Bill Parcells stayed secluded this season, declining interviews and
exchanging his luxury suite on Sundays for the seclusion of his summer house
on the Jersey Shore. He was the invisible emperor of Weeb Ewbank Hall,
insisting the public face of the franchise had to be his successor trying to
fight out of his shadow. He had stayed on the job to hold Al Groh's hand,
just to have him walk out on Parcells as shabbily as Bill Belichick's
resignation as "HC" of the "NYJ."
|  | | Bill Parcells said recently his coaching days are done. |
Once more, the Jets have been thrust into a familiar state of disarray.
These breathless national reports that owner Woody Johnson will ask Parcells
to coach again are hilarious. Gee, you think? What else? Maybe the Jets will
ask Vinny Testaverde to cut down on his interceptions too?
Of course, Johnson wants Parcells to coach the Jets. And of course, it isn't going to happen.
And unless he comes out this week and tells everyone his dalliance as
director of football operations is no longer a year-to-year proposition, that
he plans to take over for departing team president, Steve Gutman, and hire a
general manager to do the day-in, day-out drudgery of running an NFL
franchise, Parcells should fade into the sunset and retire to the Jersey
shore and Saratoga.
The Jets can't go on this way. Is Parcells heart in staying or going?
It's his responsibility to end this debate. For years, the Jets were
desperate for stability. The late owner, Leon Hess, was a kindly, generous
man forever hiring the wrong people for the wrong jobs. Yes, the impact of
Parcells is a complete contraction now. He delivered the Jets credibility
four years ago, but now his presence has completely contributed to the
instability.
Belichick walked out fearing Parcells had too much power, and Groh left
fearing Parcells imminent departure left him exposed to an owner who probably
wasn't as enamored with an anonymous, untested coach taking over his $635
million investment. Too much influence, too little; the uncertainty
surrounding Parcells translates to trouble for the Jets. A year ago, he
described his job in the organization as "simply, to try to get good players
for the coach." He insisted he hadn't stayed in the front office to play
power games, but just an ally for Groh.
With Parcells' ego, it's hard to believe. There's a part of him that has
to love hearing the weary Jets fans of New York calling for his return to the
sideline with every misdirection the franchise takes. Whether Parcells hires
Maurice Carthon to coach the Jets, or Dick Vermeil, it'll never end. Parcells
can spend his Sundays on the Jersey Shore to spare one of his successors the
appearance of the emperor stealing his spotlight, but the long shadow of a
legend New York coach doesn't go away until he does.
What happened when the Jets were troubled with Groh this season?
Reportedly, several veterans marched to Parcells to complain to him over the
coach's tough practices and unwillingness to listen to the players. Even when
Parcells insisted Groh was running the team, the players understood
different: As long as Parcells is on the payroll, Parcells is the boss. His
job is to just get good players for the coach? Come on.
Who sees Parcells as the man interested in spending his Saturdays
scouting college kids at the Pitt-West Virginia game, or his springs spending
15 hours a day at the combines? If coaching burned him out, what would that
do to Parcells in his 60s?
This is the week to set the record straight. Is he in? Or is he out?
A year ago, Parcells told everyone, "I will not abandon the
franchise," and they stood and cheered in New York. This can't be the case
again.
This time, Bill Parcells wouldn't be abandoning the franchise. He'd do
it a favor. Once and for all, he'd let the Jets get on without him.
Adrian Wojnarowski is a sports columnist for the Record of N.J., and a
regular contributor to ESPN.com.
| |
ALSO SEE
Parcells says he's gone; who's at controls of Jets?
After one N.Y. season, Groh jets to Virginia
|
