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March-26th-2009, 06:39 PM
By EDGAR THOMPSON
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2009/03/26/0326cowboys.html
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DANA POINT, CALIF. — Bill Parcells left Dallas more than two years ago - long enough for his time with the Cowboys to become a mere footnote in the 50-year history of one of the NFL's most successful franchises.
Parcells didn't return the Cowboys to their prominence of the early 1990s, but his four seasons (2003-06) as head coach of America's Team are looking better and better in hindsight.
After Parcells retired from coaching, the Cowboys had one good season that ended in disappointment followed by a chaotic 2008 season, when a talent-laden team unraveled and failed to make the playoffs.
Still, coach Wade Phillips and owner Jerry Jones maintain that the 'Boys are headed in the right direction even without Parcells, who is preparing for his second season as the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations.
"We won 22 the last two years, and the previous three they won 24," Phillips said Wednesday at the NFL's annual meetings. "We're trying to go forward."
Jones noted that Parcells went 10-6 in 2003, his first as Cowboys' coach, "with the personnel we had here when he got here."
"I think that all evens out," Jones continued. "It's no more noteworthy that we went 13-3 (in 2007) after he left."
But Phillips inherited a playoff team; Parcells arrived on the heels of three straight 5-11 seasons.
The season after Parcells left, Phillips did seem to be cruising until the New York Giants visited the Cowboys and knocked them out in the first round. The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl; the Cowboys headed downhill, finishing 9-7 last season with a club weighed down by controversies surrounding receiver Terrell Owens and defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones.
Parcells, on the other hand, is ahead of schedule rebuilding the Dolphins, who finished 11-5 and won the AFC East in 2008, a season after going 1-15. Miami has done it with several players, coaches and executives - including head coach Tony Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland - whom Parcells recruited from Dallas.
"I was very impressed, really followed it," said Jones, who keeps in touch with Parcells. "Bill did a great job there with Tony and everybody involved. I'm a big fan of Bill's. I was proud they got the opportunity to have that type of year."
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are retooling for 2009. Their biggest decision was to release Owens, the perpetually disgruntled wideout who was forced on Parcells in 2006.
Phillips downplayed the melodrama surrounding Owens in Dallas.
"Terrell's situation is like the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys - anything said or done is going to be reported," Phillips joked. "Give me a player that works hard, tries to win and has great talent and produces."
Jones said Owens' departure should help the development of quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys' young receivers, primarily Miles Austin, who in three seasons has never started an NFL game.
The Cowboys' bosses didn't try to defend the one-year "Pacman" experiment; he played only nine games for the Cowboys (with little impact) after spending 2007 on the NFL's suspended list.
Now the Cowboys are trying to bounce back from a season that ended with diastrous, back-to-back losses, 33-24 to Baltimore and 44-6 to Philadelphia with a playoff berth on the line.
Many wondered if Phillips, who had been fired in Denver and Buffalo, would survive the collapse.
"It takes four years to get a championship-type team put together," Phillips said. "We were expected in Dallas to do it in one or two."
After the season, Jones barred his coaches from talking to the media. Speaking to reporters at length this week for the first time since Dec. 29, Phillips said he's looking forward to the chance to turn things around.
Phillips, known for his mild manner, said he won't try to imitate the harder-edged Parcells.
"Everybody's going to say, 'Hey you ought to be a tyrant, rather than the person you are,' " Phillips said. "I have a lot of pride in how I work with players and how they respond to how I coach."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2009/03/26/0326cowboys.html
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DANA POINT, CALIF. — Bill Parcells left Dallas more than two years ago - long enough for his time with the Cowboys to become a mere footnote in the 50-year history of one of the NFL's most successful franchises.
Parcells didn't return the Cowboys to their prominence of the early 1990s, but his four seasons (2003-06) as head coach of America's Team are looking better and better in hindsight.
After Parcells retired from coaching, the Cowboys had one good season that ended in disappointment followed by a chaotic 2008 season, when a talent-laden team unraveled and failed to make the playoffs.
Still, coach Wade Phillips and owner Jerry Jones maintain that the 'Boys are headed in the right direction even without Parcells, who is preparing for his second season as the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations.
"We won 22 the last two years, and the previous three they won 24," Phillips said Wednesday at the NFL's annual meetings. "We're trying to go forward."
Jones noted that Parcells went 10-6 in 2003, his first as Cowboys' coach, "with the personnel we had here when he got here."
"I think that all evens out," Jones continued. "It's no more noteworthy that we went 13-3 (in 2007) after he left."
But Phillips inherited a playoff team; Parcells arrived on the heels of three straight 5-11 seasons.
The season after Parcells left, Phillips did seem to be cruising until the New York Giants visited the Cowboys and knocked them out in the first round. The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl; the Cowboys headed downhill, finishing 9-7 last season with a club weighed down by controversies surrounding receiver Terrell Owens and defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones.
Parcells, on the other hand, is ahead of schedule rebuilding the Dolphins, who finished 11-5 and won the AFC East in 2008, a season after going 1-15. Miami has done it with several players, coaches and executives - including head coach Tony Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland - whom Parcells recruited from Dallas.
"I was very impressed, really followed it," said Jones, who keeps in touch with Parcells. "Bill did a great job there with Tony and everybody involved. I'm a big fan of Bill's. I was proud they got the opportunity to have that type of year."
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are retooling for 2009. Their biggest decision was to release Owens, the perpetually disgruntled wideout who was forced on Parcells in 2006.
Phillips downplayed the melodrama surrounding Owens in Dallas.
"Terrell's situation is like the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys - anything said or done is going to be reported," Phillips joked. "Give me a player that works hard, tries to win and has great talent and produces."
Jones said Owens' departure should help the development of quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys' young receivers, primarily Miles Austin, who in three seasons has never started an NFL game.
The Cowboys' bosses didn't try to defend the one-year "Pacman" experiment; he played only nine games for the Cowboys (with little impact) after spending 2007 on the NFL's suspended list.
Now the Cowboys are trying to bounce back from a season that ended with diastrous, back-to-back losses, 33-24 to Baltimore and 44-6 to Philadelphia with a playoff berth on the line.
Many wondered if Phillips, who had been fired in Denver and Buffalo, would survive the collapse.
"It takes four years to get a championship-type team put together," Phillips said. "We were expected in Dallas to do it in one or two."
After the season, Jones barred his coaches from talking to the media. Speaking to reporters at length this week for the first time since Dec. 29, Phillips said he's looking forward to the chance to turn things around.
Phillips, known for his mild manner, said he won't try to imitate the harder-edged Parcells.
"Everybody's going to say, 'Hey you ought to be a tyrant, rather than the person you are,' " Phillips said. "I have a lot of pride in how I work with players and how they respond to how I coach."