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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

This Time, Patriots, The Joke’s On You Owner’s Attempt To Laugh Off Parcells Rift Lays A Super Bowl Egg

John Clayton Tacoma News Tribune

If you build a Super Bowl team, praise will come.

As the 1990s have proven, they don’t build podiums big enough for owners and coaches to share the credit. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones bought out two-time Super Bowl champ coach Jimmy Johnson after a March owners meeting. Bill Walsh didn’t make Super Bowl titles automatic enough to stay forever in San Francisco.

This year’s Bob Kraft-Bill Parcells saga ranks with the best of spotlight wrestling matches.

Parcells turned the New England Patriots into a Super Bowl team in four seasons.

Kraft turned a once chaotic franchise into a Super Bowl organization in three seasons.

Wednesday went down as a Super Bowl first. The Patriots haven’t won a Super Bowl, but the Kraft-Parcells “divorce” is being negotiated through the newspapers. Kraft wanted to make light of the problems with a pre-planned “show of organizational solidarity.” Before Wednesday’s interview session, Kraft tried humor.

He laid an egg.

Kraft jokingly announced that he signed Parcells to a 10-year contract to be the new manager of his wife’s paper and packing company - Rand Whitney.

“It’s meant a great deal to me that he’s done that and I asked for his input on our new sideline coach and his recommendation was that it will be Mickey Cochrane (the longtime friend of Parcells) as soon as he gets his knees done,” Kraft said. “So it’s really great to know that we have that kind of commitment.”

Embarrassed silence was the response. Even people within the Patriots front office were shaking their heads about that failed attempt at humor. Parcells saved the moment by saying that his first move as president would be to close the plant.

As strained as the falling apart of the Kraft-Parcells combination is - Parcells is willing now to pay Kraft $1.2 million if he lets him move on after the Super Bowl - it is fun to see how they put together the Patriots. They rose from a 1-15 team in 1992 to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

“It’s actually three years to the day that I signed to buy this team,” Kraft said Tuesday. “I tried to understand how the salary cap worked because our objective is not to win once but to be among the league’s best five to 10 teams every year.

Maybe because the Patriots built their franchise around quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Parcells had to structure more of a passing type of team. With the New York Giants, he constructed a strong defensive team that used a strong running offense.

First, it has to be remembered that Kraft bought the team after Parcells was hired. James Orthwein, a former brief owner of the team, signed Parcells to a five-year contract. Orthwein gave Parcells virtual control of the football organization.

Kraft took that away at the end of a 6-10 season last year. Parcells blew it on the signing of several free agents - cornerback Ricky Reynolds (three years, $4.5 million), free safety Myron Guyton (four years, $7 million) and center Jeff Dellenbach, among others.

Though he is a strong, tough coach who loves to berate his players, Parcells is loyal to the players who play hard for him. He overloaded the Patriots with overpaid former New York Giants. Former Giants running back Dave Meggett has proven to be a dangerous special teams player and a threat of making a big play or two from the backfield, but the $3 million Parcells paid him was ridiculous.

Parcells’ strength is defining a need during a season and finding someone off the street to fill it. During this season for example, Parcells turned former New York Jets cornerback Otis Smith from unemployed backup to Patriots starter. The Miami Dolphins thought fullback Keith Byars was done. Parcells proved them wrong by making him a valuable role player at fullback and tight end.

Kraft was more troubled by the big picture. The first-round selection of defensive end Willie McGinest might have been a little bit of a reach. He’s a great pass rusher but not the most complete defensive end for as high of a selection as he was.

Which is why Kraft took the draft away from Parcells and gave it to Bobby Grier, the director of player personnel.

This year’s draft of wide receiver Terry Glenn, safety Lawyer Milloy and linebacker Tedy Bruschi was a dandy. Signing wide receiver Shawn Jefferson and safety Willie Clay were keys.

Success merits applause. But there isn’t enough room for Kraft and Parcells to be together longer than this week to enjoy it.