the impenetrable mind of bill parcells

[aexchange]

got this from another board. excellent posts and very thought provoking.



Why is the picture always so clear the morning after?

All this time, everyone, fans and media alike, have labored under the assumption that up until yesterday around noon, there had been a competition beween Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter for the starting QB job.

Now it's fairly obvious the real competition was between Quincy Carter and QB "X", someone not even on the roster. Someone (who knows who, perhaps a deal for Brunnell would have been made, perhaps Lucas signed) who would have started if Q had failed.

So in essence , Quincy Carter has been competing against himself. Somewhere back in time, perhaps as long ago as last winter when Bill reviewed last year's game tapes, but more likely in the minicamp or very early training camp, Bill saw that Hutch was not ready; in fact, "Double A" ball not ready. The many reps given Hutch in practices, and the game time he saw, evidently only confirmed that belief for Bill. But the real assessment and evaluation of Hutch was over.

When Jerry Jones hinted that Carter's job was on the line after the Arizona game, we all thought it meant Hutch was "grading out" better than Q was. (In retrospect, the constant grading of Q and H done by the press was pure nonsense). But what Q really did by not preparing himself well (in JJ's words) was make the Houston game just what Jones said it was, a game in which it was "very important that Quincy do well." If he hadn't, someone else would have been brought in then.

Now it makes sense Hutch saw no action in that game. He had already graded out. Q passed the test, and went on to the next one, vs a much better D. Again, it made no sense to give H the start. He wasn't going to start no matter what happened.

Parcells' ability to play things close to the vest, and remain close mouthed about what he feels, is legendary. Some will feel betrayed, that he lied, or at least dissembled. Or that he played everyone by not explaining what the real situation was. Hutch did indeed have the opportunties to demonstrate all he could do, but the real competition lay elsewhere. The situation was just as Bill maintained yesterday. It was "fair", but not "equal". Hutch, the Double AA ready QB was likely never on an equal footing with Quincy all the way thru camp. H did not just become a Double AA QB in Bill's mind in Pittsburgh.

But Q's thinking there was a neck and neck competition with Hutch managed to get a positive response out of him.

That player who was, and still is, in competition with Q remains someone "out there". And the real competition with Q is still within himself. He has got to keep finding the resources from within to improve.

But Bill, lmao.

Gotta love him.

Especially on the morning after. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]