Farewell Coach.

As a New England Patriots and a National Football League fan, I want to thank one of the finest coaches in league history for everything he did. Bill Parcells retired on Monday as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. At the age of sixty-five and after nineteen years as a head coach, Parcells seems ready to move on to the next period of his life and await his enshrinement into Canton Ohio, the home of the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

When Parcells took over the Patriots’ head coaching duties in 1993, New England was the laughingstock of the League. The Patriots were mired in mediocrity, under a constant threat of relocation, and playing in a stadium that resembled a Texas high school football field. What Parcells brought to New England was a level of credibility that reached far beyond the limits most coaches could provide. He, along with Drew Bledsoe, helped to build a fan base that most never could have expected to exist. The Boston sports landscape always had the Patriots far below the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins in the hierarchy. While Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are rightly considered the crown princes of the Patriots’ dynasty now, none of this would be possible without the work of Coach Parcells.

Even though he has often been thought upon as a coach who quickly grows tired of his environment and is always on the lookout for a new challenge, he is the only coach to lead four franchises to the post-season and he has always prided himself on leaving his former teams in much better shape then when he arrived. By his second year at each stop, Parcells always had his team in the post season.

This past year in Dallas really seemed to take a toll on the coach. Just watching him roam the sidelines, you could tell that much of his enthusiasm for coaching had been taken from him. His players seemed to have stopped listening to his coaching, and the constant bickering of notorious malcontent Terrell Owens had to weigh on this extremely proud man. The Cowboys came up short of his expectations this season, and he deserved better than this at the end of a long and highly accomplished coaching career.

Enjoy your retirement Coach, and get ready for Canton. All New England Patriots fans appreciate everything you did for us.

Championship Weekend

It is Final Four time in the National Football League. During the past nineteen weeks, thirty-two teams have poured their tears, heart and sweat into each game. Each season, we witness great individual feats that contribute to magical moments that will be remembered forever. In addition to these individual performances, we always seem to witness at least one team that comes together and rises above their collective talents. This year, that team has been the feel good story of the league: the New Orleans Saints. The emotional attachment that fans have with the Saints has made them the darlings of this Final Four and helps to contribute to what should be a great championship weekend. Here is a breakdown of the two conference finals and my picks of who I expect to move onto Miami.

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts

Somehow, it seems these two AFC powerhouses always find a way to meet for conference supremacy. You have media darling Peyton Manning and the high-powered Colts against coaching genius Bill Belichick and his steady sidekick quarterback Tom Brady. Every year, all of the supposed football experts pick the Colts to make the Super Bowl and every year, they disappoint. The Patriots are the exact opposite; the television and radio experts continue to pick against them and yet they continue to knock off one supposed powerhouse after another.

Once again, the Colts seem to be the favorite pick of the fans and media. Has Manning magically changed from a post-season choker? Has Belichick lost some of his coaching intellect? Have the Patriots done anything that would make them more vulnerable? To me, the answer is “no” to all of the above questions.

I had New England winning the championship before the season started and they have done nothing to make me to change my mind. The pick is New England 27, Indianapolis 21.

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears

The big question going into this game is whether or not Rex Grossman can play with the consistency needed for the Bears to keep up with the high-powered Saints. Chicago’s once vaunted defense has been weakened by the loss of safety Mike Brown and stud defensive tackle Tommy Harris. Seattle exposed the Bears run defense last week in their narrow loss, and now Chicago has to cope with the dual headed monster of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.

Chicago had to be hoping for freezing cold weather and a steady stream of snow for Sunday’s game. However, it does not look like Mother Nature is going to cooperate. What this all means is that the Bears are going to have to try to slow down the high-scoring Saints all on their own.

I expect New Orleans to expose the holes in Chicago’s defense and continue their magical season all the way to Miami. The Saints will win a high scoring game 28-24.