Another year and another missed opportunity for Patriots fans to put legendary coach Bill Parcells in the Patriots Hall of Fame. The fact that he is not in makes no sense especially considering the fact that he is in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Why isn’t Parcells in the Patriots Hall of Fame? Simple. The process. Each year, a committee of media members meet and put together a list of candidates for entrance into the team’s Hall of Fame. This year that list compromised of Parcells, linebacker and three time Super Bowl Champion Mike Vrabel and former offensive lineman Logan Mankins.
Once the final list is released, there is a window where fans can vote on who enters the Patriots Hall of Fame. The candidate who gets the most votes, gets in. This year it was Vrabel.
Owner Robert Kraft decided prior to the fans voting that former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia would enter the Hall of Fame as a contributor. Scarnecchia joins Gil Santos, Tracy Sormanti and former owner Billy Sullivan on the short list of contributors.
Marc Cappello, who is the Executive Producer of Patriots game on 98.5 The Sports Hub and on the Hall of Fame Committee believes Parcells should be in.
“There is no question he should be in. I vote for him first every year at the nomination committee, no matter who is up for nomination.”
Cappello believes the reason Parcells should be in the Patriots Hall of Fame is he changed the landscape of football in New England.
“He changed the entire football culture in this area.” Despite that, Cappello does not see him getting in.
“Unfortunately I don’t see him getting in from the fans. They just look at it how he left. The only way he’s getting in is if the Krafts put him in. I am not sure I see that happening but I could be wrong but he definitely belongs no doubt about it.”
Parcells absolutely belongs in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Parcells brought most his Giants staff to New England with him including Bill Belichick who joined the staff after he was fired in Cleveland.
You can make the make the case that if Parcells doesn’t come here, Belichick doesn’t come here, never meets Kraft and never ends up becoming head coach in 2000. Kraft has repeatedly said that part of the reason he hired Belichick was because he got to know him when he was here under Parcells.
Parcells also laid the foundation for the first part of the dynasty under Belichick by drafting Drew Bledsoe, Ty Law, Willie McGinest, Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi. All major contributors on the first three Super Bowl teams.
In four years, Parcells led arguably the worst franchise in the NFL and one of the worst in all of sports to two playoff appearances and a Super Bowl. The Patriots lost 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI but it was a great game.
In 2013, prior to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Parcells acknowledged that he wished his Patriots tenure ended a little differently.
“I regret leaving New England. Had we done things differently. I had a good young team there. I hated to leave that team because I knew what we could do.”
“I was absolutely too headstrong. And he might have been a little headstrong, too. I think both Kraft and myself, retrospectively, would have done things a little differently.”
The two men buried the hatchet in the early 2000’s but despite that, Parcells is still not in the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Sadly, Parcells will not get in unless Kraft puts him in. The fans will never do it. Some of them still hold a grudge against because he left for the Jets while younger Patriots fans do not remember his tenure and what he did here. Many of them are unaware of the history of the franchise and some think the Patriots organization was founded in 2001.
I hope that at some point in the near future, Mr. Kraft makes the decision to put Parcells in the Hall of Fame in some capacity. He deserves it. At 81, Parcells isn’t going to be around forever. He should get in while he is still with us.