By Mark Craig, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) –
MINNEAPOLIS — Who says it’s a slow time for Vikings news?
In the past two or three days, we’ve learned that Percy Harvin and his shoulder won’t miss organized team activities, Adrian Peterson and his knee won’t stay injured forever and, this just in, Bill Parcells and his brain will not — repeat, will not — be coming to Minnesota to take over full control of the team.
The New York Post, citing an unnamed source, reported early Wednesday morning that Vikings owner Zygi Wilf is pursuing Parcells, the Hall of Fame finalist and former Giants, Jets, Patriots and Cowboys coach, to come to Minnesota to “run the show.”
According to the paper, Parcells was at a dinner with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and other friends in Florida when he revealed that Wilf offered Parcells to “name his price” to oversee the Vikings’ football operations and coach the team. Parcells is being wooed by the Saints to coach the team this season while Payton serves his one-year suspension for his role in the bounty scandal that has rocked New Orleans.
Here’s where ya might need a history lesson when it comes to the Big Tuna and his negotiations with teams seeking his employment. Exhibit A:
—On Dec. 18, 2007, news linking Parcells to the Atlanta Falcons’ top job is leaked to the media. A stir ensues because, by gosh, ain’t Bill talking to the Dolphins about the same gig in South Beach?
—Dec. 19, 2007: Parcells signs a four-year deal with the Dolphins.
We’re not saying. We’re just saying …
Could be Wilf did reach out to Parcells at some point. After all, Wilf is from New Jersey, admires Parcells and probably still has a pair of Giants pajamas with the feet in them.
But to suggest Wilf is still chasing after Parcells three months after promoting Rick Spielman to general manager sounds more like a leverage ploy than anything else that makes, you know, sense.
The Vikings are searching for a long-term system. Spielman is 49 and a workaholic. Parcells turns 71 in August and hasn’t stayed anywhere longer than four years since he left the Giants in 1990.
The good news is this non-news news story had a shelf life about as long as it takes to play an NFL game. When the flames were fanned to an uncomfortable level, the Vikings spoke up to tamp things down.
“There is no truth to the media reports,” Bob Hagan, public relations director, said as fast as he could dial the numbers of local reporters.
Not long after that, NFL.com cited a source close to Parcells who also said there was no truth to the story.
The whole ordeal was extinguished in time for lunch and with the assumption that the Big Tuna will be arriving in the Big Easy fairly soon.
