Buck Harvey: Tweaked, Parcells now needs to heal
Web Posted: 08/23/2006 10:30 PM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Terrell Owens' hamstring felt another twinge this week. So did Bill Parcells' brain.
Parcells' brain needs time to heal, too. Parcells' brain is accustomed to going full speed, accustomed to always being in control, and now it's limping.
What happened?
Parcells' brain didn't warm up properly for Owens.
Owens' notorious hamstring may or may not be sore. He may or not be grandstanding, and he may or may not be proving T.O. is ultimately in charge of T.O.
Owens may or may not play 16 games this season, too.
But Parcells had no choice once confronted by The Player Who Ate Philadelphia. He had to accept the concept that Owens was hurt, and that hamstrings are nothing to mess around with. He had to be patient, if not upbeat, and he had to announce publicly that he understood.
Owens knows his body better than everyone else, right?
Parcells had to act, specifically, the way Carolina coach John Fox acted when his star receiver went down with a hamstring pull on the first day of camp. Steve Smith is one of a few of today's receivers who compare to Owens, and yet his hammy is just another muscle.
Fox's attitude helped make that so. "We've just got to put him on the shelf, work the rehab and we'll get him out here when he's healthy," Fox said.
Then, after missing 17 days of practice, Smith missed another with an ingrown toenail. Parcells' brain might have boiled over at that medical report. Fox, again, shrugged.
"Ideally, I'd want them all in every game," Fox said. "But in this case, we are just making sure he is ready for the season opener when they start counting the games. He's day-to-day, and we'll be cautious."
There are clear differences. Smith knows his quarterback after seasons of being together; Owens knows his over a few days. Smith has a reputation as a hard worker, and he's already produced for Fox; Owens' reputation inflames every detail.
Still, an injury is an injury. If Owens says he's not 100 percent and is in danger of lasting damage, how can anyone argue?
If anything, a smart coach would have factored in the T.O. profile. He would have talked about how special this receiver is, and how he won't need long to connect with a veteran such as Drew Bledsoe. He would have, above all else, never picked a fight with Owens.
But Parcells' brain only knows one pattern. He wants his players to prove to him what they are about. Until then, he discounts who they are, and he likes to complain when they aren't there yet.
With most, this is powerful. With Owens, this is flammable.
Parcells hasn't been openly critical. He keeps repeating he won't be the cause of a controversy.
Still, he drops strong hints, and he keeps saying "that player" needs to practice. Parcells' brain is confused if it thinks Owens likes being called "that player."
Parcells has shown little respect for Owens, and privately he has shown disdain. A Fort Worth columnist wrote "team insiders say Parcells is seething over Owens," and SI.com went further last week. According to the Web site, Parcells made sure he stayed away from Owens and his Discovery Channel outfit to avoid being part of the circus.
At the risk of suggesting football blasphemy, what's the matter with laughing with Owens? Wasn't his stationary-bike sense of humor innocent enough?
The Web site also reported that Parcells demanded team trainers get "the player" back out on the field, and Parcells angrily gave a non-denial denial. But what Owens said Wednesday suggests there's truth in the story. Then, Owens said he wasn't pressured, but that he felt the need to "compromise."
Every compromise requires two sides.
Now Owens says he re-injured the hamstring trying to please the Cowboys, and he says there's something wrong that an MRI can't find. Parcells is stuck.
Parcells has already heightened this soap opera, and he likely will again. He knows no other way to coach. But in doing so, does he risk losing a player he needs to win?
Parcells' brain hurts, all right. It may not be ready for the opener.
San Antonio Express-News
Terrell Owens' hamstring felt another twinge this week. So did Bill Parcells' brain.
Parcells' brain needs time to heal, too. Parcells' brain is accustomed to going full speed, accustomed to always being in control, and now it's limping.
What happened?
Parcells' brain didn't warm up properly for Owens.
Owens' notorious hamstring may or may not be sore. He may or not be grandstanding, and he may or may not be proving T.O. is ultimately in charge of T.O.
Owens may or may not play 16 games this season, too.
But Parcells had no choice once confronted by The Player Who Ate Philadelphia. He had to accept the concept that Owens was hurt, and that hamstrings are nothing to mess around with. He had to be patient, if not upbeat, and he had to announce publicly that he understood.
Owens knows his body better than everyone else, right?
Parcells had to act, specifically, the way Carolina coach John Fox acted when his star receiver went down with a hamstring pull on the first day of camp. Steve Smith is one of a few of today's receivers who compare to Owens, and yet his hammy is just another muscle.
Fox's attitude helped make that so. "We've just got to put him on the shelf, work the rehab and we'll get him out here when he's healthy," Fox said.
Then, after missing 17 days of practice, Smith missed another with an ingrown toenail. Parcells' brain might have boiled over at that medical report. Fox, again, shrugged.
"Ideally, I'd want them all in every game," Fox said. "But in this case, we are just making sure he is ready for the season opener when they start counting the games. He's day-to-day, and we'll be cautious."
There are clear differences. Smith knows his quarterback after seasons of being together; Owens knows his over a few days. Smith has a reputation as a hard worker, and he's already produced for Fox; Owens' reputation inflames every detail.
Still, an injury is an injury. If Owens says he's not 100 percent and is in danger of lasting damage, how can anyone argue?
If anything, a smart coach would have factored in the T.O. profile. He would have talked about how special this receiver is, and how he won't need long to connect with a veteran such as Drew Bledsoe. He would have, above all else, never picked a fight with Owens.
But Parcells' brain only knows one pattern. He wants his players to prove to him what they are about. Until then, he discounts who they are, and he likes to complain when they aren't there yet.
With most, this is powerful. With Owens, this is flammable.
Parcells hasn't been openly critical. He keeps repeating he won't be the cause of a controversy.
Still, he drops strong hints, and he keeps saying "that player" needs to practice. Parcells' brain is confused if it thinks Owens likes being called "that player."
Parcells has shown little respect for Owens, and privately he has shown disdain. A Fort Worth columnist wrote "team insiders say Parcells is seething over Owens," and SI.com went further last week. According to the Web site, Parcells made sure he stayed away from Owens and his Discovery Channel outfit to avoid being part of the circus.
At the risk of suggesting football blasphemy, what's the matter with laughing with Owens? Wasn't his stationary-bike sense of humor innocent enough?
The Web site also reported that Parcells demanded team trainers get "the player" back out on the field, and Parcells angrily gave a non-denial denial. But what Owens said Wednesday suggests there's truth in the story. Then, Owens said he wasn't pressured, but that he felt the need to "compromise."
Every compromise requires two sides.
Now Owens says he re-injured the hamstring trying to please the Cowboys, and he says there's something wrong that an MRI can't find. Parcells is stuck.
Parcells has already heightened this soap opera, and he likely will again. He knows no other way to coach. But in doing so, does he risk losing a player he needs to win?
Parcells' brain hurts, all right. It may not be ready for the opener.
posted by The Gryphon at 2:28 PM
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