Bill Parcells helps Saints win the Super Bowl

Trailing Indianapolis 10-6 at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday night, Saints head coach Sean Payton wanted to take control starting with a shift in momentum. So he called an onside kick. Kicker Thomas Morstead got the right bounce with his kick, and after it deflected off Indianapolis receiver Hank Baskett, New Orleans’ Chris Reis was on the bottom of the pile with the ball at the Saints’ 42. Six plays later New Orleans scored a touchdown for a 12-10 lead seizing momentum of the game, which they ultimately won 31-17.

As the refs made the call signaling that Reis had indeed come up with the loose ball I couldn’t help but think of how Payton became the type of coach to make such a bold move. The next thought that popped into my head was of another gutsy postseason call, one made by Bill Parcells in the 1990 NFC Championship game; a 30-yard run by Giants linebacker Gary Reasons on a fake punt against the two-time defending champion 49ers.

Reasons, the signal-caller on punt formation, took a direct snap in front of punter Sean Landeta and veered right. It was wide open for him. Moments before, Reasons was given the green light by Parcells, the Giants coach.

The daring move set up Bahr's fourth of five field goals, a 38-yarder with 5:47 remaining, and the Giants were down 13-12. They would go on to win 15-13 and win Super Bowl XXV against the Bills.

Parcells is known for taking risks in big games. In Super Bowl XXI against the Broncos, the Giants had fourth-and-1 from their own 46 on their first possession of the third quarter, trailing 10-9. Backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge moved up behind center and ran a sneak for two yards and the first down. Five plays later, Phil Simms threw a touchdown pass to Mark Bavaro and the Giants took the lead in route to a 39-20 victory.

It was Parcells, Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Operations who hired Payton to his Dallas staff as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003-05. Payton said he had a "number of conversations" with Parcells leading up to the Super Bowl. "You are going to have to have guts to win this game," Parcells told the Daily News Monday. "You can't coach scared in the big games. You've got to try to win."

Parcells has become a father figure to Payton whose own father passed away. After the game he received a phone call from Bill congratulating him on the big win. “He was proud” said Payton, “just proud.” "He taught me so much." "Just about people and about teaching and about evaluation and about preparation. I'm better having had a chance to work with him."

Payton became the third member of the legendary Parcells coaching tree to lead his team to a Super Bowl championship, joining Bill Belichick with the Patriots and Tom Coughlin with the Giants. All together they’ve won five of the last nine Super Bowl titles.


Written by Eric Doppelt

The Playing Field Is NOT Equal

First off, I’d like to note that I am not a feminist. However, I do believe in equality. Second, I think all sports fans can agree that men and women are viewed very differently in terms of their athletic abilities and can easily argue that the playing field is not as equal as we all would like to believe. No, I am not saying this because I am a girl. I am merely saying this because it is reality.

Last week, I was walking to class and picked up a copy of our school newspaper, The Daily Bruin – a task I conduct on a daily basis – and immediately turned to the flipside to read the sports section (another task I conduct on a daily basis). After all, we do call it the backwards paper, because the average student here in Westwood turns to the sports section first (that’s kind of what you get for being the university with the most NCAA team championships – Hey, I’m not complaining).



Anyway, back to the point of this entry: The playing field is NOT equal. Why, you may ask? Well, the first and biggest article in the center of the sports section had the headline, “UCLA men's basketball fumbles with early advantage against Oregon” followed by the subtitle, “UCLA takes a 13-point lead against Oregon, only to drop the ball in lackluster play.” And to top it off, a giant 3 by 4 inch picture of Reeves Nelson getting double-teamed by defenders printed right at the top of the article. Disgusting, right?

Right. But what’s even more disgusting is that the article directly to the right of it, titled, “UCLA women's basketball team sinks Oregon Ducks, 104-80,” was a tiny 2-inch wide strip with a picture probably about the size of my thumb embedded within it. Now, I wouldn’t have a problem if the men’s article were about us winning. But losing?! Come on. Our women’s team scored 104 points, “the team’s highest point total since scoring the same number against Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 3, 2009.” THAT is remarkable. Please tell me that accomplishment does not deserve center stage and the bigger picture on the cover of the sports page, because I would truly beg to differ.

This was Friday. Just a day later, I was walking out of Pauley Pavilion and passed Coach Rick Neuheisel on the way to my apartment. I overheard him ask one of his assistants, “Did the girls win? I believe they were playing Oregon State today.” Ladies and gentlemen, if our football coach cares enough about the women’s final score, I think our student body can care about it too – especially if we’re winning.

Saints May Have Blown Their Cover

When the Colts and Saints square off in Super Bowl XLIV down in south Florida don’t be surprised if the X-factor in this game is wearing a striped shirt. New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, speaking earlier this week on a Tennessee sports talk radio show, said the Saints will need to deliver some “remember me” shots on Peyton Manning, he didn’t stop there adding “you hope he doesn’t get back up and play again.”

You can bet on Feb 7^th the NFL will be on high alert for any late or illegal hits to the quarterbacks especially after some missed calls this post-season already, two of which had significant game changing implications.

Vice president of officiating Mike Pereira conceded that there should have been a 15-yard penalty on the third-quarter play where Vikings quarterback Brett Favre suffered a left ankle injury.

On that play, Saints defensive end Bobby McCray hit Favre in what Pereira called “pretty much a direct shot into the back of the legs.” The hit violated an NFL rule that prohibits low hits on quarterbacks. Had the penalty been called, Jonathan Vilma's interception would have been nullified and the Vikings would have re-gained possession with a first down at the Saints’ 19-yard line.

In the Wildcard round, facing third-and-6 on the first series of overtime, Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams blitzed Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball out. It bounced off Rodgers' foot and into the hands of linebacker Karlos Dansby, who ran for a touchdown to give Arizona a 51-45 victory. Adams grabbed Rodgers' face mask on the play, but officials didn't throw a flag. Had the call been made, the interception would have been negated by a 15-yard personal foul penalty that would have given the Packers possession and a first down.

With the biggest game of all looming and NFL poster boy Peyton Manning at the helm for the Colts, don’t be surprised if the league is very tight on hits to the QB and a couple of key drives are extended by the officials. Gregg Williams, in an attempt to fire up his defense, may have given the least sacked QB in the league an extra security blanket.

Written by Eric Doppelt

JW = JW

As I logged Jim Hill’s interview with “Mr. Clutch,” aka Jerry West, something inside me snapped – in a good way. I realized that Jerry West, retired professional basketball player, Head Coach, and former GM of the Los Angeles Lakers, is much like UCLA Head Basketball Coach Emeritus and arguably the “Greatest Coach of All Time,” John Wooden.

Not only do their initials read “JW,” but their views toward sports, and presumably life in general share very similar qualities. The one underlying theme that struck me was Jerry West’s immense use of the word, “passion” throughout his interview with Jim. In one of his answers he said that, “Life is not worth living if you don’t have passion.” And being the biggest John Wooden idol I am, I immediately thought of him and his view on the subject. As Coach Wooden says, “It isn't what you do, but how you do it,” referring to the passion and emotion a person must implement into his or her daily tasks.

West went on to say that he believes in two things: “goals and passion” and that not a single person can get anywhere in life without having some substantial goals as a stepping-stone. Sounds like Coach Wooden, whose most famous quote is about success and being the best you can be. The interview went on and discussed West’s biggest passion of helping others and his desire to give back to people who have helped him in his life. As he says himself, “…if I can help someone, I truly want to do that.” And as Coach Wooden says, “You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” These two men, although one 71 years of age and the other just one short of a century, can still agree on one thing: passion is key to life.


Written by Robin Randolph