Wayne: Bill, you know I made my money selling garbage. I could sell ice to an Eskimo. Don't sign with Atlanta, I have something for you. Interested? Parcell's: Sure, I'm in the middle of eating a six pack of doughnuts so speak slowly. Wayne: Well, I've been fixing to sell this team to this big shot real estate guy that doesn't know sh*t about football or running a team. Parcell's: You know, I don't want to deal with an ownership change.. That means I'd actually have to work hard. Wayne: Wait Bill.. What if I guaranteed a 5 year contract that you can opt out of upon the sale of the team? Then get paid in full the entire term of the contract even if you only work 1 year? Parcells: Can I work 20 hours a week and pretend like I give a sh*t? Wayne: All I need is for you drive up the price of the team, toot your own horn for a year then relax!! Once I sell you can collect all the cash and go to fat camp to lose weight!! Parcells: I'll see you in Miami tomorrow morning. I cancelled my Atlanta trip.
I don't even know if Ross should consider what he said to be insulting. He was absolutely, positively a neophyte owner and admitted as much. As for his constantly talking about an extension with Parcells and then just never having time for it, that's a criticism he deserves if true. He's been an absentee owner. He's always "too busy" to actually oversee things, even though he's set himself up as everyone's overseer.
I don't think Parcells is saying that. I think he's saying that Ross kept talking about it, talking about how they should get together and iron it out, and then just never followed through with that. That doesn't mean Parcells ultimately would've agreed to an extension. But it did tell Parcells what kind of owner Ross was, which was an absentee owner who takes too much onto his plate relative to his work ethic.
I don't know. I don't think you can trust men like Parcells and Wayne negotiating a very friendly contract while the team was up for sale. Granted, nobody could predict winning the division in 2008, but having Parcells in tow made the deal easier to stomach for Ross. The contract was setup for Parcells to be on loan for a year then opt out while getting the full contract paid. I question Ross more for not seeing though that charade than for being an absentee owner or whatever else you claim he is.
Steve Ross knew full well that Bill Parcells' contract allowed him freedom should Huizenga sell the team. You say that you can't predict the 2008 division championship but Huizenga also can't predict when a buyer is going to agree to his terms. He had been in negotiation with Ross for several years. I believe there's a story about how when Brian Billick gave the Dolphins their lone victory of 2007, preventing a winless season, Huizenga raised the price he was asking for the team. Ross has joked/semi-not-joking to Billick that he cost him a hundred million or something along those lines. So those two had been in negotiations for a while and it was a matter of agreeing to terms which is something you can't predict especially as the price starts fluctuating in reaction to recent successes.
If you hate Ireland. If you also hate Sparano. If you love Harbaugh. Then all of this should make you love Ross and hate Parcells.
In truth, every NFL person who criticized Ireland for going with his boss, at his boss' request, to meet with a potential upgrade at a key position (i.e., head coach) is a hypocrite. Every owner, GM and coach in NFL history has explored options for improving the team while people were in place and under contract doing those jobs. Every one of them has fired or cut people who were under contract.
Well I would love Ross....had he fired Ireland when he was supposed to. but instead he kept him so he could trade away our best players in Marshall and Vontae and completely blow the extra picks and cap space. so you can understand my disdain for the man.
All I know is that you can trust Parcells about as far as you comfortably spit a live rat. I get the impression that he is more interested in protecting his reputation than telling the actual truth.
As usual Fat A** is trying to deflect. He was a failure here not because Ross was a bad owner (which he is), but because Fat A** made bad hires in Ireland & Sparano, and because his drafts were mediocre at best. Ross didn't need to be here, he had a football Czar in place in Parcells.
I love Parcells. Think he's one of the greatest coaches I have ever seen. As a GM eh but I loved the concept of the type of team he was trying to build here. The defense we have now is, especially the dline is a testament to his philosophy. I think his two major mistakes were getting Ireland as GM and going with Long over Matt Ryan. How different would things have been if those two crucial mistakes were reversed?
This is just like all your bitc*ing and moaning about "Ireland taking Long instead of Ryan" which we've been telling you for years was PARCELLS' decision, just like passing on Jimmy Graham was Parcells' decision. When will you learn, dude?! Ireland wasn't the main player in Marshall & Vontae either. It was PHILBIN. If you're gonna hate someone for moves you despise, at least hate the right damn people. The collective of Parcells, Sparano, Philbin, and Henning played as big or bigger a role in who we drafted, cut, signed, or chose not to re-sign than Ireland [excluding the mid to later round/UDFA prospects], yet you NEVER direct any of your 5 million posts of broken-record whining at their cruddy decisions. Why is that? Easier to pull your bottom lip over the top of your head instead?