SPORTSDAY

Posted by Richard @ 9:15 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I am thrilled that Parcells is back. Mr. Blank is now showing real intelligence. Some interesting trade and draft possibilities now come to mind.

Posted by Bradley @ 9:18 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Good riddance! Now I don't have to see his giant talking man boobs on ESPN anymore!

Posted by PMS @ 9:21 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

VP of Football Operations is probably a pretty good fit for Parcells, certainly better than GM/Coach.

But can you imagine the crony that Bill hire as Head Coach? Coughlin, perhaps? I feel sorry for Mike Zimmer.

Posted by mattyinnj @ 9:32 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

PMS - might be Tony Sparano :( It is obvious that with Garrett in house that Sparano is the odd man out internally but still highly regarded around the NFL. Sparano could definitely help a team with o-line issues like Atlanta. I wouldnt be suprised if Sparano is at least interviewed, maybe hired as OC / Asst Head Coach along with a guy like Singletary or Jim Schwartz from Tenny. Unfortunately it looks like a smart move by Blank.

Posted by vix @ 9:33 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Didn't even think of poor Zimmer. Oh well - maybe he can come back to Dallas where he belongs.

So, can we trade them Bobby Carpenter for DeAngelo Hall?

Posted by Chris/Denton @ 9:40 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Parcells DID "help" turn the Cowboys around so I'm thankful for that although I do agree it was time for some fresh blood. Good for him and the Falcons. Not only do they get a pretty good football guy but it's a smart move on Blank's part to help the tarnished image in some people's eyes over the whole Vick fiasco by bringing in a hardcore, no nonsense guy with a squeaky clean image.

Why would the Cowboys want Zimmer back? They have great coaches in place and besides he's a 4-3 guy.

Posted by PaulC @ 9:43 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Didn't Bill screw over Sparano when he wanted to go to New Orleans with Sean Payton? A lot of Dallas coaches squirmed under Parcells. Why would they put themselves under his thumb again, unless they were true believers? Not many of those left on this staff.

Posted by VegasFan @ 9:45 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Uh oh....he's gonna take some Cowboys with him. He always does. Tony Sparano is gone so I hope our O-line can survive without him.

Posted by Habib @ 10:02 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Congrats to Sour Puss Parcells and to get the rebuilding started in ATL please contact the Cowboys to get some great players like Roy Wily,Bobby C and J Jones.

Posted by Jeremy @ 10:12 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I'm not sure why all of the bitter postings on here. I'm happy for the Big Tuna. He did turn our Dallas Cowboys around and you can just look at the talent on the roster for proof. He is a genius at football operations. His weakness is coaching now, because the game has changed so much. I think him being the VP of Football Operations fits him perfectly and he will do a great job. Watch out, in a couple of years, Atlanta will be a power in the NFC. However, it won't be with Parcells at the Head Coach. Besides, with him back in the fold, hopefully we got more Beer commercials quoting the Big Tuna. I love those.

Posted by PaulC @ 10:18 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

"Genius" Bill? Stephen Peterman? Kevin Burnett? Marco Rivera (while running off Larry Allen)? Vinny Testaverde? Drew Bledsoe? Canty? Speares? BOBBY CARPENTER!!! Trying to run off T.O.??? Turning Gurode into a headcase while he was here? Some talent "genius".

Posted by William @ 10:18 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Welcome, Dallas Cowboy fans, to the daily sub blog. I was reading the column about bad boy Roy Williams and got so upset that I decided to express my oponions on the matter in here:

Roy is so unique that he is dangerous. He is so dangerous that he borders on illegal. So they suspend him.
That is the real problem with Roy Williams. When Roy Williams first came into the league he was wide open. He was an utter terror the way he wouldn't just tackle a player like normal players but he would tackle through them all the way to the other side. I can remember John Madden marveling while slowly choreographing the point where Roy Williams would end up at after driving all the way through to the other side after one of his crushing tackles.
So, Roy Williams in general is just a devestating tackler in that he didn't invent the horse collar tackle. That type of tackle has always exsisted in that other defensive backs, linebackers and linemen have always used the method after all. What makes Williams unique is the injurious effect the horse collar tackle has on opponents when combined with his rare combination of size, strength and speed. It isn't Roy's fault that he was born with such natural ability that the league has had to change the rules to handicap him.
At the same time that his ability has been altered by rule changes, Roy has changed his agreesive style of play in order to avoid concussions that would limit his career. All of this change has left him as an exposed tweener DB who is either too big or too small to cover receivers.
So, because his football career and his abilities are being questioned, it is time for him to throw caution to the wind.

Posted by PaulC @ 10:22 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Wm.,

I understand that dreadlocks are fair game. According to the NFL office, players wear them at their own peril. Maybe Roy ought to stop horse collaring and start scalping.

Posted by Chris/Denton @ 10:28 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Habib, Parcells did whiff on some picks but you can't deny he made the Cowboys respectful again and hit on more than he missed draftwise. The jury's still out on Carpenter (although it's not looking good)but I think we'll be seeing him a lot more against the Panthers and who knows, maybe he'll play well and start showing some potential. I would love it if he did because I think the Cowboys need an upgrade over Ayodele at ILB.

Roy Willaims play HAS been poor the last couple of seasons but it's NOT too late for him to turn it around and become at least the player he used to be.

I will admitt that watching Steven Jackson run the other night hurt knowing he was there for the taking and can't help but think "what if" but lets remember that by passing on him the Cowboys were able to use Buffalo's 1st round pick in 05 to draft Demarcus Ware.

Posted by Joe @ 10:38 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I think this is better for us than Atlanta. We're better talent-wise in general, for sure, but without Romo we wouldn't be any better than a .500 team, so he didn't bring in THAT much improvement. I think his style of football is just plain obsolete. And what talented head coach would want to work under Bill's domination?

I can see them being better, but never a Super Bowl team. You just can't be a fist with more than one brain giving the orders.

Posted by Cliche' man @ 10:39 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Hey, just play one game at a time. You win some, you lose some. Just focus. Play with the hand that you were dealt. Dance with the one who brung you.

Posted by Habib @ 10:46 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Chris/Denton Look it fellows it is what it is I am not saying anything that is earth shattering here.
Chris you forgot about the PLAYER,Al johnson,Skyler Green and many more that I am trying to erase from my memory.

Posted by Chris/Denton @ 10:59 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Al Johnson was NOT a bad center, the Cowboys just saw more potential with Gurode and it didn't make sense to throw the money at him it would have taken to keep him as a back up.

Look, I'm NOT defending Parcells, just trying to be fair and after three 5-11 seasons to where they are now you're crazy if you think he didn't help the Cowboys while he was here. Go back and look at the Campo drafts, see many guys from those drafts that worked out?

For every "Skyler Green" type pick there's a Jay Ratliff, J. Reeves or M. Barber type player that counters it and helps the team. Lets also NOT forget that it was Parcells who put Romo on the roster and kept him around and then finally benched Bledsoe to give Romo his chance.

Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 11:07 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I'm just curious as to how 2 teams can go 3-33 in 1 season since 16+16 = 32. I sure hope whoever hired Albert is embarassed by this guy's inability to do basic math. Hell, even Coco the gorilla could add better than this idiot.

Posted by Rob @ 11:11 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Can we get to some Cowboys talk. 3 out of 4 blog entries are about Parcells. Can we move on please

Posted by brett denver @ 11:18 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I BET HE GETS LT, PEPPER JOHNSON, BAVARO IN FOR TUTORING AND THEN INVITES BOBBY KNIGHT IN FOR A CHAIR THROWING CONTEST!
SPARE ME ON PARCELLS, HE HELD US BACK.. AND IT SEEMS HE WANTS HIS HAT THROWN IN EVERYONES RING!
I THINK HE ATE THE GROCERIES A LONG TIME AGO !

Posted by Jeff @ 11:20 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Bill Parcells knows personnel like nobody I have seen since the glory days of Tex, Tom and Gil. He has a feel for a player's ability and desire. However, without him on the field coaching the Falcons will be that much better off. I have worked for guys that are the kind of people in which we hear Bill described. It was miserable. Maybe thats why he had a hard time getting the assistants he wanted here, but in Ops that should not be a problem. Blanks is making a great move here. The Falcons will be contenders in the next 3 years if they play their cards right.

Posted by Mig @ 11:36 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Atlanta get ready for a steady dosis of TEs and LBs and OLs busts draft picks.

Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 11:39 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Chris, I'm sorry but you're wrong. Parcells is way overated when it comes to drafts and free agency. For every Skyler Green there's a Jay Ratliff? Not even close. Let's just take a look at his drafts and you'll see how you've had the wool over your eyes.

2006:
Bobby Carpenter - Could go down as the biggest bust in Cowboys history. He's not even our 4th best special teamer (KD, Watkins, Deon Anderson, Courtney Brown).
Anthony Fasano - Should have been Devin Hester.
Jason Hatcher - Promising but hasn't really made it yet.
Skyler Green - This is where Parcells should have taken his backup TE in the deepest TE class the NFL has seen in maybe forever.
Pat Watkins - Great special teamer but the jury is still out.
Montavious Stanley - Is he even in the NFL?
Pat McQuistan - A good utility backup and maybe a decent player but unless he can beat out Kosier he's never going to see playing time as a Cowboy.
EJ Whitley - Out of the NFL.
2005:
DeMarcus Ware - It's well known that Parcells pushed hard to take Marcus Spears over Ware. That should tell you something about how overated Parcells is.
Marcus Spears - Not even our 3rd best DL'er. Would be a bust as a 3rd round pick.
Kevin Burnett - Has turned into a pretty good role player. But you expect your 2nd round picks to be more than role players.
Marion Barber - Finally we have a winner.
Chris Canty - It took Wade Phillips to finally turn Canty into the beast he should have been.
Justin Beriault - Couldn't even make it through training camp.
Rob Petitti - 1 year with the Cowboys. I'd say that's a bust.
Jay Ratliff - Whooo Hooo another hit.
2004:
Julius Jones - Would have been a great pick if Parcells had just left him alone and let him do what he did in his rookie year. Now he's just a mess.
Jacob Rogers - An absolute horrible pick.
Stephen Peterman - Another horrible pick.
Bruce Thornton - Who?
Sean Ryan - Was he ever more than a practice squad guy?
Nathan Jones - It's a wonder he's still on the team.
Patrick Crayton - Very solid pick.
Jacquez Reeves - Another solid pick.
2003:
Terence Newman - Parcells has said that he didn't want to draft Newman.
Al Johnson - No longer with the team which means it's a draft failure.
Jason Witten - The best pick in the Parcells era but was a no brainer in my eyes. I had him the #1 TE in his class.
Bradie James - Just like Canty it took Wade Phillips to save his career.
BJ Tucker, Zuriel Smith, Justin Bates - Who???

Even if I'm generous and give Parcells credit for guys like Ware and Newman his record is pretty pathetic. Out of 31 draft picks (Albert, that would be 8+8+8+7) only 10 of them are worth mentioning. Batting .300 isn't somethingi to brag about unless you're in the MLB.

Posted by craigw @ 11:57 AM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

It's amazing how fast people forget 5-11, 5-11,5-11...

Parcells earned a solid "B" in my opinion. Considering how bad we were stinking up the joint before, I just don't see how you can fail to notice the improvement.

It's fair enough to point out he didn't take us to the promised land, and probably wouldn't have, but you can say that about most coaches in the NFL.

Posted by DougO @ 12:00 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Trade him Bobby Carpenter as soon as humanly possible.

This is bad news for the Cowboys, as you know he'll be pillaging the Cowboys roster every chance he gets.

Posted by DougO @ 12:09 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Why does Parcells always get full credit for building this Cowboys team, yet Gailey and Campo get no credit for building Parcells team? The only thing Parcells teams had going for it early on was the top ranked defense, which the The Big Flounder soon gutted in favor of a 3-4 that he left in shambles.

Gailey never even had a first round pick to work with.

Posted by Understanding the truth @ 12:18 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I hate all of you who can't just give the guy his credit.

You guys don't deserve the success that this team is now experiencing.

Parcells was a major influence on this team and all you can focus on is the stuff that didn't go right.

Carpenter, Green, Spears (who I saw making plays against the Iggles), Bledsoe, Testaverde (who Romo gives a lot of credit too for his development), blah, blah, blah.

How about Ware (and please don't tell me "He wanted Spears instead." He took Ware anyway), Crayton, Hurd, Austin, Gurode (who he moved to center from guard after realizing his potential there), Newman, ROMO, Keith Davis, McBriar, and on and on and on. These guys are the foundation of this team. I give Wade all the credit in the world for taking this team to the next level, but Parcells was one of the major architects of this team.

So he had some guys that he drafted and brought in that did not work out. Welcome to the NFL, ladies and gentlemen.

I guess being the guy that drafted or truly developed 6 of our 11 pro bowlers is not enough, huh? Get a clue.

Posted by Maureen @ 1:43 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Oh, I love the delusional Cowboys fans. Here are some names for you. Jason Witten. Marion Barber. Tony Romo. DeMarcus Ware. Heard of them? They're going to the Pro Bowl, btw.

Take a look at the team he inherited & the team he left behind. He inherited a Pinto & left a Ferrari. You can splutter & deny all you want, but them's the facts.

Meanwhile, it'll be great to see him bring Scott Pioli to Atlanta as GM & do some personnel magic there. Even sweeter, a few years down the line, when his new team crushes his old team.

Just remember, Cowboys fans--TO always erupts in year 2 of a coach. He's in the honeymoon period right now, with a coach hired solely to pander to him. Everything's hunky-dory right now. Just like it was with the Eagles. But let's see what happens when the Pats steamroll thru the Super Bowl, Randy Moss gets lots of catches & attention, while TO does not (assuming Dallas even makes it in). A leopard doesn't change its spots folks. You can persuade yourselves all you want. Just like Arkansas fans are convincing themselves Bobby Petrino will change. This time.

We'll see. And it will be fun to watch.

Posted by Maureen @ 1:46 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

Oh, I love the delusional Cowboys fans. Here are some names for you. Jason Witten. Marion Barber. Tony Romo. DeMarcus Ware. Heard of them? They're going to the Pro Bowl, btw.

Take a look at the team he inherited & the team he left behind. He inherited a Pinto & left a Ferrari. You can splutter & deny all you want, but them's the facts.

Oh also--for Wade Phillips fans. Let's see you post a complete list of his picks over the years with his teams. I'm sure they'll all be stellar & much better than Parcells. Right?

Meanwhile, it'll be great to see him bring Scott Pioli to Atlanta as GM & do some personnel magic there. Even sweeter, a few years down the line, when his new team crushes his old team.

Just remember, Cowboys fans--TO always erupts in year 2 of a coach. He's in the honeymoon period right now, with a coach hired solely to pander to him. Everything's hunky-dory right now. Just like it was with the Eagles. But let's see what happens when the Pats steamroll thru the Super Bowl, Randy Moss gets lots of catches & attention, while TO does not (assuming Dallas even makes it in). A leopard doesn't change its spots folks. You can persuade yourselves all you want. Just like Arkansas fans are convincing themselves Bobby Petrino will change. This time.

We'll see. And it will be fun to watch.

Posted by MikeInUkraine @ 3:44 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007

I am no Parcells apologist but I do get sick and tired of cynical pompous asses listing all the players drafted and pointing out the average of them still on the team. I wish people like that were aware how ignorant they come off to the rest of us that know if you did the same thing to every one of the NFL teams in the league you would soon find out that baseball batting averages are about the same as a draft pick keeper average if not better. Only a fool would deny Parcells hand in shape this team up. I accepted the bad that came with the much good Parcells did here and was relieved when he left because his time had come. He is best at instilling discipline and work ethic as well as being a better than average judge of talent. I agree his obsession with the 3-4 was a weakness and it was totally un-necessary to make the switch when he had a DC as capable in the 4-3 as Zimmer was (Who I expect Parcells to promote to head coach). Having said that, he quickly stocked the defensive side with 3-4 type DL and LBs (and JJ gets the credit for Canty) thst a coach like Phillips could quickly work into an effective unit. Parcells probem with the 3-4 was his DC. Zimmer just wasn't suited for it and why should he have been? Guys like Belichick and Phillips worked with it for decades.

Parcells did wonders while he was here but at the same time wasted some great opportunities like Stephen Jackson (and Spears was the Buffalo pick to go along with Julius Jones, not Ware) I don't want to digress too much here but I have to say Spears gets a lot of criticism but I see him being every bit as effective as Russell Maryland was and he was drafted #1 overall. Not a big sacks guy but solid.

Parcells mistakes all even out though when you consider how easy it would have been to cut Romo and falme out with the higher pedigree'd Drew Hensen.

Finally, I want to say that I agree Albert Breer's math leaves a lot to be desired but he's far from being an idiot as an ill mannered poster would call him. Afterall, he is a sports writer by trade, not an engineer (Thank God)