AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > December > 22 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHuizenga had edge in chase for Tuna
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
First thing you have to understand, if you’re getting into the sports business, is that it’s only fun and games on the field. Otherwise, it’s pure cut-throat. “Every man for theirself,” as Dizzy Dean used to say.
So, when Wayne Huizenga heard that Bill Parcells was about to get back into football, he got on the phone and talked him right out of Arthur Blank’s drawing room. You’d read the news, that Huizenga had put the Miami Dolphins on the market. Tired of losing seasons. So emotional about it that when the Dolphins won a game last week, the prying camera caught him in tears. Thus, the ecstasy of victory fresh on his plate, the news that Parcells was about to make a comeback was just the juice that Huizenga need to refuel his NFL tank. Blank opened the door, Huizenga stepped right through it.
Blank and Parcells had even reached an agreement in principle, though not a lot of principle appeared to be involved. The phone rang and the Big Tuna slipped off the hook. You understand, Huizenga is a seasoned club owner. He had a baseball team that won a World Series, and when he couldn’t get a park built with public money, he sold it. And danged if the new owner didn’t win a World Series of his own with a manager older than coal.
Huizenga has made tracks where he has been. He started off in garbage, original source of his wealth -waste management, they call it, to give it an uplifting term. Then he got into movie rentals, Blockbuster his trademark. The Marlins were sort of a recreation, then the Dolphins, and you know how these corporate execs are. They don’t like to lose. So he was selling, until he heard about Parcells. They are old pals, have homes in South Florida, play golf now and then, may even go fishing, which Huizenga was doing when he called Parcells and crashed Blank’s party.
A fellow doesn’t make a billion and a half dollars being a bad judge of people. Blank and Bernie Marcus made Home Depot a household name across the land. When they dissolved their interests, Arthur Blank bought the Falcons from the family of Rankin Smith, and great joy abounded. Rankin had operated close to the vest until finally opening the vault and bringing Dan Reeves in. They even made it to the Super Bowl.
You put their records side by side, the Smiths’ last six and Arthur’s first six, and there isn’t a lot of difference. The Smiths exited with a closing record of 40-56 their last half-dozen seasons. Blank and family opened their run with 42-52-1, with two games left on the schedule. The public ripped the Smiths apart, panned them as penurious. Blank came on like the people’s choice. He lowered some seat prices. He coached manners and tried to make the Dome seem like home. He spread money about as if it were seed. He got involved in player procurement, one (Warrick Dunn) a wise one, another (Peerless Price) a crashing blunder.
Then Blank opened the treasury to Michael Vick, and that’s when the hammer fell. The lesson Blank should have been learning, following the most successful NFL owners’ pattern, you hire and designate, then get out of the way. You never saw Clint Murchison on the sidelines in Dallas, nor Dan Rooney in Pittsburgh. You do see Jerry Jones, but there’s a mite of difference there. Jerry played football at the highest college level, and he knows the game, but you can bet that when Parcells was there, Jerry never got involved in coaching.
When Parcells took the call from Huizenga, he knew the man he was dealing with. Blank was a stranger, a rookie in a dog-eat-dog (maybe there’s a less cruel term) world. Huizenga called, it was a done deal. He and Parcells were on the same page. Sad to say, Blank is left twisting in the wind, and in the process, he has neutered his ersatz general manager, Rich McKay. He went one step too far before he had Parcells locked up. Not that McKay gave a four-star performance. Check the history of Tampa Bay and you’ll find that the Buccaneers never really got rolling until Tony Dungy moved in.
What does this make Parcells? A double-crosser? A charlatan? Hardly, more a sly businessman playing his cards deftly. You can’t blame him. With the Falcons, he’d have been dealing from the bottom of the pile. With the Dolphins, he had a framework and an owner he could be comfortable with. So, Atlanta is left with another “now what?”
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Furman Bisher
Comments
By Gene
December 22, 2007 5:54 PM | Link to this
I wouldn’t exactly say that Jerry Jones wasn’t involved in coaching. I think that he forced Terrell Owens onto the team, and Owens was the reason Parcells quit coaching.
By Farve - Schwaub
December 22, 2007 7:28 PM | Link to this
It starts at the top, Blank entrusts Mckay with the keys to the franchise. Mckay, who had left Tampa’s locker room in complete chaos by signing bad actors, repeats his performance here. Hall(selfish temper tandroms anyone), Vick (enough said), Abraham (refused to play in NYC because of minor injury during a contract year). The bricks in the Falcons building will continue to crumble until something is permanently installed in the locker room, CLASS. Mr. Blank, you can’t buy that, you’ve got to earn it.
By glenn forbes
December 22, 2007 8:37 PM | Link to this
I would like to see Dennis Green as coach, he would bring in Daunte Culpepper as coach and tweak the defense and it would draft and groom a young quarterback in waiting to succed Culpepper in waiting in the second or third round and draft some good young defensive players that we need in the ATL.
By John in Tampa, FLA
December 22, 2007 9:43 PM | Link to this
If I was Parcells and had the choice between Atlanta and Miami, and already owned a house in South Florida as he does, why wouldn’t he choose Miami over Atlanta.
Since both teams are equal in futility, pick the city with the best weather and facilities.
Miami is a great place to live if you have money, and that is one thing Parcells is not lacking now.
By Shaad
December 22, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this
Free Mike Vick man and please let him go ATL so he can come back and reck this team worst than they have gotten this year!!!!
By Ron
December 22, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this
Hate to be too irrelevant but I wouldn’t consider sweltering heat year-round to be the “best weather.” If you’ve never been in Miami in July you haven’t experienced Hell.
By UnHappyFan
December 22, 2007 10:51 PM | Link to this
I thought Parcells comment that Blank was a “Nice guy. Real nice guy.” was very telling. When I saw that I figured there was a power play of some sort going to take place.
The sad truth seems to be so often the nice guy does indeed finish last. And there is perhaps reasons why that is, though most people do not understand it, Blank may be one of them.
By Singletary
December 22, 2007 11:20 PM | Link to this
Yikes. I know people who said Tuna didn’t go to ATL because McKay was still a management level above him. I know others who speculated his decision was based on an owner on the sidelines.
Hmmmm. Bisher comes through with the dish.
By big fabric softena'
December 23, 2007 12:14 AM | Link to this
Sports, Politics, Business. It’s a shame they are all full of charlatans..all throughout society people have lost the concept of honor, ethics, and personal responsibilty for the betterment of all mankind.
By John in Tampa, Fla
December 23, 2007 1:28 AM | Link to this
I lived in Miami for eight years and Atlanta for 13 years and the summers in Atlanta are hotter than the summers in Miami.
By Jock Ewing
December 23, 2007 1:31 AM | Link to this
For the love of God, Arthur, just give Reeves a call and see what he says. Suck it up and realize you screwed up 4 years ago trying to do that stupid marketing splash thing you do.
Honestly, do you not think the way you handled the release of Dan Reeves is not creating problems now with the NFL elite.
You have the answer right here in Atlanta, just take it and improve on what you had in 2003. It can be done.
By Daniel
December 23, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this
All Blank has to do is go back to falcon hisory 1976, Steve bartkowski broke his leg back in October In New orleans done for the season, Marion Cambell Fired 7 games in the season, Pat peppler the GM was told by Ranklin Smith and I quote, “I just fired a good friend of mine by your sugestion, Since you know so much and feel you can coach this team better then marion , You are now the coach” Pat peppler won 3 games and a first time ever big upset over dallas in Atlanta 17 to 10, Pat was fired at the end of the season. Rankin promised BIG change with the falcons, He said he would stepaside and let true football men run the show, and he did. Eddie Lebaron was brought in to be GM, Eddie’s first move was to bring in one of the best Player personnel guys in the NFL, that was Tom Bratz, The falcons became one of the best Brafting teams durning his stay, Next the head coach, Eddie was so impressed with the play calling of the rams win over the Falcons in Los Angeles 59 to 0 win,He called his friend the GM of the rams,Don Klosterman, and asked him who called that game plan, he said it was their Wide reciever coach Leman Bennet, whom they were going to promote to Off Coor next season, Eddie Lebaron said may I talk to him, Don said yes,and the falcons had the New team in place, it all started from top, Hire the GM and let him put the team together. Authur you are a good man, enjoy your team from your suite, Let the football people do their jobEddie LeBaron gave Rankin Smith some good Falcon football from 77 to 83, we consider them the Falcon Golden years
By sherman crockett
December 23, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
Dear Mr. Blank: Humble thyself at the feet of Dan Reeves and he shall exalt thee in due time.
By DirtyDawg
December 23, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
As much as it pains me to think about it - namely, the idea of having to ‘blog’ about Coach Marty Shottenheimer (sp?, trust me I didn’t bother to look it up and it certainly looks wrong) ranks right up there with my continued ‘brain-f**t’ over how to spell John Scherholtz’s (see?) last name - I’m all for it if it’ll bring Buddy Nix into the picture as GM…I can spell his name with my eyes closed.
By DirtyDawg
December 23, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
Oh yeah, meant to mention that I’m in agreement with the talking head on ESPN (don’t know his name and don’t really care) that claims Parcells never had any intention of coming to Atlanta. All along he was just using Arthur to rattle Wayne Huizenga’s cage to get him to make Parcells an offer he couldn’t refuse…heh, heh, heh…and it worked.
The Falcons are better off without the narcissistic jerk. I mean Coach Shott (that’ll be my fall-back position) has turned around programs too and just how long ago was it that Parcells won a play-off game? I say go for it Arthur…and don’t forget Buddy.
By julie landry
December 23, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this
Hello I just info I am fan your team HOCKEY ATLANTA THRASHERS I want 18 pocket schedule 07-08 it is possible !!!!!!
thank you
BONNE FIN JOURNÉE
Julie Landry 84 Tracadieche Est Carleton Quebec,Canada g0c1j0
By gene (philly, pa)
December 23, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this
is there any chance blank would try and bring back dan reeves? from what i read, reeves wants to come back to the NFL. i am surprised he has not been considered for any of the openings in the past few years. i think reeves would be willing to come back to atlanta and work for blank again.
By Ron
December 23, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this
Okay, John in Tampa, I’ll give you summer and winter in Miami if you’ll give me spring and fall in Atlanta. :)
By Ron
December 23, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this
I wish y’all would give it up with Dan Reeves. He was too stuck in the past even back then. I can only imagine how more conservative his offense would look today.
By nativefalcon
December 23, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this
People forget, that Parcells when he quit said he was going to spend Jerry Jones and play with the horses. He’s a avid horse racer and owner. He tried to get the GM job in New York that failed. What do you know they have a horse track there. He talked to Huizinga before didn’t like the deal and brought in Arthur Blank to get the deal better with Miami. Because Parcells never was going to come here to begin with. Does Atlanta have alot of Horse tracks NO. Does Miami YES tons. He was never going to come here to begin with. Why he really wanted the VP job over the GM job, so he can gamble. Huizinga got played more than Arthur and could have turned the tables on Parcells, and told him go to Atlanta. Parcells would have changed his tune. Parcells is trying to set himself up where he can run a football team and go right down the road and play the ponies. JERK.
By nativefalcon
December 23, 2007 10:20 PM | Link to this
Hey RON, by the way smartguy, Dan Reeves is 3 years younger than Bill parcells and was the most WINNING ATL coach in playoffs and we got to a superbowl, I would love to see him as the GM or VP, so give him a little credit he has been in 5 superbowls, which is way more than you. Junior. I wouldn’t want Dan to be the coach we need Singletary, and a GM but as VP Dan would be perfect. Also Dan Reeves was the best coach Atlanta has ever had.