitted openly inESPN columns that he dislikes the Redskin organization, starting with ownerDaniel Snyder .In November of
2007 , he discussed slain Redskin safetySean Taylor [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=3129561] , alluding to his "lifestyle" as a likely reason as to why he was shot in his home.Despite leading his team to the playoffs in two of his final three seasons, Pasquarelli wrote a column in January,
2008 aboutPro Football Hall of Fame head coachJoe Gibbs following his second stint as head coach. In the column, Pasquarelli referred to the three-time Super Bowl champion coach, as "Ordinary Joe," and that Gibbs was "too old to handle his players, to understand their perspectives, to push their buttons (which was disputed by his team)," and is "lucky the Hall of Fame is a lifetime fraternity from which a member can't be expelled." [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=3186628] .External links
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Len_Pasquarelli&rT=sports/ Pasquarelli’s recent sports columns from ESPN.com]
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