The Parcells Bowl

Sure, Super Bowl XLII exemplifies David vs. Goliath, as the undefeated New England Patriots attempt to cease a season of perfection by conquering the 14 point underdog New York Giants. But, beyond the Tom Brady ankle injury or lack there of, the Giants defensive line’s accusations of Patriot players being bush league, or the Randy Moss alleged assault ignominy, lies a storyline that has garnered little attention. With that said let’s call Sunday’s spectacle “The Parcells Bowl.” Since both head coaches represented in the big game come from future Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcell’s coaching tree.

We have to go back some 20 years in New York where Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Giants Coach Tom Coughlin were on the Giants staff together. Belichick served as the defensive coordinator, preparing defensive schemes for a hard-hitting defense consisting of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Harry Carson. Coughlin served as a wide receivers coach, and helped Lionel Manuel have the best season of his career. Both coaches influence on that G Men’s team helped conjure up a 10-6 Giants season and more importantly enabled them to learn from one of the gridiron’s finest coaches.

As Belichick and Coughlin became head coaches themselves, the Parcells’ philosophy remained intact in their coaching operations, however not in the way each wanted it. Initially, both coaches struggled socially with their teams and caused some uncomfortable feelings amongst players and coaches; Belichick with the Cleveland Browns and Coughlin with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite this impediment, both men did find some success at these destinations. Belichick led the Browns to an 11-5 season in 1994 and Coughlin led the Jags to four playoff appearances including, two AFC Championship games. Eventually, both men would get a prospect at deliverance and to modify their communication skills. Belichick, now in his eighth season as the architect of the Patriots juggernaut has an assumed unproblematic possibility to win his fourth Lombardi trophy Sunday. Coughlin is in his fourth campaign with the G Men and has taken them to post season play each of the last three seasons. Both former Parcells understudies enter Sunday coaching as superlative as ever, yet only one will hoist the most coveted trophy in football at a parade downtown in the city their team represents. Perhaps, it is that man who coaches his team as analogous as possible to the way Parcells would have coached that will be victorious.