Parcells the Master of maintenance
Parcells has the skills and experience to deal with T.O.
Posted: Wednesday May 10, 2006 11:28AM; Updated: Wednesday May 10, 2006 5:16PM
I give Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells credit for going on the offensive. As he answered question after question about Terrell Owens during a press conference last weekend at Valley Ranch, Parcells quickly defused any potential for immediate drama from his newest and notoriously controversial wide receiver. Of particular note was Parcells' decision to announce that Owens wouldn't be catching 100 balls in the Cowboys' offense. That comment wasn't just about numbers -- it was Parcells' way of telling T.O. exactly who would be in charge.
That entire event was geared around Parcells' making one thing clear to Owens: Parcells isn't Andy Reid or Steve Mariucci, and he most certainly isn't a punk. I'm sure Parcells has already given Owens the particulars on the offense (and locker room decorum) behind closed doors, but it was important for him to make a strong showing in public. Parcells realizes that next season will be filled with intense scrutiny of his relationship with the league's most complicated and disruptive player. What Parcells also understands is that dealing with such a difficult talent means having the foresight to set him straight immediately.
When you look back at Owens' career, you can see where coaches have gone wrong with him. Mariucci was always far too nice to handle Owens' antics in San Francisco. He took the high ground on the issues Owens created there -- as did quarterback Jeff Garcia -- and all it did was make Owens act out even more. In the end, Owens wore down Mariucci. He cared little about his coach's feelings and even less about the impact of such drama on the locker room.
Philadelphia was a different story. Head coachAndy Reid coveted Owens as much as quarterback Donovan McNabb did because Owens was supposed to be a difference-maker, the man who could lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Reid got his wish, but all that butt-kissing at the start of Owens' tenure in Philadelphia came back to haunt the Eagles later. By letting Owens gain so much power as the Eagles' perceived savior, Reid allowed T.O. to think he could push the coach -- and the organization -- around whenever he saw fit. And as we all well know, Owens damm near tried to do just that.
Now it's the Cowboys' turn to deal with T.O., and Parcells apparently isn't taking any chances. What he likely learned from examining Owens' history with coaches is that you don't give him the space to run over you. Owens is a complicated man, maybe as psychologically twisted as any NFL player in recent memory, and he will bully teammates and coaches if he thinks he can. But if you lay down the law right from the start, it might lead to a different result. At this stage, it certainly doesn't hurt to try.
Parcells has enough clout and experience to handle the type of star player who would normally ravage other organizations. He kept Lawrence Taylor focused during his hard-drinking, coke-binging days in New York, and he's always found the right buttons to push with Keyshawn Johnson, whom the Cowboys dumped earlier this offseason to clear room for T.O. Those players responded by giving Parcells all they could and became "Parcells Guys." I seriously doubt that Owens will be a part of that fraternity, but I believe he's smart enough to work with Parcells this season.
For one thing, Owens finally has the money he never got Philadelphia to give him. He also has a reason to stay motivated -- he spent nearly half of last season out of sight and mind, and you can bet he'll be eager to remind all of us what he can do on a football field. Even if Parcells says Owens won't catch 100 balls in this offense, it would be ridiculous to think that Owens won't get as many touches as any Cowboys receiver in history. They didn't give him $10 million this season to be a decoy.
That isn't to say Owens is a lock to play nice. I've been burned by thinking he would do that in Philadelphia, so I'm not going down that road again. I do think that stern structure and well-defined expectations could give Dallas what it wants from him. If Parcells can provide that, this might be a marriage that could work beyond this year. After all, since he entered the NFL, Owens has never had anybody lay down the law at the start of a relationship. He might actually respect Parcells more now that he's seen how the coach is planning on playing this.
The reality is that Parcells knows just as many (if not more) tricks about manipulating the general public as Owens does. He's been doing it for years, which is probably a major reason he doesn't allow his assistant coaches to talk to the media. Now that Parcells is taking on one of his biggest coaching challenges in years, he's likely to remind us how masterful he can be when dealing with high-maintenance players. From what I can see, he's already off to a pretty good start.
Posted: Wednesday May 10, 2006 11:28AM; Updated: Wednesday May 10, 2006 5:16PM
I give Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells credit for going on the offensive. As he answered question after question about Terrell Owens during a press conference last weekend at Valley Ranch, Parcells quickly defused any potential for immediate drama from his newest and notoriously controversial wide receiver. Of particular note was Parcells' decision to announce that Owens wouldn't be catching 100 balls in the Cowboys' offense. That comment wasn't just about numbers -- it was Parcells' way of telling T.O. exactly who would be in charge.
That entire event was geared around Parcells' making one thing clear to Owens: Parcells isn't Andy Reid or Steve Mariucci, and he most certainly isn't a punk. I'm sure Parcells has already given Owens the particulars on the offense (and locker room decorum) behind closed doors, but it was important for him to make a strong showing in public. Parcells realizes that next season will be filled with intense scrutiny of his relationship with the league's most complicated and disruptive player. What Parcells also understands is that dealing with such a difficult talent means having the foresight to set him straight immediately.
When you look back at Owens' career, you can see where coaches have gone wrong with him. Mariucci was always far too nice to handle Owens' antics in San Francisco. He took the high ground on the issues Owens created there -- as did quarterback Jeff Garcia -- and all it did was make Owens act out even more. In the end, Owens wore down Mariucci. He cared little about his coach's feelings and even less about the impact of such drama on the locker room.
Philadelphia was a different story. Head coachAndy Reid coveted Owens as much as quarterback Donovan McNabb did because Owens was supposed to be a difference-maker, the man who could lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Reid got his wish, but all that butt-kissing at the start of Owens' tenure in Philadelphia came back to haunt the Eagles later. By letting Owens gain so much power as the Eagles' perceived savior, Reid allowed T.O. to think he could push the coach -- and the organization -- around whenever he saw fit. And as we all well know, Owens damm near tried to do just that.
Now it's the Cowboys' turn to deal with T.O., and Parcells apparently isn't taking any chances. What he likely learned from examining Owens' history with coaches is that you don't give him the space to run over you. Owens is a complicated man, maybe as psychologically twisted as any NFL player in recent memory, and he will bully teammates and coaches if he thinks he can. But if you lay down the law right from the start, it might lead to a different result. At this stage, it certainly doesn't hurt to try.
Parcells has enough clout and experience to handle the type of star player who would normally ravage other organizations. He kept Lawrence Taylor focused during his hard-drinking, coke-binging days in New York, and he's always found the right buttons to push with Keyshawn Johnson, whom the Cowboys dumped earlier this offseason to clear room for T.O. Those players responded by giving Parcells all they could and became "Parcells Guys." I seriously doubt that Owens will be a part of that fraternity, but I believe he's smart enough to work with Parcells this season.
For one thing, Owens finally has the money he never got Philadelphia to give him. He also has a reason to stay motivated -- he spent nearly half of last season out of sight and mind, and you can bet he'll be eager to remind all of us what he can do on a football field. Even if Parcells says Owens won't catch 100 balls in this offense, it would be ridiculous to think that Owens won't get as many touches as any Cowboys receiver in history. They didn't give him $10 million this season to be a decoy.
That isn't to say Owens is a lock to play nice. I've been burned by thinking he would do that in Philadelphia, so I'm not going down that road again. I do think that stern structure and well-defined expectations could give Dallas what it wants from him. If Parcells can provide that, this might be a marriage that could work beyond this year. After all, since he entered the NFL, Owens has never had anybody lay down the law at the start of a relationship. He might actually respect Parcells more now that he's seen how the coach is planning on playing this.
The reality is that Parcells knows just as many (if not more) tricks about manipulating the general public as Owens does. He's been doing it for years, which is probably a major reason he doesn't allow his assistant coaches to talk to the media. Now that Parcells is taking on one of his biggest coaching challenges in years, he's likely to remind us how masterful he can be when dealing with high-maintenance players. From what I can see, he's already off to a pretty good start.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:29 PM
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