Why Bill Parcells should be in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

The Patriots Hall of Fame, ready to welcome another member.

First of two important topics today:

The Patriots released the results Tuesday of the vote taken by the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, and in alphabetical order, these are the results -- former head coach Bill Parcells, defensive end Richard Seymour and linebacker Mike Vrabel. Fans may now vote for the next Hall of Fame member, the online balloting open at patriots.com until May 8.

Later in this post, you will read the biographical thumbnail sketches provided by the Patriots' media relations department. But since this is my blog, I'm going to repeat once again why I believe Bill Parcells should be the selection, why I keep voting for him, and what gives me the right to tell you to vote for him.

Let's take the third circumstance first. I covered the Patriots (and still do) since 1977 for three different news-gathering organizations -- The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro for 41 seasons, The Patriot Ledger of Quincy for two seasons, and The Associated Press for 21 seasons. I'm still a part-time stringer for the AP two years into my retirement from daily sportswriting. I broke in covering Chuck Fairbanks as head coach, and I was there every day for every coach thereafter -- Ron Erhardt, Ron Meyer, Raymond Berry, Rod Rust, Dick MacPherson, Bill Parcells. Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. With the exception of Fairbanks, I reported on their hirings. And with the exception of Belichick, I reported on their firings (or self-chosen departures) as well.

Bill Parcells. my choice for enshrinement.

As soon as the news was put up on the Internet, one Twitter twit ripped into the committee, saying, "Some starry-eyed revisionist historians on the Patriots HoF committee putting Parcells up for a 3rd time. A self promoting, finger-pointing, backstabbing carnival barker who did a mediocre job with 1 foot out the door the entire time."

Actually, it's Parcells' fourth time on the ballot, but let's not confuse the issue with facts.

The nominating committee had 27 people on it this year, and while we have lost some veteran members in recent times, there are still enough of us on the panel that have consistently supported Parcells' candidacy because we were there and we saw in person the impact that the Tuna had upon the entire organization.

His on-the-field numbers aren't great. He was a .500 coach, he got to the playoffs twice in four years and lost one Super Bowl, and he left immediately after that to coach the New York Jets. People are still pissed off about that, 24 years after the fact. These are the same ones that also say, "Oh, the Patriots weren't really all that bad before Parcells came …"

And they are dead wrong.

Yes, the Patriots went to a Super Bowl in 1985. But Billy Sullivan's coffers were empty at that point and the ownerships that followed were inexperienced and disorganized. The team, lacking a professional-grade front office, was also playing in a sub-standard stadium, the lease terms of which were the only thing keeping an NFL team in New England. Even the caretaker owner brought in by the league to stabilize the situation was here just to prepare the asset for transfer to St. Louis as the replacement for the departed Cardinals.

You might want to consider James Busch Orthwein as much of a savior of the franchise as Robert Kraft, though. If not for his decision to hire Parcells as head coach, Parcells' subsequent revamping of the front-office structure and sudden support at the ticket office from the fan base, New England's interest in supporting a pro football team might not have been rekindled enough to warrant Orthwein's search for local ownership.

To this day, I wonder if things would have gone better if Kraft had not begun his ownership as a rock star, glad-handing the fans on the sidelines and trying to be the next Jerry Jones, even to the point of interfering with Parcells' personnel decisions. If Kraft had been the hands-off owner then that he is for Bill Belichick, maybe Parcells' tenure would have been longer and more successful and would have naturally led directly into Belichick's tenure, skipping the Pete Carroll hiccup.

But I do not vote for Parcells based on "what ifs." He changed the Patriots' course through history as it is. If not for his presence at that particular juncture in time, it's fair to suggest that the team would not even be in New England for us to have this debate.

I don't think the fans will elect him, although I could be wrong. I think Richard Seymour would be a worthy (if personally disappointing) alternative. To that end, I have already suggested two other alternatives -- first, that Kraft put Parcells into the Patriots Hall of Fame of his own accord, as a "contributor," and second, that the fan balloting be split in an upcoming season to accommodate coaches and players. There are four coaches right now that should be considered -- Mike Holovak, Chuck Fairbanks, Raymond Berry and Parcells -- and fans could vote for one of them to help settle the argument and also help deal with the logjam of the many players that are going to be coming up for consideration in the future.

So far, my suggestions have been dismissed by those that make such decisions. I'll suggest the alternatives again. But in the meantime, I will proudly vote for Bill Parcells and I ask those of you reading this to do so as well.

Here are the biographical sketches of the nominees:

Bill Parcells was the head coach of the New England Patriots for four seasons (1993-96) and led the team to two playoff berths. After inheriting a team that had finished 14-50 in the previous four years, including an NFL worst 2-14 season in 1992, he brought the clout of a two-time Super Bowl Champion to the Patriots sidelines, infusing instant credibility in 1993. In 1994, a season-closing seven-game win streak allowed the Patriots to clinch their first playoff berth in eight years. The performance earned Parcells NFL Coach of the Year honors. After finishing 6-10 in 1995, the Patriots rebounded with an 11-win season in 1996, tying the then franchise record for wins and earning their first division title in 10 years. After a convincing victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers (28-3) in the divisional playoff game in foggy Foxborough, the Patriots hosted their first AFC Championship game and defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6, to earn a trip to the Super Bowl for just the second time in franchise history. This is the fourth time that the Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee has nominated Bill Parcells for Patriots Hall of Fame induction (2011, 2012, 2014 and 2020). On Feb. 2, 2013, Parcells was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the only coach in NFL history ever to lead four different teams to the playoffs and three different teams to a conference championship game. He is a member of the Patriots 1990s All-Decade Team.

Richard Seymour would be a worthwhile pick.

Richard Seymour spent the first eight seasons of his 12-year NFL career with the Patriots and played an important role in delivering six division titles, four conference crowns and three Super Bowl championships to New England. He was named to five straight Pro Bowls with the Patriots (2002-06) and earned three straight first-team All-Pro honors (2003-05). His five Pro Bowl berths are the most by any Patriots defensive lineman since the 1970 NFL merger. He was also a four-time team co-captain. In 2009, he was voted to the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team and the 2000s All-Decade Team. Seymour has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the last two years. Seymour was drafted by the Patriots sixth overall in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He immediately established himself as one of the team’s premier players and helped the Patriots win their first Super Bowl during his rookie season. During his time with the Patriots, he anchored a defense that allowed an average of 17.8 points per game and allowed fewer than 20 points per game in six of his eight seasons with New England. Seymour also blocked seven field goals in his career. Overall, Seymour started in 105-of-111 games, totaling 460 tackles, including 256 solos stops with 39 sacks. He also recorded two interceptions and six fumble recoveries. He played in 15 postseason games with 13 starts and added 66 total tackles, 4½ sacks and two fumble recoveries. In 2004, he scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery that he returned 68 yards in a 31-17 win at Buffalo (10/3/04). Seymour was traded to Oakland in the summer of 2009, where he played the final four years of his career, producing two additional Pro Bowl seasons.

Mike Vrabel's fifth try for the Hall.

Mike Vrabel is recognized as one of the best free agent signings in team history. He joined the team before the 2001 season, following a four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was used primarily on special teams and as a reserve linebacker. During his eight-year tenure in New England, Vrabel played a major role in the Patriots dynamic run that included three Super Bowl championships in four years (2001, 2003 and 2004). He exemplified positional versatility during his Patriots tenure by starting at both inside and outside linebacker, regularly lining up on offense in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and continually making valuable contributions on various special teams units. As a Patriot, he caught eight regular-season passes and two more in the playoffs. All 10 of his receptions were for touchdowns, including touchdown receptions in back-to-back Super Bowl wins over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXVIII and Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Vrabel’s career as a Patriot included many highlight-reel games that also set him apart in NFL record books. On Dec. 26, 2005, on Monday Night Football, Vrabel became the first player since 1982 (when sacks became an official statistic) to have two touchdown receptions and a sack in the same game. In Week 8 of the 2007 season, Vrabel forced three fumbles, had three sacks, recovered an onside kick and scored an offensive touchdown against Washington, a performance which earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He earned Pro Bowl and NFL All-Pro honors following the 2007 season after registering 12½ sacks and helping the Patriots to the NFL’s only 16-0 regular season in NFL history. As a Patriot, Vrabel started 110-of-125 games and the team went 95-30 in those games for a .760 winning percentage. He was a four-time team captain, including during the 2006 season when the defense set a then-franchise record by allowing just 14.8 points per game and just 237 points. His 48 career sacks with the team are the seventh-most in franchise history. In 2009, he was voted to the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team as an outside linebacker along with Andre Tippett and the 2000s All-Decade Team along with Willie McGinest.