Richard Oliver's Mailbag: Parcells did solid job with Cowboys
Richard Oliver
Express-News Staff Writer
Judging from the spleen-venting in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in the wake of Bill Parcells’ departure, it seems the retiring Cowboys coach might have been the worst thing to hit the franchise since Jerry Jones’ facelift.
Forget the fact that the Tuna gave the team the makeover it desperately needed, a task that involved so much more than the scoreboard.
Thanks to Parcells, the Cowboys look infinitely more handsome than when he took over, and that’s a lift worth admiring.
Still, more was demanded, and it’s not just the ink-stained scribblers up north who are celebrating Parcells’ exit, of course. Many of you took to your keyboards within moments of the coach’s announcement, also via e-mail, that he was too weary to wear the star any longer.
“Now, maybe (the Cowboys) can do what the Saints and Bears have been able to do with much worse talent,” Sammy passed along this week from San Marcos. “To see the Cowboys continue to fall from glory has been tough to watch.”
Added Stephanie in a voice mail, “It was time for Parcells to go, I think. The Cowboys just don’t seem to be getting anywhere.”
Wow. What in the wide, wide world of Terrell Owens is going on around here?
A continued fall from glory? Not getting anywhere?
Gads. The last time there was this much disorientation surrounding the Cowboys, Troy Aikman was nursing his decisive concussion.
Just weeks ago, the national media was celebrating the Cowboys as the class of the NFC, then the season spins out, Tony Romo fumbles away a likely victory and Parcells goes from Tuna to chopped liver faster than you can say Chan Gailey?
Had Romo held onto that snap, we’d all be lauding Big D as a delight. Instead, Parcells, so energized in November, was drained of all passion in December, and gone by January.
Before Parcells arrived in Dallas, the club had enjoyed only one winning season in the previous six years. His mandate was intimidating: With Quincy Carter at quarterback, Troy Hambrick at running back and a defense as pliable as sun-baked aluminum — build something special.
Four years later, the Cowboys are viewed as a significant force again, with the foundation in place for continued expansion.
Parcells, simply, did his job.
And now, Cowboys fans are faced with welcoming Norv Turner, Wade Phillips or Tony Sparano to the sideline. There, the mandate will remain the same.
Build something special.
But this time, thanks to Parcells, the foundation is place.
Let’s see what happens.
On to your salvos:
In your opinion, how did Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones get along? Was it the reason Parcells left?
Your column on Sunday seemed to suggest it.
– Stan
The impetus for Parcells’ exit had little to do with Jones, in my view. Not so long ago, the Tuna truly felt his Cowboys roster had a legitimate shot to do something special this year. Heading into the final month of the season, things were shaping up the way he’d hoped, from Romo’s emergence to the strong showing of the defensive unit.
But in short order, as we all know, the fabric of optimism came unraveled in a series of crushing mistakes and suddenly momentum had bled away and Parcells found a ballclub weaker in constitution and savvy than he expected.
Additionally, don’t discount other clubs’ ability to begin game planning against Romo, an evolution that had the popular young quarterback on his heels down the stretch.
By the time Romo was dropped to the turf, inches short of that first down in Seattle, Parcells had been wearied beyond repair. It’s why I’m almost certain we won’t see him on another sideline, save for in an administrative role.
As for Jones, the bombastic owner actually did an admirable job of keeping his ego in check and his wallet open during Parcells’ tenure with the club. Not many, including me, expected the marriage to last long.
All the “reasons” to quit you mentioned are exactly why you’re a quitter and not a football coach. I could find just as many reasons to stay, and in ANY circumstance — job, marriage, life — I could find as many reasons to quit. But you’re just dumb.
– Nick Gleichman, Takoma Park, Md.
Yikes, no one has spoken to me like that since my high school career counselor.
I wish I could quit you, Nick. But I won’t.
With Bill Parcells gone, will the Cowboys be able to bring in another top name, like (Bill) Cowher or (Jon) Gruden? Will Jerry Jones surrender power if he needs?
– B.D.
Cowher would be at prohibitive cost, and Gruden would have been a much more likely choice a year from now. Instead, neither will be heading to Dallas, unless mountains move and stars align.
Which means, of course, major expense in salary and draft choices.
As for Jones surrendering power, it will never happen. The latitude given Parcells was the most the owner will allow, and since that didn’t produce the desired results, look for Jones to again take a firmer hand in the operation.
Consider that a warning.
In a recent (column) on Barry Bonds, you mentioned someone named Jack Bauer. Who is that? Can he hit?
Just kidding. I’m a big fan of “24.”
– Terry, San Marcos
Bauer is a triple threat: He can hit. He can shoot. And he can bring the heat.
The recent spate of articles on Muhammad Ali only serve to remind me how much I dislike him. I cannot argue that he was not the best heavyweight boxer in history. As a Vietnam veteran, I was not happy with his draft-dodger stance, even though I believe he acted out of conviction rather than greed or cowardice.
No, my beef is that he ruined sports! The “I Am the Greatest” mantra made bragging and poor sportsmanship acceptable in America. Many people say that, “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” Bull! Bragging is bragging. Trash-talking is commonplace now, leading to blows and spitting incidents.
It is even found at high school events now. I trace it all back to Muhammad Ali. Now, we have Reggie Bush taunting his pursuers, somersaulting into the end zone and doing a little dance — while his team is getting eliminated from the playoffs.
Ali’s legacy is his athletic supremacy — and the likes of Terrell Owens and Rush Limbaugh.
– Burrell Stewart
It’s a familiar argument, but I’m not sure I agree. From this corner, the swagger of today’s athlete — and heck, even Limbaugh — have much more to do with the forum than the personalities.
As a junior tennis player in the late 1970s and 1980s, I can recall parents lamenting Jimmy Connors, Ilie Nastase and, eventually, John McEnroe as the ruination of dignity on the courts. (Of course, my mother traced the decline of civilization to Elvis Presley’s rambunctious hips on display at Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi years before that.)
Today, however, silly decisions such as that made by Bush against the Bears have more to do with SportsCenter than Ali. In the tornadic world of high-profile sports, it’s the showmen who get the boo-yahs on a worldwide stage, if not your nightly local sportscasts, and not the stoic performers on our fields and arena floors.
Still, Burrell, I fully appreciate your irritation. Bush’s theatric display was simply the latest goofball moment on an athletic landscape populated by too much throat slashing, chest bumping and moronic sack dances.
Little wonder that I and other dads cram into the stands for our sons’ middle-school basketball games each week. It’s a chance to celebrate the last days of true innocence.
I have an Oliver’s Twist twist for you about the Spurs and their “24 Second” ad. They don’t seem to do much good when they destroy property in 24 seconds, including the man being shaved. Just a comment.
– Anonymous voice mail
Like you, I’d much rather they destroy the Mavericks’ hopes in that span.
Express-News Staff Writer
Judging from the spleen-venting in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in the wake of Bill Parcells’ departure, it seems the retiring Cowboys coach might have been the worst thing to hit the franchise since Jerry Jones’ facelift.
Forget the fact that the Tuna gave the team the makeover it desperately needed, a task that involved so much more than the scoreboard.
Thanks to Parcells, the Cowboys look infinitely more handsome than when he took over, and that’s a lift worth admiring.
Still, more was demanded, and it’s not just the ink-stained scribblers up north who are celebrating Parcells’ exit, of course. Many of you took to your keyboards within moments of the coach’s announcement, also via e-mail, that he was too weary to wear the star any longer.
“Now, maybe (the Cowboys) can do what the Saints and Bears have been able to do with much worse talent,” Sammy passed along this week from San Marcos. “To see the Cowboys continue to fall from glory has been tough to watch.”
Added Stephanie in a voice mail, “It was time for Parcells to go, I think. The Cowboys just don’t seem to be getting anywhere.”
Wow. What in the wide, wide world of Terrell Owens is going on around here?
A continued fall from glory? Not getting anywhere?
Gads. The last time there was this much disorientation surrounding the Cowboys, Troy Aikman was nursing his decisive concussion.
Just weeks ago, the national media was celebrating the Cowboys as the class of the NFC, then the season spins out, Tony Romo fumbles away a likely victory and Parcells goes from Tuna to chopped liver faster than you can say Chan Gailey?
Had Romo held onto that snap, we’d all be lauding Big D as a delight. Instead, Parcells, so energized in November, was drained of all passion in December, and gone by January.
Before Parcells arrived in Dallas, the club had enjoyed only one winning season in the previous six years. His mandate was intimidating: With Quincy Carter at quarterback, Troy Hambrick at running back and a defense as pliable as sun-baked aluminum — build something special.
Four years later, the Cowboys are viewed as a significant force again, with the foundation in place for continued expansion.
Parcells, simply, did his job.
And now, Cowboys fans are faced with welcoming Norv Turner, Wade Phillips or Tony Sparano to the sideline. There, the mandate will remain the same.
Build something special.
But this time, thanks to Parcells, the foundation is place.
Let’s see what happens.
On to your salvos:
In your opinion, how did Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones get along? Was it the reason Parcells left?
Your column on Sunday seemed to suggest it.
– Stan
The impetus for Parcells’ exit had little to do with Jones, in my view. Not so long ago, the Tuna truly felt his Cowboys roster had a legitimate shot to do something special this year. Heading into the final month of the season, things were shaping up the way he’d hoped, from Romo’s emergence to the strong showing of the defensive unit.
But in short order, as we all know, the fabric of optimism came unraveled in a series of crushing mistakes and suddenly momentum had bled away and Parcells found a ballclub weaker in constitution and savvy than he expected.
Additionally, don’t discount other clubs’ ability to begin game planning against Romo, an evolution that had the popular young quarterback on his heels down the stretch.
By the time Romo was dropped to the turf, inches short of that first down in Seattle, Parcells had been wearied beyond repair. It’s why I’m almost certain we won’t see him on another sideline, save for in an administrative role.
As for Jones, the bombastic owner actually did an admirable job of keeping his ego in check and his wallet open during Parcells’ tenure with the club. Not many, including me, expected the marriage to last long.
All the “reasons” to quit you mentioned are exactly why you’re a quitter and not a football coach. I could find just as many reasons to stay, and in ANY circumstance — job, marriage, life — I could find as many reasons to quit. But you’re just dumb.
– Nick Gleichman, Takoma Park, Md.
Yikes, no one has spoken to me like that since my high school career counselor.
I wish I could quit you, Nick. But I won’t.
With Bill Parcells gone, will the Cowboys be able to bring in another top name, like (Bill) Cowher or (Jon) Gruden? Will Jerry Jones surrender power if he needs?
– B.D.
Cowher would be at prohibitive cost, and Gruden would have been a much more likely choice a year from now. Instead, neither will be heading to Dallas, unless mountains move and stars align.
Which means, of course, major expense in salary and draft choices.
As for Jones surrendering power, it will never happen. The latitude given Parcells was the most the owner will allow, and since that didn’t produce the desired results, look for Jones to again take a firmer hand in the operation.
Consider that a warning.
In a recent (column) on Barry Bonds, you mentioned someone named Jack Bauer. Who is that? Can he hit?
Just kidding. I’m a big fan of “24.”
– Terry, San Marcos
Bauer is a triple threat: He can hit. He can shoot. And he can bring the heat.
The recent spate of articles on Muhammad Ali only serve to remind me how much I dislike him. I cannot argue that he was not the best heavyweight boxer in history. As a Vietnam veteran, I was not happy with his draft-dodger stance, even though I believe he acted out of conviction rather than greed or cowardice.
No, my beef is that he ruined sports! The “I Am the Greatest” mantra made bragging and poor sportsmanship acceptable in America. Many people say that, “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” Bull! Bragging is bragging. Trash-talking is commonplace now, leading to blows and spitting incidents.
It is even found at high school events now. I trace it all back to Muhammad Ali. Now, we have Reggie Bush taunting his pursuers, somersaulting into the end zone and doing a little dance — while his team is getting eliminated from the playoffs.
Ali’s legacy is his athletic supremacy — and the likes of Terrell Owens and Rush Limbaugh.
– Burrell Stewart
It’s a familiar argument, but I’m not sure I agree. From this corner, the swagger of today’s athlete — and heck, even Limbaugh — have much more to do with the forum than the personalities.
As a junior tennis player in the late 1970s and 1980s, I can recall parents lamenting Jimmy Connors, Ilie Nastase and, eventually, John McEnroe as the ruination of dignity on the courts. (Of course, my mother traced the decline of civilization to Elvis Presley’s rambunctious hips on display at Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi years before that.)
Today, however, silly decisions such as that made by Bush against the Bears have more to do with SportsCenter than Ali. In the tornadic world of high-profile sports, it’s the showmen who get the boo-yahs on a worldwide stage, if not your nightly local sportscasts, and not the stoic performers on our fields and arena floors.
Still, Burrell, I fully appreciate your irritation. Bush’s theatric display was simply the latest goofball moment on an athletic landscape populated by too much throat slashing, chest bumping and moronic sack dances.
Little wonder that I and other dads cram into the stands for our sons’ middle-school basketball games each week. It’s a chance to celebrate the last days of true innocence.
I have an Oliver’s Twist twist for you about the Spurs and their “24 Second” ad. They don’t seem to do much good when they destroy property in 24 seconds, including the man being shaved. Just a comment.
– Anonymous voice mail
Like you, I’d much rather they destroy the Mavericks’ hopes in that span.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:33 PM
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