David Moulton: Best way to describe Bill Parcells is 'Hall of Famer'

David Moulton

Bill Parcells is one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Forty-four men will spend most of Saturday debating who meets their criteria for immortality. Thirty-six votes — 80 percent approval — are needed.

Tough to imagine many Dolphins fans believing “the Tuna” is worthy of enshrinement, considering in roughly three years of running the show he left them with Tony Sparano, Jeff Ireland and some dubious draft decisions (quarterbacks Chad Henne and Pat White in the second round, for starters).

But try telling Giants fans that he is not a Hall of Famer.

Before Parcells was hired in 1983, the Giants had two winning seasons and one playoff appearance in the 20 seasons prior. Parcells delivered six winning seasons, five playoff berths and two Super Bowl titles in eight years.

In New England he chose Drew Bledsoe over Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer with the first pick of the 1993 draft. Two playoff spots in the next four years, including the Patriots’ second-ever trip to the Super Bowl, followed.

Back to New York, where he inherited a 1-15 Jets franchise and turned them immediately into a 9-7 squad in what was the best-ever turnaround at the time. The next year they had a second-half lead at Denver in the AFC championship game. Parcells won 30 games in his three years there.

After three years away, he returned to coaching in Dallas. Parcells took a five-win team and doubled that total, making the playoffs in his first year with Quincy Carter at quarterback.

Quincy Carter!

He made the playoffs twice in those four years and many of the Cowboys best players today were picked by “the Tuna” (DeMarcus Ware, Tony Romo, Jason Witten).

During his brief stay in Miami he helped orchestrate the seemingly impossible. Turning 1-15 in 2007 into an 11-5 division title in 2008. No one has ever inherited more messes and turned chicken (bleep) into chicken salad like Bill Parcells.

Like all geniuses, he has his issues. He’s about as flexible as a wall, doesn’t always play well with others and never leaves anywhere gracefully.

Parcells bailed on the Giants in the middle of the 1991 offseason for “health reasons.” He takes the Patriots to a Super Bowl while negotiating his move to the Jets in the days before kickoff. When he leaves the Jets, he names Bill Belichick as his replacement without discussing the move with him. Belichick takes the job for a day or just long enough to finish his own deal to replace Pete Carroll in New England.

Parcells left Dallas via e-mail. He pouted when the Dolphins changed owners once the new guy (Stephen Ross) didn’t leave him alone to run the team. Ross had the audacity to think that $1.1 billion (price for team and stadium) got him a say in what’s going on.

In short time, Parcells cleaned out his office and stopped showing up for work.

However in a bottom line sport, Bill Parcells was the ultimate bottom line guy. Famous for saying, “You are what the record says you are,” Parcells is remembered for taking all five franchises he was a part of to the playoffs. He retired in the top 10 on the all-time wins list (183) and as one of only three coaches (Don Shula and Dan Reeves) to take two franchises to the Super Bowl.

But the exclamation point to his career will be facing one another Sunday. Without Parcells, there is no coaching tree that produces Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin. Both were on his staff with the Giants. Between the two they are about to win their fifth Super Bowl.

How good a coach was Bill Parcells? Bill Belichick worked for him ... three times (Giants, Patriots, Jets).

He was gruff, controversial and about as loyal as Kim Kardashian in a marriage.

But Bill Parcells is a Hall of Famer.