Like many of you I'm sitting here wondering WTF regarding the Parcells situation. The timing is somewhat annoying but the situation does merit at least some discussion. We know there is some truth to the rumors, as Huizenga disclosed this weekend that Parcells is considering exercising the opt out clause in his contract.
As fans, we sit here amidst THE greatest turnaround in NFL history, only to be distracted by the potential departure of the architect of our turnaround.
While we can't know what's going on in the Tuna's head, it's natural to wonder about what might be going on and if he truly is considering leaving Miami, what some of the motives behind that might be.
So I'm going to throw out as many theories as I can, none, one, or all in combination may be true, starting with the simplest:
1. Parcells isn't intending to go anywhere. He has a great lifestyle and job here in Miami, and is simply trying to get some assurances (or a little more cash) from the new owner, Ross. It might be as simple as Parcells wants to make sure Ross wants him just as much as Huizenga did. If that comes with a few extra wads of green, all the better.
2. Parcells' is smarting from Wayne's broken promise. Tuna probably has a lot of pride and a big ego. I don't know the nature of his discussions with Wayne when he signed on to rebuild our franchise, but if he feels lied to, that might be enough to leave. It's not about the Dolphins, or Dolfans - it's about Bill Parcells and personal relationships. Plus, he gets all his money from the remainder of the contract, which can't hurt, especially when you're not necessarily committed or loyal to the franchise/fanbase. After all, in the business world, those types of attachments get you into trouble.
3. Parcells doesn't want to overshadow the accomplishments of Sparano and Ireland any longer. The fact that Parcells has been involved in this turnaround has definitely taken away from the tremendous job Sparano has done in transforming our guys into winners on gamedays. You see that in Coach of the Year talk, with many using it as an excuse to disqualify Sparano from the top spot. "Oh but Sparano has Tuna overseeing the whole thing." If Parcells really believes in Sparano as his disciple, he may view his sticking around as detrimental to Sparano's development as a head coach and recognition for the amazing job he's done. Same thing for Ireland. This was never meant to be Parcells' team - this is Sparano and Ireland's team. He is the "rebuilder" - they are the Dolphins. Parcells is not and never meant to be a Dolphin.
4. Parcells views his job as complete. The argument can be made that the foundation has been laid here in Miami. The culture has changed. We are winners again. Does Bill Parcells want to be attached to any one franchise or does he want to be known as the rebuilder, a flagless superhero of sorts that could turn around the biggest football disasters? If you look at his track record I think the answer there is pretty clear. And he sort of has nowhere to go but down in Miami - we're basically rebuilt. Rebuilding doesn't mean winning a SB Championship (that requires many other things to fall into place, including luck) - it means becoming winners again and having a culture that is about winning. Plus, with a difficult schedule next year, we might not fare as well as we have this year, even with another successful offseason. Better not to be attached to a slight downturn after soaring expectations from this season.
It might already be time to move on to the next challenge, and there are several franchises in dire need of rebuilding. Among those, which are even bigger challenges than Miami was, are taking on the nutjob Al Davis and righting the ship in Oakland. Detroit also has to be an attractive target for the "rebuilder."
5. Parcells wants to coach again. I find this one hard to believe. I don't doubt that there might be an itch to return to the gritty job of head coach, but it strikes me as odd that Parcells would want to venture from a position of complete control to a position with less control. That being said, sure, there are head coaches who are given absolute power over personnel decisions, etc. So maybe he wishes he could have his current job + coaching, which obviously he can't have in Miami without displacing Sparano.
6. Ross plans on being just a little too hands-on for Parcell's liking. Entirely possible - we were pretty lucky with Wayne who essentially was willing to write a blank check for the team without pretending he knew a damn thing about football. What if the new owner wants to own a NFL franchise not just for the money, but for the joys of tinkering around? As tcdrover points out below, there was that whole Henne/Michigan thing - a warning sign of an owner that has certain specifics about the way the team is run? Or does Parcells know something else about Ross and his plans for the Fins - might be planning a relocation? A name change? Putting his brother-in-law in charge of the Gatorade? Who knows.
Regardless of why he might leave or be considering leaving, I view Parcells' departure at worst, a distraction. Like many of you guys, I think Ireland and Sparano will be just fine without him (which is exactly why he might be tempted to leave in the first place). As fans though, we have to consider just how a Parcells' departure would affect us, if at all.
When the Tuna came to Miami, he brought as many of his people from Dallas as he could with him. Does he again poach, this time from our coaching staff, and take guys with him to his new destination? Does, for instance, David Lee, architect of our beloved Wildcat, become the new head coach of the next rebuilding project? I know many of us are hoping for him to replace Henning as our offensive coordinator of the future. Does Pasqualoni leave with him to be a head coach? What about some of the other great positional coaches we've got? Does he steal Dorrell away to be O-coordinator?
What about players? Does he try to get some of the guys he brought in here? Of course, they may not want to go. But at the very least, would he and us be competing for the same kind of "Parcells" guys in the future? If you're a free agent and attracted to Parcells' brand of winning football, would you more likely want to go to where Parcells has *been* or where he currently *is*?
Ultimately, if the Tuna does leave, it will be the biggest test of whether our franchise has truly been rebuilt atop a new foundation, or whether our recent success has simply stemmed from the stabilizing and motivating presence of a football god. Perhaps it's already time to find out.
As fans, we sit here amidst THE greatest turnaround in NFL history, only to be distracted by the potential departure of the architect of our turnaround.
While we can't know what's going on in the Tuna's head, it's natural to wonder about what might be going on and if he truly is considering leaving Miami, what some of the motives behind that might be.
So I'm going to throw out as many theories as I can, none, one, or all in combination may be true, starting with the simplest:
1. Parcells isn't intending to go anywhere. He has a great lifestyle and job here in Miami, and is simply trying to get some assurances (or a little more cash) from the new owner, Ross. It might be as simple as Parcells wants to make sure Ross wants him just as much as Huizenga did. If that comes with a few extra wads of green, all the better.
2. Parcells' is smarting from Wayne's broken promise. Tuna probably has a lot of pride and a big ego. I don't know the nature of his discussions with Wayne when he signed on to rebuild our franchise, but if he feels lied to, that might be enough to leave. It's not about the Dolphins, or Dolfans - it's about Bill Parcells and personal relationships. Plus, he gets all his money from the remainder of the contract, which can't hurt, especially when you're not necessarily committed or loyal to the franchise/fanbase. After all, in the business world, those types of attachments get you into trouble.
3. Parcells doesn't want to overshadow the accomplishments of Sparano and Ireland any longer. The fact that Parcells has been involved in this turnaround has definitely taken away from the tremendous job Sparano has done in transforming our guys into winners on gamedays. You see that in Coach of the Year talk, with many using it as an excuse to disqualify Sparano from the top spot. "Oh but Sparano has Tuna overseeing the whole thing." If Parcells really believes in Sparano as his disciple, he may view his sticking around as detrimental to Sparano's development as a head coach and recognition for the amazing job he's done. Same thing for Ireland. This was never meant to be Parcells' team - this is Sparano and Ireland's team. He is the "rebuilder" - they are the Dolphins. Parcells is not and never meant to be a Dolphin.
4. Parcells views his job as complete. The argument can be made that the foundation has been laid here in Miami. The culture has changed. We are winners again. Does Bill Parcells want to be attached to any one franchise or does he want to be known as the rebuilder, a flagless superhero of sorts that could turn around the biggest football disasters? If you look at his track record I think the answer there is pretty clear. And he sort of has nowhere to go but down in Miami - we're basically rebuilt. Rebuilding doesn't mean winning a SB Championship (that requires many other things to fall into place, including luck) - it means becoming winners again and having a culture that is about winning. Plus, with a difficult schedule next year, we might not fare as well as we have this year, even with another successful offseason. Better not to be attached to a slight downturn after soaring expectations from this season.
It might already be time to move on to the next challenge, and there are several franchises in dire need of rebuilding. Among those, which are even bigger challenges than Miami was, are taking on the nutjob Al Davis and righting the ship in Oakland. Detroit also has to be an attractive target for the "rebuilder."
5. Parcells wants to coach again. I find this one hard to believe. I don't doubt that there might be an itch to return to the gritty job of head coach, but it strikes me as odd that Parcells would want to venture from a position of complete control to a position with less control. That being said, sure, there are head coaches who are given absolute power over personnel decisions, etc. So maybe he wishes he could have his current job + coaching, which obviously he can't have in Miami without displacing Sparano.
6. Ross plans on being just a little too hands-on for Parcell's liking. Entirely possible - we were pretty lucky with Wayne who essentially was willing to write a blank check for the team without pretending he knew a damn thing about football. What if the new owner wants to own a NFL franchise not just for the money, but for the joys of tinkering around? As tcdrover points out below, there was that whole Henne/Michigan thing - a warning sign of an owner that has certain specifics about the way the team is run? Or does Parcells know something else about Ross and his plans for the Fins - might be planning a relocation? A name change? Putting his brother-in-law in charge of the Gatorade? Who knows.
Regardless of why he might leave or be considering leaving, I view Parcells' departure at worst, a distraction. Like many of you guys, I think Ireland and Sparano will be just fine without him (which is exactly why he might be tempted to leave in the first place). As fans though, we have to consider just how a Parcells' departure would affect us, if at all.
When the Tuna came to Miami, he brought as many of his people from Dallas as he could with him. Does he again poach, this time from our coaching staff, and take guys with him to his new destination? Does, for instance, David Lee, architect of our beloved Wildcat, become the new head coach of the next rebuilding project? I know many of us are hoping for him to replace Henning as our offensive coordinator of the future. Does Pasqualoni leave with him to be a head coach? What about some of the other great positional coaches we've got? Does he steal Dorrell away to be O-coordinator?
What about players? Does he try to get some of the guys he brought in here? Of course, they may not want to go. But at the very least, would he and us be competing for the same kind of "Parcells" guys in the future? If you're a free agent and attracted to Parcells' brand of winning football, would you more likely want to go to where Parcells has *been* or where he currently *is*?
Ultimately, if the Tuna does leave, it will be the biggest test of whether our franchise has truly been rebuilt atop a new foundation, or whether our recent success has simply stemmed from the stabilizing and motivating presence of a football god. Perhaps it's already time to find out.
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