The (Hackensack N.J.) Record: Ian O'Connor: Cowboys' banner year adds to Tuna's fire

[AdamJT13]

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTcyMzU4MTImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2


Cowboys' banner year adds to Tuna's fire

Thursday, December 20, 2007

By IAN O'CONNOR
RECORD COLUMNIST


Bill Parcells has to be dying a thousand Sunday deaths. Deep down, he has to be looking at Wade Phillips the way James Cagney looked at Frank Gorshin.

How would you feel if you were Big Bill right now? He spilled a river of blood, sweat and tears in Dallas, put up with T.O., raised Tony Romo the hard way, lived through that season-crushing fumble off a field-goal snap, and for what?

To see the middling likes of Wade Phillips march the Cowboys to the Super Bowl?

Parcells will never admit it, but a small part of him has to hate this 12-2 Dallas season. Maybe a big part of him hates it, too. Parcells shopped for the groceries, cooked the food and now gets to sit back and watch as Phillips is named NFC Chef of the Year.

No, Parcells wasn't about to absorb that body blow without punching back. He wasn't about to spend the rest of his NFL days in a studio making failed stabs at humor with Keyshawn Johnson.

So he did what he's always done best: He reached for a piece of the action. Parcells decided he could save the Atlanta Falcons from their sorry 3-11 selves.

Right around the same time he decided he could save the Miami Dolphins from their sorry 1-13 selves.

This was precious theater from afar, Parcells playing one lousy franchise against another on muscle memory.

Start with the Falcons. Way back when, right after he won his first Super Bowl title with the Giants, Parcells used Atlanta as a weapon against his general manager, George Young, who had once considered firing the head coach in favor of Howard Schnellenberger.

Parcells wasn't going to the Falcons as a coach then, and he isn't going to the Falcons as an executive now, not with Michael Vick in jail.

"Prior to [Parcells' interest in the Falcons] becoming public," Atlanta owner Arthur Blank would say in a statement, "we had reached an agreement in principle with Parcells, and we met with him [Wednesday] morning to complete the contract.

"At that time, we were made aware by Parcells that he was considering a revised offer from the Miami Dolphins. He later informed us that he will not be signing a contract with us."

Beautiful. Just perfect. If Dolphins' owner Wayne Huizenga is smarter than his record indicates, he'll be sure that Parcells signs their agreement in blood.

Parcells quit on the Giants after they let Bill Belichick go to Cleveland. He scammed his way out of New England and onto Leon Hess' payroll with a back-door cut that would've made Pete Carril proud.

He left the Jets on the reading of a poem, moved upstairs and spooked Belichick and Al Groh so much they went running for their football lives. Parcells told everyone he was done coaching, but had an intermediary send secret word to Woody Johnson that he'd return to the sidelines if the new owner met his astronomical price.

Soon enough, there was yet another false start in Tampa before Parcells became coach of the team that inspired his daughter's name, Dallas.

Is Big Bill worth the pain? Sure, why not? He built the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys into champions and contenders. He knows how to draft, whom to sign, where to turn for players good enough to create a winning culture.

"Bill has a vision for what he wants his team to look like," Phil Simms said by phone Wednesday. "He likes big, physical players who play a certain style of football. This Dallas team he put together is huge by NFL standards."

Yes, the Cowboys are living large under Phillips.

"Bill did a good job getting that organization back in order," said Simms, now CBS' lead football analyst. "He taught all the people down there something new. You can say what you want about Bill, but they learned a lot from him down there.

"If he thought he had something left in himself he would've stayed, but sometimes you have to follow your heart. There shouldn't be any disappointment in Bill leaving as coach, even though people will view it that way. I hope he has a sense of pride in what he accomplished there."

Parcells should be most proud of his work in Dallas. He took an undrafted player from Eastern Illinois, Romo, and developed him into a special quarterback. Now Romo's one of 11 Cowboys going to the Pro Bowl on Phillips' watch.

All Parcells can do is find another team to call his own. Looks like he'll run the football operations in Miami, where his buddy and fellow ex-Cowboy, Jimmy Johnson, couldn't get it done.

"Bill has an unbelievable presence," Simms said. "No matter who you are, you're going to respect him when he walks into a room. If it's the Dolphins, your view of Miami changes immediately with Bill on the ground. Immediately you're like, 'OK, now they've got a chance.' "

The Dolphins won't have the kind of chance the Cowboys have right now, not for a long time. Parcells could've taken Dallas into a Super Bowl showdown with the Belichick Patriots, a coaching duel that would've been cast in apocalyptic shades.

Only Parcells left Dallas a year too early. Now he's chasing that fumble all the way to Miami.

He'll recover in time to have some fun in the South Florida sun. But if Wade Phillips is coaching on Super Bowl Sunday, Parcells had better stay clear of all TVs.

It's going to cut him to the bone to watch that game. Big Bill wouldn't be human if it didn't.

 

[Rack]

To see the middling likes of Wade Phillips march the Cowboys to the Super Bowl?

I assume the person that wrote this article is an adult...


Isn't it a bit childish to criticize/ridicule one person in order to glamourize another?


Yes, BP is largely responsible for the success the cowboys are having right now. But it's not necessary to drag Wade's name through the mud in order to try and illustrate your point.

If I were face to face with this writer I'd stick a louisville slugger up his/her arse and turn him/her into a freakin' popsicle.

 

[big dog cowboy]

A buddy of mine speculated BP went to Miami instead of Atlanta so he could play Belicheat twice a year.

 

[sago1]

Phillips believes in treating his players like men and they have responded well -- to the tune of a 12-2 record. If Romo's thumb is completedly healed before the Panthers' game and he is mentally prepared to overcome his play last Sunday, I see no reason why the Cowboys can't come back to Dallas with a big win over the Panthers. This won't be a piece of cake cause the Panthers are coming off a big victory over the Seattle Seahawks. But if Garrett has put together a good game plan for his offense and Phillips does the same thing for his defense, good execution by the Cowboys will get us this win.

BTW: TO needs to keep his mouth shut when it regards a teammate's personal life. He also needs to shut his mouth about Romo being a young QB whose learning on the fly and therefore makes mistakes when he doesn't always wait for TO to get open. TO has dropped enough of Romo's passes that he's not in a position to cast the first stone. Out of 14 games, Romo has had 2 really bad games but we still managed to win the first of those 2 games. The remaining 12 games he's been nothing short of sensational. Bet any team in the NFL (who doesn't have a QB named Brady/Manning/Favre) would be thrilled to have a young QB who can give them 12 wins out of 14 games played. I doubt anyone on this board believed the Cowboys would be 12-2 at this stage in the season.

 

[Woods]

A buddy of mine speculated BP went to Miami instead of Atlanta so he could play Belicheat twice a year.

I'm sure Billicheat is going to enjoy thrashing him twice a year . . . .

 

[Hostile]

A buddy of mine speculated BP went to Miami instead of Atlanta so he could play Belicheat twice a year.

I think it's so if Miami turns it around he can get ALL the credit.

Oh, and to be close to Jimmy Johnson so they can go deep sea fishing.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

BP has one of the BIGGEST presence for sure of any person I have been around......everyone pays attention.

I have witnessed close and personal his bad side then one year later his good side.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

See, folks, this kind of article and the entire tone of it is the reason some of us are so sick of the Parcells worship. It's not that he doesn't have the great presence and charisma or doesn't know football... Obviously he does. It's the perception that he can do no wrong and/or that he's the only person who can put together a team. It's acting like Wade is just a bumpkin who is doing nothing but getting all the benefit of what His Tuna did before him. (I wish the author would check the winning percentage of this "middling" coach and compare it to Parcells'.) It's acting like every one of those Pro Bowlers were his creations. It's acting like everything this team is today is soley due to Parcells.

And this:

He left the Jets on the reading of a poem, moved upstairs and spooked Belichick and Al Groh so much they went running for their football lives. Parcells told everyone he was done coaching, but had an intermediary send secret word to Woody Johnson that he'd return to the sidelines if the new owner met his astronomical price.

is news to me. Makes me wonder about all those rumors that Parcells wanted more money and another year to coach the team this year, and Jerry refused to do it.

 

[khiladi]

Uh, the Jets fell apart after Parcells left. New England didn't do so hot either until Bellichek returned. Parcells brought in veterans during his reign, but those veterans only had so much left in the tank. It is good for a year or two, but building a team? whatever...

If Parcells was about re-stablishing teams, why did his teams like the Jets go ka-put once he left?

 

[khiladi]

is news to me. Makes me wonder about all those rumors that Parcells wanted more money and another year to coach the team this year, and Jerry refused to do it.

I love the Parcells homers and how Parcells always brings class and direction to an organization. Yet, when he wants to pick up and leave, he simply writes an e-mail. Then the public falls all over the talk about how he no longer has the desire for football. And then he jumps to another team within a year...

 

[Chief]

See, folks, this kind of article and the entire tone of it is the reason some of us are so sick of the Parcells worship. It's not that he doesn't have the great presence and charisma or doesn't know football... Obviously he does. It's the perception that he can do no wrong and/or that he's the only person who can put together a team. It's acting like Wade is just a bumpkin who is doing nothing but getting all the benefit of what His Tuna did before him. (I wish the author would check the winning percentage of this "middling" coach and compare it to Parcells'.) It's acting like every one of those Pro Bowlers were his creations. It's acting like everything this team is today is soley due to Parcells.

I agree.

I think there's some northeastern snobbery at work here (no offense to anyone from the northeast U.S.).

This is a writer from New Jersey who obviously subscribes to the sarcastic, tough style of fellow Jersey guy Parcells and sees Wade Phillips as some hokey good ol' boy from Texas who lucked into a great deal.

Tony Soprano vs. Hank Hill, so to speak.

 

[rangers71]

I sure wish Bill would have done a better job this past Sunday.

 

[Longboysfan]

Take it for what it's worth.

Remember that Bill grew up here about 15 minutes from the present day Giant Stadium.
He is a legend to Giant fans old and young in this area.

As all Sports writers will do - they don't want the story to be anything but their own creation.

They want to chip away at someone way above them.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Bill Parcells has to be dying a thousand Sunday deaths.

Deep down, he has to be looking at Wade Phillips the way James Cagney looked at Frank Gorshin.

How would you feel if you were Big Bill right now?
He spilled a river of blood, sweat and tears in Dallas, put up with T.O., raised Tony Romo the hard way, lived through that season-crushing fumble off a field-goal snap, and for what?

To see the middling likes of Wade Phillips march the Cowboys to the Super Bowl?

Parcells will never admit it, but a small part of him has to hate this 12-2 Dallas season.

Maybe a big part of him hates it, too. Parcells shopped for the groceries, cooked the food and now gets to sit back and watch as Phillips is named NFC Chef of the Year.

I think there is a possibility that there is some degree of truth to the bold.

That season crushing fumble could have been avoided. Bill could have went out on a higher note.... but then we prob still have bill and the team would be 10-4 or 9-5 struggling for position instead of having control of its own destiny for HFA throughout.

 

[windward]

Uh, the Jets fell apart after Parcells left. New England didn't do so hot either until Bellichek returned. Parcells brought in veterans during his reign, but those veterans only had so much left in the tank. It is good for a year or two, but building a team? whatever...

If Parcells was about re-stablishing teams, why did his teams like the Jets go ka-put once he left?

Uh, no they didn't. In the five seasons after Parcells left the Jets, they went 9-7, 9-7(wildcard), 9-7(divisional playoffs), 6-10, 12-4 (Divisional Playoffs)

 

[khiladi]

Uh, no they didn't. In the five seasons after Parcells left the Jets, they went 9-7, 9-7(wildcard), 9-7(divisional playoffs), 6-10, 12-4 (Divisional Playoffs)

Your right. Ka put is a rather strong word. How about they have been sub-par, and when they even touched decent it was because of Herm Edwards, who isn't that great of a coach either, which actually speaks pretty much about how crappy the division was.

They won one more game the year after Parcells left. Whoopity-doo. Speaking of which, they lost 3 of their last nine games with Groh. Their players absolutely hated Parcell's hand-picked successor, Groh. This was also the year Parcells left his GM position. He didn't smell the playoffs his last year coaching, and his hand-picked coach didn't either. One needs to look at their positioning in their own division to get a more accurate representation, when Herm Edwards came in:

They were 3rd the next year with Groh. Parcells left the franchise at 4th. When Herm Edwards turned over 25 percent of the roster the next year, they were 3rd in the division. Even in 2001, when they went 10-6 with Herm Edwards, they were 3rd in their division. Herm Edwards turned over 25 percent of the roster during that year as well. They lost the first wild-card game.

To summarize:

they were 3rd in the AFC East in 1999 which isn't saying much. When they were 10-6, they were also 3rd in their division. Even when they went 6-10. They were tied for 3rd in the division.

Now, they are just awful.

 

[windward]

Your right. Ka put is a rather strong word. How about they have been sub-par, and when they even touched decent it was because of Herm Edwards, who isn't that great of a coach either, which actually speaks pretty much about how crapp the division was.

They went from 4th in the AFC East to 3rd and won one more game. Whoopity-doo. Speaking of which, they lost 3 of their last nine games. Their players absolutely hated Parcell's hand-picked successor, Groh. This was the year Parcells left. He didn't smell the playoffs his last year coaching, and his hand-picked coach didn't either.

Look at their positioning in their own division to get a more accurate representation, when Herm Edwards came in:

They were 3rd the next year also, when Herm Edwards turned over 25 percent of the roster. Even in 2001, when they went 10-6 with Herm Edwards, they were 3rd in their division. Herm Edwards turned over 25 percent of the roster during that year as well. They lost the first wild-card game.

All in all, they were 3rd in the AFC East which isn't saying much. When they were 10-6, they were also 3rd in their division. Even when they went 6-10. They were tied for 3rd in the division.

Now, they are just awful.

The AFC East was actually very tough in the few years after Parcells left.(Indianapolis, New England and Miami were all tough) Groh's first year they did come close to making the playoffs, only a loss in the final week cost them a spot. They improved a game over the previous season. How is that collapsing?

In 2001 they finished 3rd with a 10-6 record. That mean it was a tough division. So Hermie overturned 25 percent of the roster .

Who were the best players on Edwards teams? John Abraham, Lavernaeus Coles, Vinny Testaverde, Curtis Martin, Kevin Mawae, Aaron Glenn, Wayne Chrebet(i.e Parcells players)

 

[burmafrd]

The BP haters are just like the BP homers. Neither one will give credit or blame fairly.

BP builds teams. That has been proven and accepted by all except hack writers and blog posters. He also wears on people quickly and 3-4 years is the best you can hope for before things start getting nasty.

He is prickly and has a massive ego. He is also acknowledged as someone who truly has a masters degree in football.

He has NEVER failed to take a team and make it into a winner. AND most of those teams remained competitive years after he left.

So he WILL improve the Dolphins quite a bit. HE WILL make them competitive and leave a solid organization when he goes.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

I love the Parcells homers and how Parcells always brings class and direction to an organization. Yet, when he wants to pick up and leave, he simply writes an e-mail. Then the public falls all over the talk about how he no longer has the desire for football. And then he jumps to another team within a year...

That just proves what owners of teams think of him. He can write his own ticket and do what he wants. Shame really.

 

[Mash]

I think Bill did a good job here.....I was expecting more from a HOF coach tho.....he had all the resources.

But I lost a little respect for Bill when he spent time talking to the Giants about a job when he was still the Dallas Coach.

Best of Luck Bill......I dont miss ya tho