Parcells wanted to be Giants G.M.

[RandolphScott]

Bill Parcells wanted to be Giants G.M.

 

Hours before a big Giants-Cowboys showdown last December, then-Cowboys coach Bill Parcells sat in a car outside Giants Stadium and made it clear to the Giants that he was interested in their soon-to-be-vacated general manager's job.

 

That's one of many surprising revelations in "The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It," by Tom Callahan (Crown Publishing) - a story about the 2006 Giants told with the help of retiring GM Ernie Accorsi. A copy of the book, due to be released on Sept.18, was obtained by the Daily News.

 

According to the book, six hours before the Giants and Cowboys battled on Dec. 3 for first place in the NFC East, Parcells "sat with a former Giants colleague in a car in the parking lot....What Bill supposedly said became the lead item on the front office grapevine: 'I'm available to be the Giants' GM if they get stuck. Keep me alive with John Mara, will you?'"

 

In January, when news broke of Parcells' supposed interest in the Giants' GM position, both Parcells and the Giants denied it. "There's absolutely nothing to it," Parcells told the Daily News back in January. "There has been no contact, either directly or through an intermediary. Whoever said it is a liar."

 

According to the book, the reaction in the Giants' front office to Parcells' denial was "hilarity."

 

That's not the only shocking story involving Parcells in this new book; there is also the story of how the Giants would have hired him to be their coach again in 1997, if only their late GM, George Young, had a cell phone. According to the book, when Dan Reeves was fired after the '96 season, a Parcells return was discussed so seriously that Young - who disliked Parcells and favored Jim Fassel - told Accorsi, then assistant GM, he was prepared to retire on the spot if the Giants brought Parcells back.

 

"Joel Goldberg, who was the (team) psychologist, talked (the late co-owner) Bob Tisch out of Parcells," Accorsi is quoted as saying in the book. So Tisch and Wellington Mara settled on Fassel, and Young was sent to a nearby hotel to offer him the job.

 

"But he isn't even gone two minutes when Bob Tisch calls to say he has changed his mind," Accorsi says. "So John (Mara) quickly calls our switchboard up front. 'Did George Young leave the building yet?' 'Yes, he just ran out.' They phone the hotel as quickly as they can trying to cut him off. But they can't find him.

 

"Eventually they call Fassel's room, asking for George, and he comes on the line. 'Have you offered the job to Fassel yet?' George says 'Yes, I have.' 'Has he accepted it?' 'Yes.' 'Okay.' The Maras being the Maras, once the offer had been extended on their behalf, they weren't about to take it back."

 

Among the other revelations in the soon-to-be-released book:

 

* Before the 2002 draft, a team psychologist told Accorsi "You can't draft (Jeremy) Shockey." Undeterred, Accorsi flew to Ada, Okla., met with Shockey, looked into his background, and convinced the Giants to draft him anyway.

 

* In the second round of the 2004 draft, before the Giants drafted guard Chris Snee, who had fathered a child with Tom Coughlin's daughter, Coughlin called his wife and got her approval.

 

* Coughlin's job interview in late 2003 got off to a rocky start when he made a 25-minute opening statement. "It annoyed me, turned me off," Accorsi says. "'When is this misery going to end?' I thought. I was just about ready to scream 'Enough already!' when he finally stopped."

 

* Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis was the Giants' top choice to replace Coughlin, who was going to be fired if the Giants lost to Washington in the season finale and missed the playoffs. Louisville's Bobby Petrino was the second choice.

 

* Despite publicly maintaining that he drafted quarterback Philip Rivers fourth overall in 2004 for the Giants and that he would've been content keeping Rivers if the big Eli Manning deal had fallen through, Accorsi says "I never considered (Rivers) for three seconds."

 

* Tiki Barber broke his right thumb in the Giants' loss to Chicago on Nov. 12 of last year. He told the media it was only sprained and played with it the rest of the season.

 

* Accorsi, who had many issues with Coughlin's coaching strategies, was furious when the coach fired defensive coordinator Tim Lewis after the season without telling Accorsi first. Accorsi, who was in favor of the firing, told Coughlin his failure to inform the GM was "a classless act."

 

* Accorsi was furious with several of Coughlin's decisions during the Giants' season-turning, 38-20 loss to the Bears last year. According to the book, he was livid when Coughlin sent Jay Feely out to try a 51-yard field goal with 11:49 left in a 24-20 game. "Now we have all our fat guys on the field," Accorsi said. "Watch (Devin) Hester run it all the way back for a touchdown." Of course, Hester returned the missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown.

 

Accorsi was also furious with Coughlin's decision to call a timeout late in the first half that gave the Bears time to close the gap from 13-3 to 13-10 before the half. When the timeout was called, Accorsi, standing in the stadium tunnel, screamed "No, no, no, no! Don't be too smart!"

 

* The Dallas Cowboys' game-winning field goal drive in a 23-20 win over the Giants on Dec. 3 was set up by a poor kickoff by Feely. Before the kickoff, Feely didn't like the ball he was given so he asked the men in charge of the balls - two long-time Giants employees - for a different one. They refused. "I couldn't believe it," Feely says. Accorsi fired them the next day.

 

 

[Lughead]

WOW

 

"The Meadowland's are Burnning"

 

I can't wait to get this book it is due out sept 18th 2007

 

[RandolphScott]

WOW

 

"The Meadowland's are Burnning"

 

I can't wait to get this book

 

 

Yeah, you ain't kidding. Should be good.

[NightFire]

Tiki Barber broke his right thumb in the Giants' loss to Chicago on Nov. 12 of last year. He told the media it was only sprained and played with it the rest of the season.

 

And Tiki had no heart but then again he probably had an ego to feed and needed all the attention he could get.

 

Also after reading the last few you really have to wonder how Coughlin still has his job?

[RandolphScott]

And Tiki had no heart but then again he probably had an ego to feed and needed all the attention he could get.

 

Also after reading the last few you really have to wonder how Coughlin still has his job? <_>

 

 

I know, totally agree. Of course Tiki had to have a career game against the

Redskins last year, sure as hell didn't want Bobby Petrino has coach though.

 

 

[Sephiroth]

...some interesting nuggets in there to chew on.

[NeMesiS]

* Coughlin's job interview in late 2003 got off to a rocky start when he made a 25-minute opening statement. "It annoyed me, turned me off," Accorsi says. "'When is this misery going to end?' I thought. I was just about ready to scream 'Enough already!' when he finally stopped."

 

 

I'm sorry, but this is just plain funny....

[Herc]

more confirmation that coughlin's a fucking idiot and the new giants ownership are even bigger idiots.

 

* Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis was the Giants' top choice to replace Coughlin, who was going to be fired if the Giants lost to Washington in the season finale and missed the playoffs. Louisville's Bobby Petrino was the second choice.

 

thanks tiki, you just HAD to go out with a big game huh?

[gateb]

more confirmation that coughlin's a fucking idiot and the new giants ownership are even bigger idiots.

thanks tiki, you just HAD to go out with a big game huh?

id rather suffer through another year of coughlin then go through 4 years with weis.

 

if we get belichick next year, keeping coughlin would be the best thing this franchise has ever done.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

After reading through your post....you just know Coach Cheerleader was a pure Mara Old Irish Guy pick...pure and simple. And I hope The Prostitute (AKA Parcells) mourns the rest of his life away on how he could have capped off his legacy with a return that did not happen. But the sad thing about Giants management is that it appears that personal feuds and vendettas go against common sense. Even though I hate The Prostitute...I think he would have been a better short term (never a long-term relationship with The Prostitute) choice than Fassell. But what can you do. But Cheerleader comes across as a guy in love with his own shit....as he acts as if the Holy Gospels were falling free from his lips. I live and pray for the return of the Dark Lord Belichick.

[RandolphScott]

id rather suffer through another year of coughlin then go through 4 years with weis.

 

if we get belichick next year, keeping coughlin would be the best thing this franchise has ever done.

 

 

So you would rather have Coughlin than Charlie Weis? That's a bold statement.

[Lughead]

So you would rather have Coughlin than Charlie Weis? That's a bold statement.

 

thats just because ND did such a good job yesterday <_>

[RandolphScott]

thats just because ND did such a good job yesterday <_>

 

 

I'm no Notre Dame fan, but Weis has done a great job bringing that program back

to the promise land. Ty Willingham was a complete joke.

[gateb]

So you would rather have Coughlin than Charlie Weis? That's a bold statement.

Yeah I actually would. I think Weis is a big time product of hype. Our problem with Coughlin is our inability to get to the next level, isn't that Weis's biggest beef with ND?

 

I think if we hired Weis we'd be in for a dissappointing season this year with a lot of unknowns for 08. With Coughlin, I think we do have a chance to make some noise (even though it'll probably be 10 wins at best) and if we suck he's gone and there'll be better coaching free agents out there.

 

ND's loss yesterday didn't exactly help the cause either...

[RandolphScott]

Yeah I actually would. I think Weis is a big time product of hype. Our problem with Coughlin is our inability to get to the next level, isn't that Weis's biggest beef with ND?

 

I think if we hired Weis we'd be in for a dissappointing season this year with a lot of unknowns for 08. With Coughlin, I think we do have a chance to make some noise (even though it'll probably be 10 wins at best) and if we suck he's gone and there'll be better coaching free agents out there.

 

ND's loss yesterday didn't exactly help the cause either...

 

 

I think that's horseshit. Hype? He coached a 6th round draft pick to win 3 superbowls,

that's not hype. That's being a good freakin' coach. The situation Romeo Crennell (I wanted him

to be Giants coach) is in is a total clusterfuck. The guy has had nothing to work with in

Cleveland.

 

I think the Giants should seriously consider my candidacy to be coach.

[gateb]

I think that's horseshit. Hype? He coached a 6th round draft pick to win 3 superbowls,

that's not hype. That's being a good freakin' coach. The situation Romeo Crennell (I wanted him

to be Giants coach) is in is a total clusterfuck. The guy has had nothing to work with in

Cleveland.

 

I think the Giants should seriously consider my candidacy to be coach.

At ND he's been hype, his success in NE was great though.

 

btw, Hufanagel is also someone to be credited for the development of Brady...

 

I'm just not ready to take a chance on a hit or miss on a guy like Weis, especially when we are at a critical cross roads to our franchise. I'm fine with keeping TC for another year, evaluate with what we got, and move on if we need to.

[boohyah]

Somebody needs to dig up George Young and just prop his coffin against a desk. Even with a dead George a lot of this shit the last few years wouldn't have gone down.

[xxi-xxv]

I am sure that every GM has stories similar to things like this in all sports. Just last month at the baseball waiver wire I read that Cashman almost accidentally claimed Frank Thomas when he has like 3 years and 38 mil left on his deal and Giambi was there as was Tino. Woke up the next morning to thankfully find out that the Sox pulled him back.

 

Shit like this happens all the time. With that said, we would have been in a lot better shape in 2003 had Parcells took over in 97 than Fassel thats for shitting sure.

 

My guess is this shit is being placed out there now, because even if COughlin has another playoff season, if its not a successful one he will be gone. He goes 9-7, 8-8 again and just gets in, those plans of last January will just be made 12 months later. Basically IMO the idea is being thrown out there now, letting Giants fans know, that anything less than a deep playoff run and things will change.

 

My friend ran into Parcells this past summer up at Saratoga. Said something like "hey Bill you done coaching? " and Bill said something cryptic like, "I am done coaching far away from this place". I truly believe he would love nothing else but to come back here on his high horse and win again with the Giants and beat Jerry Jones in the process, will it happen? Who knows.

[JayD]

When Coughlin has players that buy into his system and are willing to put the team before themselfs, there are not to many coaches that are better. Looks like he is slowly getting that team, and I for one want to see what comes from it over the next few years. The only coach I'd take over him at this point would be BB. Another than that Im more than fine with Coughlin sticking around for a long time. Its so sad how most NY fans have ZERO loyalty, or patence. Championships teams are not built over night.

[JayD]

I am sure that every GM has stories similar to things like this in all sports. Just last month at the baseball waiver wire I read that Cashman almost accidentally claimed Frank Thomas when he has like 3 years and 38 mil left on his deal and Giambi was there as was Tino. Woke up the next morning to thankfully find out that the Sox pulled him back.

 

Shit like this happens all the time. With that said, we would have been in a lot better shape in 2003 had Parcells took over in 97 than Fassel thats for shitting sure.

 

My guess is this shit is being placed out there now, because even if COughlin has another playoff season, if its not a successful one he will be gone. He goes 9-7, 8-8 again and just gets in, those plans of last January will just be made 12 months later. Basically IMO the idea is being thrown out there now, letting Giants fans know, that anything less than a deep playoff run and things will change.

 

My friend ran into Parcells this past summer up at Saratoga. Said something like "hey Bill you done coaching? " and Bill said something cryptic like, "I am done coaching far away from this place". I truly believe he would love nothing else but to come back here on his high horse and win again with the Giants and beat Jerry Jones in the process, will it happen? Who knows.

 

 

Its crazy to think the loyalty and patence the Giants have shown to several coaches that were horrible. Fassel never got us to the playoffs twice in a row. But when It comes to Coughlin its all your fired if you dont get us deep into the playoffs? Even after he brought this injury riddled team there the last 2 years in a row. And we should have won against Philly.

[RandolphScott]

Its crazy to think the loyalty and patence the Giants have shown to several coaches that were horrible. Fassel never got us to the playoffs twice in a row. But when It comes to Coughlin its all your fired if you dont get us deep into the playoffs? Even after he brought this injury riddled team there the last 2 years in a row. And we should have won against Philly.

 

 

 

No, you actually believe that. It was painfully obvious Philly underestimated

us that's why the game was close. You do mean how Tiki brought this injury

riddled team to the playoffs two years in a row, right?

 

Tom Coughlin was a bad coach from the start:

"Injuries are a cancer and physiological..." Umm, okay Tom.

"Must cut down on mistakes such a penalties and turnovers"

All the while the Giants are one of the most penalized teams in the

league.

 

 

[gateb]

I am sure that every GM has stories similar to things like this in all sports. Just last month at the baseball waiver wire I read that Cashman almost accidentally claimed Frank Thomas when he has like 3 years and 38 mil left on his deal and Giambi was there as was Tino. Woke up the next morning to thankfully find out that the Sox pulled him back.

 

Shit like this happens all the time. With that said, we would have been in a lot better shape in 2003 had Parcells took over in 97 than Fassel thats for shitting sure.

 

My guess is this shit is being placed out there now, because even if COughlin has another playoff season, if its not a successful one he will be gone. He goes 9-7, 8-8 again and just gets in, those plans of last January will just be made 12 months later. Basically IMO the idea is being thrown out there now, letting Giants fans know, that anything less than a deep playoff run and things will change.

 

My friend ran into Parcells this past summer up at Saratoga. Said something like "hey Bill you done coaching? " and Bill said something cryptic like, "I am done coaching far away from this place". I truly believe he would love nothing else but to come back here on his high horse and win again with the Giants and beat Jerry Jones in the process, will it happen? Who knows.

ugh, with our cast of characters I don't think Parcells would be a good match.

 

Call me crazy but Young was right in not wanting to bring him back. He really screwed us in 91 leaving us with Ray Fucking Handley. The guy is an ass, he never has any loyalty to his team. He's playing for first place and he's basically begging the division rival for a GM job at the end of the year.

 

And I don't think he's that great a coach either anymore, but that's just me. Not as bad as the Cowboys players are making him out to be, but not a championship caliber coach.

[RandolphScott]

ugh, with our cast of characters I don't think Parcells would be a good match.

 

Call me crazy but Young was right in not wanting to bring him back. He really screwed us in 91 leaving us with Ray Fucking Handley. The guy is an ass, he never has any loyalty to his team. He's playing for first place and he's basically begging the division rival for a GM job at the end of the year.

 

And I don't think he's that great a coach either anymore, but that's just me. Not as bad as the Cowboys players are making him out to be, but not a championship caliber coach.

 

Young was good in the eights, nineties.....not so much.

 

[Herc]

id rather suffer through another year of coughlin then go through 4 years with weis.

 

i dont care about weiss, i care about coughlin not being here

 

if we get belichick next year, keeping coughlin would be the best thing this franchise has ever done.

 

....by accident

[Herc]

When Coughlin has players that buy into his system and are willing to put the team before themselfs, there are not to many coaches that are better. Looks like he is slowly getting that team, and I for one want to see what comes from it over the next few years. The only coach I'd take over him at this point would be BB. Another than that Im more than fine with Coughlin sticking around for a long time. Its so sad how most NY fans have ZERO loyalty, or patence. Championships teams are not built over night.

 

no one is demanding a championship, we just dont like taking 2 steps back like we did last year when we had all the talent we had last season.

 

i hope you aren't saying all this as a yankee fan.....