PALM BEACH, Fla. – As the years wore on, the chances of Bill Parcells getting into the Patriots Hall Fame seemed like a pipe dream.
Instead of it being reality, it was one of those when pigs fly propositions.
The legendary coach had been a finalist five times. And five times Patriots fans voted in someone else.
Something happened on the way to never.
On Tuesday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that Parcells would be inducted as a “contributor.”
Talk about pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
While a legion of fans still have a sour taste from how Parcells exited, his conspiring to the leave the Patriots for the Jets while preparing the team to play in Super Bowl XXXI against Green Bay, it’s hard to ignore the Tuna’s significance to the franchise.
After arriving in Foxborough, he made a laughing stock football team relevant, turning the perennial loser into a contender.
After inheriting a team that finished 14-50 the previous four years, Parcells brought the team back to respectability.
He led the team to two playoff berths which included a Super Bowl appearance against the Green Bay Packers.
Parcells has been a polarizing figure in the region, for sure. But he was the larger-than-life figure that got the ball rolling on changing the narrative.
He was the face of the franchise prior to the dynasty being established in earnest with the arrivals of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is also on that Patriots Mt. Rushmore, has had the power to get Parcells in as a “contributor,” something he did recently to get a deserving Dante Scarnecchia inducted.
His relationship with Parcells had pretty much been destroyed after the Tuna fled.
As noted, it didn’t seem like the chill between the two would thaw sufficiently enough for Kraft to make the move.
Only, Kraft broke the news at the NFL Annual Meeting Tuesday, then released a statement.
“In the early 1990s, the Patriots were in disarray,” Kraft said in the statement. “But the hiring of Bill Parcells in 1993, a two-time Super Bowl Champion, brought instant credibility to the franchise.
“We had never had a head coach with his credentials. He was a master motivator and always got the most out of his players. In my first season as owner, he led us on that unforgettable seven-game win streak to qualify for the playoffs. Two years later, he accomplished something Patriots fans had never seen before, leading us to our first two home playoff wins in franchise history, and another trip to the Super Bowl.
“Those are memories I will never forget and achievements worthy of this honor.”
So what changed? Where did Kraft’s anger go?
Some might perceive the move as Kraft’s latest attempt to curry favor with Pro Football Hall of Fame voters, who haven’t been inclined to hand the Patriots owner a gold jacket.
Others might view it as an attempt to keep good will and positive momentum going.
The reality?
Speaking with Bill Parcells Tuesday, he chalked it up to two foes getting old and simply burying the hatchet over their past issues.
“That’s the first conversation we’ve had,” Parcells said with respect to Kraft. “And I think we had it because we’re both of the age where life’s too short for that stuff.”
What Parcells did, paving the road for his departure to the Jets around Super Bowl week, was unforgivable to many.
He’s since admitted he handled the situation poorly, dealing with a first-time owner who was meddling a little too much.
While Parcells and Kraft can’t re-write history, they’ve appeared to come to terms with what went down.
Parcells described the conversation with Kraft as being “pleasant” and he was “humbled and appreciative” to finally get the nod for the Patriots Hall.
Kraft, meanwhile, said he was “excited” to be able to make it happen. He’s used that word quite a bit lately, but mostly as it relates to his football team.
Once again, as it was 32 years ago when Parcells arrived in Foxborough, the tide does seem to be turning.
Parcells and Kraft have come full circle. And so – it appears – have the Patriots.
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