doctorelefant

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/6727844.htm

"Posted on Tue, Sep. 09, 2003
This motley crew doused Bill's fire
Gil LeBreton COMMENTARY
Star-Telegram

IRVING - He looked like a guy who hadn't slept much. And if he sounded drained
and less than irate, Bill Parcells suggested that it was because he had been on
the job since early Monday morning, watching the Cowboys' game tape.

"I didn't sleep hardly at all," Parcells explained, less than 18 hours after
being throttled in his first game as Cowboys head coach. "It's just the way it
is with me. You're not happy about things."

Parcells' silence spoke volumes. His team had suc***bed so easily in the second
half Sunday, there was little to say, especially to a group not known for its
sympathetic shoulder.

But I don't get it.

The game had been winnable, though the Cowboys' repeated failures to seize the
moment soon took care of that. They lost by 14 points to an Atlanta team that
was playing without one of the NFL's best players.

And where, therefore, was the infamous Parcells temper? Where was Hurricane
Bill?

Heads are supposed to roll after a lousy 27-13 defeat like that. Instead,
Parcells announced that he was even going to spare the most obvious scalp --
kicker Billy Cundiff's.

"You want to look at it and say it's one game," Parcells said. "That's the way
I look at it right now."

What? No waivers? No asthma field? No flaming coals for the players to walk
through?

At one point in Monday's news conference, Parcells actually offered, "I don't
know if the players had first-game jitters or what."

Stage fright, he meant, hopefully only half-seriously.

So, whatever happened to Tunaphobia? Fear of the two-time Super Bowl-winning
head coach?

Listening to Parcells on Monday, I had an eerie flashback. I thought Chan
Gailey was back in town. Parcells is supposed to be kicking posteriors, not
patting and encouraging them.

"That was not a one-sided game," Parcells argued. "You just hope that at some
point, when the opportunity comes along to win the game, your team will
recognize and do something positive about it."

Later, instead of hellfire and brimstone, Parcells added, "I just expected
better from a couple of people."

Wonderful. Let's send get-well cards to the whole defense.

The unofficial "house" excuse is that Parcells saves his nastiest wrath for his
talented teams, the ones that he thinks he can motivate to scale the final
steps to the top. Because Parcells' expectations for this team have been set so
low, the theory goes, he won't waste his voice trying to scream these players
into submission.

I don't buy it. Even Gailey eventually put down his cornbread and tried to
light a fire under his fading team.

A better theory, it says here, is that Parcells is simply going through what
all Cowboys-watchers have experienced in recent seasons -- i.e., the Cowboys
**** the energy right out of people. They drain your soul.

You can't point the blame. Not enough fingers.

A visiting writer asked Parcells on Monday to assess where, therefore, the
coach stood on the scale between euphoria and disaster.

"I'm not anywhere other than trying to improve the team," Parcells answered. "I
know expectations are probably higher. That's all right, too. It doesn't make
any difference.

"This is a long season. I'm just hoping we can play better than last week,
that's all."

Again, I don't get it. Throughout training camp, Parcells talked about
accountability. So why turn down the heat in the locker room now?

In July and August, players were afraid to miss a Parcells practice or lag
behind in a Parcells-ordered wind sprint.

Now, what, he's Uncle Bill?

What about Hurricane Bill, the guy that Jerry Jones thought he hired? What
about the Parcells who, in a memorable ESPN TV promo, once hurled a reporter's
luggage across the hotel lobby?

That's the Bill Parcells that the Cowboys need right now, meager expectations
or not."


DocE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Don't worry about it. It's just a bunch of guys with an
odd-shaped ball." -Bill Parcells
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

brian k. oneill

I think the writer is missing the point: Parcells has a bad team, and
possibly even worse to Tuna, one that is not in "his image." And there is
only so much a coach can do. Methinks that Parcells is treating this year
as pre-season and come next year's camp, he will have evaluated this year
and make the bold moves. Since one does not act the same in preseason as
they do the regular season, I'm not shocked that Tuna is being reserved.

--
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garyfl

Well I agree with everything you've said above but the real story is
going to surface when Parcells wants to cut 3/4 of the players that
Jer-ah and boy Stevie drafted. That's when it will blow up.

doctorelefant

In message-id: <F5I7b.1086$nQ.397690@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com >

Well said. This sportswriter is of the same mindset as many Dallas area fans.
Alot of people got spoiled after Landry's 20 straight winning seasons and the
Johnson-Switzer championships. They forgot it took time in both cases. The Tuna
took on a big mountain to climb.


DocE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Don't worry about it. It's just a bunch of guys with an
odd-shaped ball." -Bill Parcells
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

garyfl

On 11 Sep 2003 00:17:04 GMT, doctorelefant@aol.com (DoctorElefant)


We'll see. That's how it's going to end. When JJ doesn't let him cut
his draft picks.