By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Does someone have the stones to call Bill Parcells an idiot or a fanboy?
If anyone knows how to play the game between coach and media, it’s the Hall of Famer and legendary former NFL head coach, who took the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI in the 1996 season. His “pay for the groceries” comment is still among the most famous phrases ever uttered in a New England press conference, even after 18 years of Bill Belichick inadvertently turning his often cold, contentious pressers into events. Appointment listening.
So when asked about the talk of drama, infighting, and palace intrigue reverberating through the walls of Gillette Stadium, particularly the issues among the Patriots’ highest ranks, Parcells may not have even blinked. Speaking in an in-depth Q&A with Gary Myers in The Athletic, Parcells almost entirely dismissed the purportedly complex web of problems tangled between Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and Rob Gronkowski.
Like many fans, viewers, and listeners in the region – and even some in the media (Hi.) – Parcells sounds tired of hearing about it. Because at the end of the day, it may shake the walls in Foxboro but certainly won’t crumble them.
“I don’t pay any attention to that. Nobody knows what’s what exactly. You are just hearing gossip and conjecture and opinion. I don’t put much stock in that. Having been in a position myself as a head coach, a lot of things are said about an organization, the coaching staff and the owner. Some of the things are just flat out not true. Yet they get out and they get publicized because they make good headlines. The only thing you got to do is watch the product on the field. When the season starts, all this offseason stuff, it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing.”
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots shake hands at the start of the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 16, 2016. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Much of the discussion on the Patriots’ drama has emanated from the very airwaves here at 98.5 The Sports Hub. Certain shows thrive on the intrigue. It can make for entertaining radio, which ultimately may be all we’re looking for. But not necessarily an accurate portrayal of the goings-on in Foxboro. And even Felger & Mazz have at times admitted that, while it’s hard to deny that there isn’t at least a little something going on between Brady and Belichick, it’s not likely to affect them on the field.
So, as Parcells may say, what are we even talking about here?
This isn’t to say that the whole thing this offseason has been made up. Just that it’s ultimately futile for anything other than ratings, page views, etc. We’re now into May, and while Brady apparently has yet to actually report to the Patriots for offseason activities, just about everyone agrees that he will. And then he’ll have the best season ever for a 41-year-old quarterback, the Pats will win 12-14 games and be back in the AFC Championship a-gain, and this whole talk of the “beginning of the end” sparked by Seth Wickersham’s maybe-a-little-accurate-but-grossly-over-dramatized story will be rendered meaningless.
Parcells had to deal with this stuff as much as any coach. And as his comments here have illustrated, actual football business can’t come soon enough.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
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