Fresh Loaf

Twenty years ago today, the Falcons were in dire straits. They wanted a big name. They wanted someone to come in and turn the franchise around.

Bill Parcells, who was then the Super Bowl-winning coach of the New York Giants dispatched his agent to talk to the Falcons ownership. They talked, he seemed on his way and then the deal fell apart because he was still under contract to the Giants.

After telling reporters last night that he was probably going to take a job directing the football operations of the Falcons, today Parcells backed out again.

How many hits can one franchise take? In the space of 10 days the team’s star quarterback was sentenced to federal prison for almost two years, the owner went on “Monday Night Football” talking up the future with the new head coach, and then said head coach quits the very next day and goes to Arkansas.

No one’s talking yet about what happened but, obviously, something happened today in Parcell’s meeting with team owner Arthur Blank to change his mind.

The Falcons have historically been a franchise enamored with futility. But this goes beyond the pale.

The Big Tuna just left a big stink in the city of Atlanta.

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Bobby Petrino dumped Atlanta.

Getting dumped sucks.

Atlanta felt badly, lashed out, and bad-mouthed Petrino to anyone who’d listen.

Now Atlanta has apparently started a relationship with one of modern pro football’s most successful coaches — a relationship that might not have been possible had Petrino not dumped Atlanta when he did.

The end of a bad relationship is a good thing. If Atlanta’s better off, and Petrino’s better off, the only reason for lingering hard feelings is unhealthy egotism.

I think Atlanta should write Petrino a nice note apologizing for all the mean things it said.

Bobby Petrino
University of Arkansas
P.O. Box 7777
Fayetteville, AR 72702

Perhaps the following video clip will put you in the right mood:

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Bill Parcells, the former head coach who is certainly headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, tells the New York Daily News that he is on the verge of accepting a job with the Atlanta Falcons as the director of football operations.

“I’m going to oversee the football operation,” Parcells told the paper. “I’m going to hire a general manager if the deal is finalized in Atlanta. We are going to hire a coach and talk to all the coaches who are there. It’s going to be a collective effort. The triangle is going to be the GM, the coach and Bill Parcells.”

Notice one significant name missing from that equation: Arthur Blank.

Does Blank finally “get it”?

Last week, I wrote that the Falcons will continue to struggle so long as Blank thinks he can run the football operation. Running an NFL franchise is not the equivalent of running Home Depot. And remember that Bobby Petrino complained about Blank’s interference. It’s obvious that Blank must follow the lead of Ted Turner when he owned the Braves: Hire someone who knows football to run things, then show up to accept the applause and the trophies. But leave the team to someone who knows what the hell he’s doing.

Parcells is that guy. And if he can handle Jerry Jones in Dallas, he can certainly handle Arthur Blank.

So the Big Tuna is coming to Atlanta. Maybe Bobby Petrino did us all a big favor, after all.

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