Parcells

by Bill Parcells

  “Well, Fergy, you better hike up your big-boy pants this week because they’re gonna run the ball, and if this center blocks you, you need to think about retiring.”

  Ferguson responded, “They’re gonna be hiked up, don’t you worry about it.”

  The contest also gave Parcells an opportunity to greet the iconic owner who had played an important role in shaping his own legendary career. Before the 1 p.m. kickoff, Bill Parcells visited the stadium booth assigned to Al Davis’s team. Parcells hugged the Raiders owner. At age seventy-nine, Davis was using a walker, but during the half-hour conversation, as always, he impressed Bill Parcells with a razor-sharp mind, almost three years before his death.

  The Dolphins triumphed 17–15 for their fourth consecutive victory. Chad Pennington gave his latest clever performance on 16 of 22 passing, Ronnie Brown gained 101 rushing yards, and Miami’s defense remained sturdy while holding Oakland to only 70 yards on the ground. Despite the offense’s tricky scheme, the Dolphins consistently showed sharp execution, and seemed headed toward breaking the NFL record of fewest turnovers: 14, set by Bill Parcells’s 1990 Giants, who’d also captured Super Bowl XXV. With Sparano’s team improving to 6-4 while averaging more than seven yards in wildcat snaps, several NFL offenses had begun incorporating the scheme into their playbooks. By the season’s midway point, roughly one-third of teams in the so-called copycat league employed some version of the formation.

  Nine weeks after unveiling the wildcat against New England, the Dolphins hosted Belichick’s team in a November 23 rematch. At a Monday Q&A in advance of the game, a reporter asked Belichick about Parcells’s role with the Dolphins. New England’s head coach credited Parcells for Miami’s turnaround, praising his comprehensive football knowledge, from personnel to the medical department. Belichick admitted, “I hate to see him” in the same division.

  Seeing Belichick’s glowing quotes the next morning thrilled Parcells. Although their beef had ended in 2006, Belichick hadn’t yet publicly acknowledged the fact. For almost a decade, his responses to questions about Parcells had been lukewarm, and he occasionally downplayed his mentor’s influence. Belichick’s harshest remarks had come in Michael Holley’s Patriot Reign, published in late 2004, criticizing Parcells for his behavior before the 1997 Super Bowl.

  Now Parcells felt confident that they would maintain their friendship despite once again competing in the same division. Besides, the Dolphins chief viewed his head coach, Tony Sparano, as Belichick’s natural adversary, not himself. Parcells was less sanguine about avoiding tension with another acolyte in the division: Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum. After joining the Dolphins, Parcells had tried to poach Jets security chief Steve Yarnell. When Tannenbaum took measures to block the move, the two football bosses drastically reduced communications. Regardless, the hallways at Jets headquarters remained unabashedly decorated with Parcells’s maxims.

  In a back-and-forth contest at Dolphin Stadium, Bill Belichick’s defense looked prepared for Sparano’s unorthodox scheme, limiting it to just 27 yards. The clubs exchanged leads six times before New England pulled ahead for a 48–28 victory. Matt Cassel tossed three touchdowns, all to Randy Moss, and amassed a career-high 415 passing yards, ending Miami’s winning streak.

  Just as he had done as head coach of the Jets, Bill Parcells used a whiteboard in his office to constantly adjust the team’s roster maneuverings. His roster goals were broken down into “MUSTS,” “NEEDS,” and “WANTS.” In November 2008, Parcells’s board indicated his focus on the 2009 draft and free agency. “MUSTS,” the highest priority, included a cornerback, wideout, and safety. “NEEDS” listed “Wildcat-QB” and kick returner, plus developmental players at tight end, wideout, and defensive lineman. “WANTS” included “3rd Down and Spread,” “Offense-Cover,” and “Teams-LBs.”

  Parcells explained the jargon. “We’re seeing more spread-out offenses. We have a certain prototype for linebackers, but we may think about altering it to include a couple of guys that are a little more pass-defense oriented. They’re maybe not as big as we’d like for our regular defense, but they need to be good pass defenders and good special-teams players.”

  One other category on the board said, “Reserve Future,” with the last names of four players and their teams, including “Wake-BC Lions.”

  After the loss to New England, Sparano’s team started another hot stretch behind Chad Pennington, whose brilliant play was generating league-MVP chatter. Miami won four straight to enter its regular-season finale against Pennington’s former club, with the division title—and a playoff appearance—at stake. On an unseasonably warm afternoon of 65 degrees, Pennington returned to the Meadowlands for the first time since being released. Parcells watched the game in his Jupiter condominium with his pal Ron Wolf. While the former Packers GM ate a sandwich, Parcells was too pumped up to consider food.

  Directing a storybook victory, Chad Pennington threw two touchdowns and Brett Favre tossed three interceptions as Miami triumphed 24–17. The margin of victory came on an interception by Dolphins defensive end Phillip Merling, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Ted Ginn Jr., Miami’s maligned wideout, the epitome of the unit’s feebleness, returned two kicks for touchdowns. Despite their team missing out on the playoffs, many of the 79,454 spectators at Giants Stadium chanted, “MVP! MVP! MVP!,” referring to their former quarterback.

  Passing for a career-high 3,653 yards on the season while throwing 19 touchdowns versus seven interceptions, Chad Pennington earned the Comeback Player of the Year Award, and finished behind only Peyton Manning in MVP voting. He set a club record by completing 67.4 percent, eclipsing Dan Marino’s mark of 64.2 percent to become the first Dolphins quarterback since the Hall of Famer to amass at least 3,500 passing yards. Pennington had stayed healthy enough to start every game for only the second time in his career, and by concluding their enchanting regular season with a victory, the Dolphins would make their first playoff appearance since 2001. A tiebreaker over the Patriots gave Miami the AFC East title and a home playoff contest, knocking New England out of the postseason.

  In the visitors’ locker room, Ricky Williams stood among several Dolphins players wearing gray “Division Champions” caps. Despite starting only three games, Williams had finished with 659 rushing yards, averaging 4.1 yards to reward Parcells’s faith in him. Miami’s running tandem flourished as Ronnie Brown amassed 916 rushing yards while scoring 10 touchdowns.

  By winning nine of its final ten games of the season, Tony Sparano’s team matched the greatest turnaround in NFL annals. Although the rookie head coach received kudos aplenty, much of the credit went to the self-described “guidance counselor” with a track record for revitalizing franchises. “Of course, at the very early stages, Ross told Wayne that he didn’t want Parcells,” recalls O’Donnell, who never told his close friend, to avoid making waves. “And then you see what happened. His team went 11-5, and Ross was begging him to stay. He was worried that Parcells might have his nose out of joint.”

  Sparano’s team set the NFL record for the fewest turnovers at 13. The Dolphins, though, would share the new mark with a team guided by another Parcells disciple: Coughlin’s 12-4 Giants also ended the 2008 season turning the ball over only 13 times.

  In an intriguing playoffs showdown, the Dolphins hosted the Ravens, whose sterling defense led the NFL in takeaways. Baltimore, which had defeated Miami 27–13 on the road midway through the season, was also guided by a rookie head coach, John Harbaugh, along with a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco; and Miami’s ex-leader Cam Cameron called the offensive plays.

  As usual, however, Rex Ryan’s defense, featuring a ferocious pass rush, marked the difference. Linebacker Ray Lewis and defensive linemen Terrell Suggs and Trevor Pryce constantly harassed Pennington, forcing the circumspect quarterback to play out of character. He tossed four interceptions, including one that safety Ed Reed returned 64 yards for a touchdown.

  The twin renaissance by Pennington and the Dolphins screeched to a
halt as the Ravens forced five turnovers to triumph 27–9. With Baltimore neutralizing the wildcat, the outcome demonstrated that Bill Parcells’s club needed more than a back-to-the-future scheme to sustain its newfound respectability.

  35

  Barack Hussein Obama’s historic victory as the nation’s forty-fourth president confirmed Wayne Huizenga’s inclination to finish selling all but 5 percent of the Dolphins. Stephen Ross’s additional 40 percent stake would trigger the thirty-day window allowing Parcells to decide whether to leave with the remaining value of his four-year, $16 million contract. “The best deal,” Joe O’Donnell says, “of all time.” But in anticipation of the official transaction, Parcells asked Huizenga to make the deal even better by amending the time frame to an indefinite period.

  Parcells said to Huizenga during the owner’s weekly visit to Dolphins headquarters, “That way I’ll have more time, and the new owner will have more time. We’ll get to know each other a bit longer than thirty days before anybody does anything definitive.” As managing general partner, Huizenga authorized the change, and before technically selling his majority stake in early 2009, he asked Ross to sign off on the decision. The real-estate billionaire had disliked the original stipulation and felt backed into a corner by the notion of extending it. As a neophyte owner, however, Ross didn’t dare chase away the great Bill Parcells, dinosaur or not, considering Miami’s seemingly transformative season. So Ross rubber-stamped Huizenga’s decision.

  The amendment allowed Parcells to quit at any time over the ensuing three years without financial consequences. So why not cash out immediately and sign with another team? “It’s hard in this business to find a job you like,” Parcells replied. “And I like the people I’m working with. I like the ownership here. I like Wayne a lot.” Even after the team’s principal owner changed, Parcells almost exclusively spoke to Huizenga, while hoping for the best concerning Ross.

  On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the day of President Obama’s inauguration, the Dolphins announced the sale: Ross became the managing general partner, or Parcells’s boss, with 95 percent of both the franchise and stadium, while Huizenga kept the rest as a minority partner. At a press conference marking the transfer of power, Ross declared, “Parcells is in charge.” This time, instead of stressing the Tuna’s legacy, Ross described Parcells as “probably the best football mind in America.”

  To ease the weight of his financial commitment of more than $1 billion, the new majority owner concentrated on recruiting celebrities to buy stakes. He put on the back burner ideas like hiring Carl Peterson, who’d been forced out of Kansas City in late 2008.

  Bill Belichick’s girlfriend, Linda Holliday, forty-five, owned a clothing boutique in Jupiter not far from her home. For proximity to the former Miss Arkansas runner-up, Belichick, who lived in Weston, Massachusetts, was looking to buy property in the area. So in early 2009, New England’s head coach heeded Parcells’s recommendation to move into his six-story luxury building: Belichick purchased a condominium two floors above Parcells’s unit at the Pointe at Jupiter Yacht Club. Their units contained wraparound balconies that provided spectacular views of Jupiter and the Atlantic Ocean. The Mediterranean-style building featured a vine-covered trellis, entry-court fountain, and garden deck. Amenities included a heated pool and a spa overlooking the marina. With the Jupiter inlet only a mile away, several residents parked their yachts just outside the building.

  Like any other neighbors, the legendary coaches ran into each other from time to time. They also occasionally hit the links together during the off-season, and never went more than a few weeks without speaking on the phone. “I not only like him; I liked his father,” Parcells says.

  Todd Haley had overcome his disappointment at being overlooked for the Dolphins’ head-coaching job and reestablished a relationship with Bill Parcells. The Cardinals’ offensive coordinator turned into a hot commodity as Arizona reached the Super Bowl before losing to Pittsburgh, 27–23. With Scott Pioli having replaced Carl Peterson as Kansas City’s GM, the Chiefs courted Haley for their lead job. During the process, Haley bombarded Parcells with phone calls seeking his counsel. Moments after receiving a contract needing his signature, he dialed Parcells for the latest advice.

  Seeing Haley’s number on caller ID yet again, Parcells picked up with a zinger. “Yes, honey. What is it?”

  The rookie head coach also found creative ways to get guidance without constantly calling. For pointers on handling the media, Haley studied video of Parcells’s Q&As as a head coach.

  Going into his second season as Dolphins chief, Bill Parcells had interacted with Stephen Ross only a handful of times, including another long dinner conversation. Although Parcells remained disappointed with Huizenga’s majority sale, his new partnership with Ross had gone reasonably well. The real-estate magnate showed support such as authorizing a 2009 player payroll of what would be roughly $126 million, second only to Big Blue’s $138 million. The Dolphins’ outlay ballooned mainly because of a desire to re-sign several of their unrestricted free agents. The club also inked some relatively expensive hold-the-fort players, outside free agents whom Parcells deemed essential to winning while Miami’s young players developed.

  The executive VP occasionally met with Ross’s moneyman to keep the owner posted on budgetary moves, but Ross left all football decisions up to Parcells, reinforcing his clout. Given Miami’s first playoff appearance in several years, Ross did not want to be the cause of Parcells’s departure. “Everybody,” he recalls, “had me walking on eggshells.”

  The new majority owner even decided against participating in draft meetings. Instead, he made such administrative moves as agreeing on a ten-year extension for a stadium concession deal with Joe O’Donnell. During one visit to Dolphins headquarters, Ross told Jeff Ireland, “Look, don’t worry about me getting in the way.” The second-year GM went out of his way to connect with the new owner, and the two started to form a good chemistry.

  During a Q&A with local reporters in April, Ross promised to concentrate on the team’s business side, or its “margins,” especially trying to lure more fans to the stadium. The Dolphins’ earlier 1-15 mark had caused season-ticket sales to drop nearly 16 percent to 46,131, the lowest in more than a dozen years. Following Miami’s playoff appearance, sales rose to almost 50,000, still far from the franchise’s long-term goal of 62,000. Ross intended to target the Hispanic fan base, which he saw as being overlooked. He expressed disbelief that the franchise lacked a website catering to Spanish speakers. Ross’s viewpoint evoked memories of Arthur Blank’s conversation with Parcells about exploiting the significant black population in Atlanta.

  However, in 2009 Joe O’Donnell said about Ross’s attitude, “His biggest nightmare is that Parcells goes somewhere else. Ross had some other ideas about Parcells’s being too old, all of that stuff. And of course, Parcells was playing his usual Greta Garbo routine. ‘I want to be alone.’ That’s the mystery Parcells. He won’t let in 99 percent of whoever he meets—just people like Tony La Russa and Bobby Knight, and a few guys from Jersey.”

  On late Wednesday morning, March 25, Parcells left his office, headed for the weight room. He stopped at the entrance and stared through its glass window to check out the Dolphins players inside. “Teddy Ginn is here,” Parcells whispered in a tone of approval. Before long, when it became known that the Big Tuna was watching, the freewheeling atmosphere evaporated.

  Parcells entered the weight room for a closer view of the roughly thirty players in team shorts and T-shirts. DMX’s old rap hit “Stop Being Greedy” blared from loudspeakers as Parcells stood silently, both hands in his shorts pockets. He trudged a few feet for a different angle, but no player volunteered to be the first to break the ice.

  As offensive lineman Vernon Carey walked across the room, he locked eyes with Parcells. Pleased by the attendance and effort one week before voluntary minicamp, Parcells finally lightened the mood. He slapped his right hand over his pocket, alluding to Carey’s re
cent contract extension of six years at $42 million, including a $15 million bonus. Carey grinned. With Jake Long excelling at left tackle, the Dolphins had decided to sign the talented right tackle, securing the offensive line’s bookends long-term.

  Parcells noticed defensive tackle Joe Cohen and yelled a joke about his last name: “Joe, you’re the only black Jew I know.” Cohen, an African-American born in Melbourne, Florida, laughed loudest. Then Davone Bess walked into Parcells’s crosshairs.

  “Damn, I’ve got to read your name in the paper now. What a bunch of bullshit. The paper’s calling you a star.”

  Bess, in a bashful tone, replied, “Oh my God. Really?” Despite being undrafted, Bess, lining up almost exclusively in the slot, had caught 54 balls, third most among rookie wideouts, and the second-most in NFL history for an undrafted rookie receiver, after Wayne Chrebet.

  Parcells said, “Don’t be getting too big on me now.”

  Bess replied, “I don’t even read the paper.”

  “We need an athlete in the slot. Know what I mean?”

  “I know, Coach.”

  Then Parcells caught sight of defensive end Cameron Wake standing a few feet away. After being named the CFL’s top defensive player in 2008 for the British Columbia Lions, Wake had received interest from most NFL teams, but in January, the six-three, 260-pound sackster had signed a four-year deal with Miami worth $4.9 million.

  Parcells yelled over the loud music, “Hey, Cameron.” Wake, who’d gone undrafted out of Penn State in 2005, hustled over.

  Parcells asked, “Do you like it here all right? You need anything?”

  Wake replied, “I’m good. They’re taking good care of me. I appreciate you asking.”

  “Glad to have you here, but don’t be down there in South Beach too much.”

  “I’ve been down there once.”

  “Nothing but trouble waiting to happen.”