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Corning, N.Y. —
If you’re an NFL junkie, you’ve probably heard the sound bite.
“This is why you lift all them weights.”
Longtime NFL head coach Bill Parcells said it, referring to all the preparation that goes into winning football games and ultimately, winning championships.
Now try this slightly altered version on for size.
“This is why you lift all them teams.”
This cheesy nonexistent quote was something I came up with to reference what I thought were the slam-dunk Hall of Fame credentials Parcells accumulated during his head coaching career.
So much for the slam dunk, though.
Even though Parcells technically was considered a first-year Hall candidate based on requirements put in place in 2008, he was also passed over as a nominee in 2001 and 2002. The new rule made it mandatory for coaches, like players, to be retired for five straight seasons for Hall eligibility. Prior to 2008, coaches were Hall eligible immediately upon retirement.
In full disclosure, this column was all but completed just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday. I just needed official word that Parcells was selected to be an enshrinee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 50th class.
It never happened and I just don’t get it.
How is Parcells not a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach?
How is Marv Levy in the Hall of Fame and not Parcells, the man who completely outcoached Levy to win Super Bowl XXV?
Not that such matters are considered by Hall of Fame voters and rightfully so, but how fitting it would have been for Parcells to get the call from Canton this weekend. Two direct descendants of the Parcells coaching tree will be on the NFL’s grandest stage today.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and the Giants’ Tom Coughlin will match wits today for the second time in four years with the Lombardi trophy at stake at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
And while Parcells missed out on his second chance to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, his impact on the game and particularly the teams he coached is undeniable.
Most notable of Parcells’ accomplishments was his resurrection of the Giants franchise, which many forget had been dismal for the better part of two decades prior to his arrival as head coach in 1983.
Despite a forgettable 3-12-1 season in his first year as coach in 1983, Parcells transformed a team that never won a playoff game (0-3) during the 1960s and 1970s into a two-time Super Bowl champion.
If you’re an NFL junkie, you’ve probably heard the sound bite.
“This is why you lift all them weights.”
Longtime NFL head coach Bill Parcells said it, referring to all the preparation that goes into winning football games and ultimately, winning championships.
Now try this slightly altered version on for size.
“This is why you lift all them teams.”
This cheesy nonexistent quote was something I came up with to reference what I thought were the slam-dunk Hall of Fame credentials Parcells accumulated during his head coaching career.
So much for the slam dunk, though.
Even though Parcells technically was considered a first-year Hall candidate based on requirements put in place in 2008, he was also passed over as a nominee in 2001 and 2002. The new rule made it mandatory for coaches, like players, to be retired for five straight seasons for Hall eligibility. Prior to 2008, coaches were Hall eligible immediately upon retirement.
In full disclosure, this column was all but completed just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday. I just needed official word that Parcells was selected to be an enshrinee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 50th class.
It never happened and I just don’t get it.
How is Parcells not a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach?
How is Marv Levy in the Hall of Fame and not Parcells, the man who completely outcoached Levy to win Super Bowl XXV?
Not that such matters are considered by Hall of Fame voters and rightfully so, but how fitting it would have been for Parcells to get the call from Canton this weekend. Two direct descendants of the Parcells coaching tree will be on the NFL’s grandest stage today.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and the Giants’ Tom Coughlin will match wits today for the second time in four years with the Lombardi trophy at stake at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
And while Parcells missed out on his second chance to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, his impact on the game and particularly the teams he coached is undeniable.
Most notable of Parcells’ accomplishments was his resurrection of the Giants franchise, which many forget had been dismal for the better part of two decades prior to his arrival as head coach in 1983.
Despite a forgettable 3-12-1 season in his first year as coach in 1983, Parcells transformed a team that never won a playoff game (0-3) during the 1960s and 1970s into a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Arguably, his crowning achievement as head coach wasn’t the Giants’ first Super Bowl triumph in January of 1987, but the one that occurred four years later.
When the Giants followed up a 14-2 regular season with a Super Bowl XXI rout of the Denver Broncos, they clearly were the best team in the NFL.
Entering Super Bowl XXV against the Buffalo Bills after dethroning the then two-time defending champion San Francisco 49ers, the Giants were seven-point underdogs.
While it pains me to say it, Bills fans like myself recognize Parcells’ greatness perhaps more than most. During the playoffs that year, especially considering starting quarterback Phil Simms was out for the season, most had pegged the Giants as the NFL’s third best team behind the 49ers and Bills.
And guess who beat them both?
In Super Bowl XXV, the Bills had – in my opinion – a much less worthy Hall of Fame coach in Levy – and superior talent, the only time they had superior talent in any of their four Super Bowls.
But to the credit of Parcells and his exceptional coaching staff, the Giants devised the perfect game plan to beat the Bills. On offense, they shortened the game with a ball-control, smash-mouth attack that kept the Bills – who scored 95 points in two AFC playoff wins – off the field for more than 40 minutes of game clock, a Super Bowl record that still stands today. Defensively, the Giants were physical with Buffalo’s receivers and forced the Bills to beat them with Thurman Thomas – which he almost did.
Simply put, Parcells and company outcoached Levy and the Bills.
Parcells went on to revive a moribund Patriots’ franchise into the perennial Super Bowl contender they are today, even if he did go 0-1 in the big game as New England’s head coach.
The Jets were a laughingstock until Parcells arrived on the scene. In just two seasons, Parcells turned the 1-15 Jets team he inherited into a 12-4 division champion that played in the AFC Championship. Just as he did with the Giants and Patriots, Parcells helped change the culture with the Jets as well. Doesn’t that count for anything?
And speaking of changing the culture – consider the who’s who list that made up Parcells’ coaching staff during the Giants Super Bowl XXV championship run.
As was mentioned before, Belichick (defensive coordinator) and Coughlin (wide receivers coach) served under Parcells in 1990. His staff also included Kansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel (defensive line), former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis (assistant special teams), former Giants head coach and Parcells’ direct successor Ray Handley (running backs), former Jets head coach Al Groh (linebackers) and offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt, who spent three seasons as the Patriots head man before joining the Giants’ staff.
Ten years ago, I was definitely surprised that Parcells was snubbed by the Hall of Fame.
And while I realized many voters weren’t comfortable voting in a guy they suspected would come out of retirement (which he did), Parcells was still Hall eligible by those standards.
But this time, there was no excuse. Parcells will eventually get in, but why he isn’t in now baffles me.
Bob Benz, assistant sports editor for The Corning (N.Y.) Leader, can be reached at rbenz@the-leader.com.
