Bill Parcells to join the Miami Dolphins?

Bill Jempty | Thursday, December 20, 2007

That has been the talk of South Florida newspapers since late yesterday afternoon. From the Sun-Sentinel-

According to sources, Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga has convinced former coach Bill Parcells to lead his floundering franchise. Both sides have agreed in principle to a four-year deal that will make Parcells the team’s vice president of football operations, one source said.

Jimmy Sexton, Parcells’ agent, is working to finalize a deal that first began as exploratory talks, then picked up speed once the Atlanta Falcons pursued Parcells.

Huizenga visited the Dolphins facility for a little over an hour Wednesday evening, likely to provide a briefing on the latest turn of events to the team’s executives and coach.

On Wednesday morning, Parcells was set to become the Falcons vice president of football operations, but late in the afternoon Falcons owner Arthur Blank acknowledged Parcells’ change of heart, which has led him to South Florida, where he has a home in Jupiter and an existing relationship with Huizenga.

The state of disarray in Miami is so immense, I don’t think any one person can change it. The team has too many needs at present.(RB if Brown doesn’t come back, a rotten Defensive backfield, no depth at WR, no decent TE, an aging defensive line, an aging linebacker corps, an inconsistent offensive line. Not to mention QB, Lemon is a free agent at year’s end and its still unknown if Beck is going to be NFL quality. Is there any position Miami don’t need at? Oh punter and place kicker)

Like myself, Dan Le Batard at the Miami Herald, has doubts when it comes to Big Tuna being the Dolphins savior.

But Bill Parcells represents hope and star power and possible change, so he will be welcomed here with the same kind of fervent hero worship that usually results whenever starving followers are given a new leader. Never mind that what Parcells does best is coach and, um, he isn’t being hired to do that. The cheering and excitement around this kind of popular hire can make people swoon and forget that you’ve just hired Beyoncé as your entertainment but asked her to juggle.

WHAT HE IS

Here’s what Parcells is: A champion. The guy for whom that clichéd sports celebration — the Gatorade bath — was invented. A bejeweled leader of men who hasn’t won a single playoff game in nearly a decade and hasn’t won a championship since Lawrence Taylor carried him nearly two decades ago.

And here’s what Parcells isn’t: 1-13.

So he’s an upgrade because, well, it can’t really get much worse — mathematically or historically. But we’ve been down this path before, unsuccessfully. You’d think the Dolphins would have learned their lesson in going after the biggest, most popular name available. It didn’t work with Jimmy Johnson or Nick Saban or even, for his three blissful weeks as vice president, with Dan Marino. But here Miami is again, producing yet more upheaval by giving a mountain of power and money for a weary Parcells to do a job at which he might not be exceptional.

Parcells didn’t pick the players who made him a champion in New York. George Young did that. Parcells left the Patriots who took him to a Super Bowl because Bob Kraft, who is pretty good at his job, overruled Parcells and made him share personnel powers with someone else after Parcells wanted to take Tony Brackens instead of Terry Glenn. Parcells had one great draft in New York with the Jets, but he had four first-round picks that year, which would be pretty hard for even Dave Wannstache and Rick Spielman to screw up. And in Dallas, Parcells didn’t even want his best player (Terrell Owens, who was foisted upon him by owner Jerry Jones) and waited too long to play Tony Romo. So there are valid reasons to question this if you aren’t blinded by all the flashbulbs.

I hope Parcells can turn Miami around but right now color me skeptical.

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• Miami Dolphins fire Coach Cam Cameron
• Jason Taylor and The Miami Dolphins- The end of the road?
• Wayne Huizenga sells half of the Miami Dolphins

• The Saints keep marching in- New Orleans beats Carolina 30-20
• Freeman to the rescue- Tampa Bay beats Green Bay 38-28
• Whacked- Washington Capitals beat Florida 7-4
• Bo Bae Song wins the Mizuno Classic
• Carolina Hurricane Goalie Cam Ward taken to hospital with a cut in his leg
• Ex-Claimer wins Breeders Cup Dirt Mile
• Ship wreck- Navy beats Notre Dame 23-21
• NY Islander Defenseman Radek Martinek out for the year with a torn ACL
• Oh have the mighty fallen- Purdue beats Michigan 38-36
• Out of luck- Northwestern beats Iowa 17-10

Tags | NFL Bill Jempty, Miami Dolphins

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