Bill Parcells talks about divide with Belichick
The extracts are focused on the turmoil that surrounded Belichick's decision to take the Patriots job after already accepting the head-coaching position with the New York Jets, only to quit on his first day. Parcells was the Jets general manager at the time, and Belichick's desire to separate from his mentor after two decades working together sparked the deterioration of their relationship.
Quoting from the book, Parcells made his feelings known on Belichick's decision to renege on a deal that had been in place from the beginning of the duo's tenure with the Jets:
He made a deal and then tried to get out of it. A deal’s a deal. You want out? You’re going to pay. Simple.
Belichick cited a change of ownership after previous owner Leon Hess passed away in 1999 as one of the key factors in his decision to depart for New England. The uncertainty surrounding the future ownership of the franchise, coupled with the knock on effect that it may have on Parcells authority to control football operations led Belichick to more familiar shores, linking up with the Patriots after a short assistant coaching stint in Parcells own Patriots reign.
Robert Kraft eventually sought to compensate the Jets by providing a 3rd round pick in 2000 and a 1st rounder in 2001. Recently reports emerged about the Jets missed opportunities to draft a certain future Hall of Fame quarterback wearing number 12. The future of the Patriots franchise for the following 15 years was decided with that 1st round pick and pick 199 in the 6th round. The Jets continue to flounder at the seabed of the AFC East.
Parcells goes on to say that he has made peace with the issue and Coach Belichick himself, but still harbours some lingering resentment of the decision:
At the end of the day, he didn’t want to be the Jets’ head coach. Then he expected me as the general manager to just say, ‘OK, I’ll get somebody else.’ Well, eventually I did that. But I got compensation. I didn’t begrudge Bill getting another job somewhere else. In fact, I’m probably the one that got it for him.
Perhaps it was the mere shock of someone undermining his authority that caused Parcells to flip his lid, even when attempting to mann the controls of another coach's career. It bears thinking about how different things could have been had he succeeded in convincing Belichick to stick with the Jets. *shudders*.
Read more about Bill Parcells book and this particular segment over at Sports Illustrated
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