Be honest all of you old heads. What was your initial thought when we hired BB?

[NormZauchin]

I thought the firing of Pete was needed. Under him, the Pats were on a downward trajectory. I was ambivalent about Bill. I respected what he did with the Giants defense in the late '80s and how he easily defeated the Parcells Patriots in the 1994 playoff game, but his tenure with the Browns was not overly impressive. And, like most here, I did not like giving up a first round pick to the Jets. So, I was pretty much where I am now. I didn't (don't) know if the new coach would be better, but staying with the old coach was (is) a losing proposition.

 

[Sect140]

I liked the move. I knew he did a good job in Cleveland although a lot of people didn’t think he did, he built the team slowly over the years, I believe it was the fourth year they made the playoffs and then shortly after the Browns announce they were moving. I also liked the idea because of his days as the Giants DC.

I remember reading an interview on Bob or Jonathan sometime after they hired him. They realized he was the guy for the job when Bill brought him in as the defensive consultant in 96, one day during the season during a practice, Bob and Jonathan were walking and having a talk with Bill, free agency and salary cap were still fairly new and they mentioned they were having a hard time talking to Parcells about the salary cap, they said Parcells kept telling them he didn’t want to know about it, but that conversation they had with Bellichik that day they realized that he probably knew more and understood the cap better than anyone in the league. They thought about hiring him but they all agreed it wasn’t the right time since he was close to Parcells. After reading that Bill was already here but then I was really convinced it was going to work out.

 

[The Gr8est]

I tended to be happy with it, but also the whole way he resigned from the Jets was bizarre and the loss of the draft pick sucked. I liked the fact that he was a defensive coordinator. At least at that time I thought they made the best head coaches. So happy, but never envisioned anything like the dynasty that resulted.

After the crap the Rats pulled and the obvious manipulation of BB’s status to make him unavailable to the Pats, a fair league would have ruled against the charade of the Parcells/BB relationship, and the league should have ruled BB was free to leave with no compensation.

As if turned out the compensation was worth it, but it should never have been allowed to go down as it did.

 

[farn]

Thought he’d flame out due to demeanour. Personally love his personality, but I figured it wouldn’t fly in the media-loving NFL and that Kraft wouldn’t be impressed.

Glad I was wrong.

 

[skinnydog]

After the crap the Rats pulled and the obvious manipulation of BB’s stays to make him unavailable to the Pats, a fair league would have ruled the charade of the Parcells/BB relationship, the league should have ruled BB was free to leave with no compensation.

As if turned out the compensation was worth it, but it should never have been allowed to go down as it did.

Agreed. Whatever bad happens to the Jets is fine by me. And you’re right, never should have been comp for that. The whole resigning on the napkin thing was just weird. Still was glad then we got BB, but didn’t see Carroll as all that bad either. Funny both ended up being Super Bowl winning coaches. Of course BB brought the 20 year dynasty.

 

[palialka]

I was still laughing my ass off that he resigned as HC of the JETES on a napkin

 

[The Gr8est]

I was still laughing my ass off that he resigned as HC of the JETES on a napkin

That was a power dunk, and well deserved.

BB knew the Rats were playing games, and he responded with the lack of respect it deserved.

 

[Plunkett2Vataha]

Simply put, I loved it from the get-go. I didn't care so much about his overall record with the Browns, I loved how he prepared his teams for big games. His work on the defensive side of things for the Giants speaks for itself and I knew the offense would hold its own. The only thing I was ever disappointed in were the too many times it seemed he would reach for someone in the draft just because he thought he was "his type of player" only to have that player be a major flop. Otherwise he was the best...

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

I was psyched
Even giving up a 1st
Parcell‘s always raved about BB
The stories about his days in NYG Defensive plans
Figured we would be back to quality coaching after we lost Parcell’s being a Parcell’s disciple.
Wanted nothing to do with Don Capers

 

[jimnance]

I am surprised people can remember that far back. My memory sucks.

I was gonna reply to your post but I can't remember what I was going to say

 

[Tunescribe]

I watched live on TV when BB was announced as the new Jets head coach, then proceeded to confound everyone by quitting on the spot. I laughed. The era of Jete Stank had begun; I knew he was headed to New England and would do well.

 

[The Gr8est]

I was psyched
Even giving up a 1st
Parcell‘s always raved about BB
The stories about his days in NYG Defensive plans
Figured we would be back to quality coaching after we lost Parcell’s being a Parcell’s disciple.
Wanted nothing to do with Don Capers

It seems like the Rats were butthurt when the NFL forced them to give a 1st and 4th round pick to the Pats for stealing Parcells, stealing Curtis Martin, and sabotaging the Pats’ attempt to win a SB.

How rodent to think that the Pats should compensate them for BB.

As I recall Parcells was stepping down, and that freed BB up to leave, but they twisted BB’s arm to get him to agree to be their HC, to give them a legal case against anyone trying to sign BB.

Maybe someone else can polish up the details?

It’s been a while, and I slept at least once since then.

 

[Triumph]

I remember telling people that the 2000 Patriots were the GREATEST 0-5 team evah!

And winning in Denver that year was a lot of fun.

Not 2000, but 2001.

I was at the local mall wearing a Pats hat. This group of little punks were talking 5hit to me about it. How much the Patriots sucked and that they were a laughingstock. This was in a city where the local NFL had recent success.

I always wished that I could have seen the look on those delinquents faces when the Pats won it all in New Orleans.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I was jacked and pumped.

Beat me 2 it.
I'd had enough of Petey & looked fwd to a master of defense running the team. I ignored the self anointed mavens like Wrong Borges.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

I didn’t like it and I especially didn’t like losing the first round draft pick.
I remember talking to a friend and saying, Belichick got run out of Cleveland and it’s gonna be pretty much the same thing here. My friend agreed, and we were both basically saying, we couldn’t believe there wasn’t somebody better than Belichick.
Hey…. Turns out confession really is good for the soul….. lol.

 

[signbabybrady]

I was still mad at him for beating us in 94. That was the first playoff game I was old enough to appreciate.

My dad the late great FGSSAND reminded me of his contribution in 96 and he was really happy with it and that was enough for me.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

Beat me 2 it.
I'd had enough of Petey & looked fwd to a master of defense running the team. I ignored the self anointed mavens like Wrong Borges.

No lie… when I read that first post with the “jacked and pumped” response, I thought of you.
In the old days you would’ve been first in with that. I think you may have lost a step In your old age. Time to draft a new PWP?!?!

 

[archstanton543]

It seems like the Rats were butthurt when the NFL forced them to give a 1st and 4th round pick to the Pats for stealing Parcells, stealing Curtis Martin, and sabotaging the Pats’ attempt to win a SB.

How rodent to think that the Pats should compensate them for BB.

As I recall Parcells was stepping down, and that freed BB up to leave, but they twisted BB’s arm to get him to agree to be their HC, to give them a legal case against anyone trying to sign BB.

Maybe someone else can polish up the details?

It’s been a while, and I slept at least once since then.

There was a clause in BB's Jet's contract that said if Parcells steps down he's automatically the HC. Parcells knew he was leaving so stepped down as HC activating the clause in BB's contract making him the new HC.

We all know what happened after that.

 

[The Gr8est]

I couldn’t stand Carroll, and still can’t. I know he can coach but his whole gum chewing idiotic chatter grated on me right from the start, and the fact that he had stupid old Bobby Grier undermining him prevented me from gaining any confidence in him. I also couldn’t stand the way that the Globe guys in particular (Borges, Shank Shaughnessy, and Bill Parcells’ ******* tenant Bob Ryan) would get away with treating the Poodle.

So when BB came in I was optimistic and happy that Groin Fat Parcells got a taste of his own medicine. I was even happier when I saw that the first thing BB did was to march Johnny “Secret Agent” Parker right the hell out of the building.

BB made an effort to form a good relationship with the media slobs, such as his football seminar day his first spring. His approach to information, which I agree with, was to not discuss things when they have no possibility of helping the team. This is what got him in trouble with the media because they are generally ignorant and lazy and resent not being spoon fed stories by BB. Even Curran, who was a hard worker and not ignorant when he was at MetroWest news or whatever it was called fell into the trap.

My issue with BB isn’t about how he presents himself, it’s about results. He was the best for 20 years but I don’t see him getting to a championship anymore. I think it has a lot to do with not having a good enough staff to rely on: no Pioli, Dimitroff, Licht, no Scar, Weis, Seely, Crennel, Fears, and perhaps most of all no Ernie Adams. The guys he has brought in do not have the same abilities to evaluate prospects and teach guys effectively. The regression of Mediocre Mac is the prime example of how BB and his staff misjudged the kid’s immaturity and failed to get through to him with whatever they were teaching him. The same goes for the mental errors and penalties that has plagued the team for the past 4 years. I will always be grateful to BB for what he accomplished but for me there’s zero reason to believe he can still get everything done with whom he has to work with, and whom he would be working for (Jonathan).

My strongest memory of Pete Carroll was during a Monday night game, when Bledsoe was on the sidelines discussing strategy with the OC during a critical point in the game, and Carroll was standing there listening in and smiling looking like Potsie Webber, and adding nothing to the discussion.

I remember thinking “why are you here”?

 

[FCB02062]

I was ambivalent, just glad to get rid of Carroll. The collapse of the Carroll Patriots was inexcusable.
At the time there was a ton of speculation that they were going to hire Marty Schottenheimer and Tom Donohoe as GM.