Bill Parcells, honored by Patriots Hall of Fame nod, says ‘life’s too short’ to hold grudge with Kraft
“I personally feel that those days are over,” Parcells said. “Life’s too short for that kind of stuff."
It appears as though Robert Kraft and Bill Parcells are willing to bury the hatchet.
Kraft announced Tuesday that Parcells will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame this summer, ending what some would call a lengthy snub. Parcells last coached for the Patriots in 1996.
It’s been almost 30 years since Parcells was in the organization. The way he left was controversial – the story was leaked before the Super Bowl – and it angered Kraft. Parcells was unhappy with Kraft’s involvement with some personnel decisions, and that was a part of why he left.
The grudge went on for years, but Parcells told The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin Tuesday that it’s time to let it go. He and Kraft are both 83 years old. Now they have an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments together with a ceremony in Foxborough.
“I personally feel that those days are over,” Parcells said. “Life’s too short for that kind of stuff. We haven’t interacted much, but I think we both pretty much feel the same way.”
Parcells was selected as a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame five times before ultimately getting in. Kraft said he thought it would be great to honor Parcells’s contribution to the team while both are still alive.
Parcells, who coached the Patriots to their second Super Bowl appearance in 1996, said he feels honored to finally get in.
“Of course I was,” Parcells said. “I’m very honored. I am. I don’t take any of this stuff for granted. I’ve been fortunate with the Giants and the national Hall of Fame and then this one. That’s three of them. That’s a pretty humbling thing.”
According to the Globe, Kraft wanted the announcement to be a surprise. He had planned to deliver the news at Parcells’s Jupiter, Fla. home in person last weekend but had to settle for a phone call when he learned that Parcells was heading to his summer home in Saratoga.
Parcells has said on multiple occasions that leaving the Patriots was one of the biggest regrets of his life. He never made it past the second round of the playoffs after he left. New England had won three Super Bowls under Bill Belichick by the time he retired in 2006.
Parcells compiled a 32-32 record with the Patriots, and he went 2-2 in playoff games. But he was an instrumental piece who helped the Patriots change their fortunes after a string of dreadful seasons in the early 1990’s.
All these years later, he will take his place in the Patriots Hall of Fame.
“In the early 1990s, the Patriots were in disarray,” Kraft said, per ESPN. “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.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com