Parcells Mum About Change : Story Has Him Going to Jets, and Players, Patriot Owner Are Critical of His Agent

NEW ORLEANS — A contentious Bill Parcells said Monday “nothing’s changed,” despite a report that Sunday’s Super Bowl would be his last game as coach of the New England Patriots.

Yet one of his players wondered about his motives, and his boss--team owner Robert Kraft--criticized Parcells’ agent for his role in the Boston Globe story.

“This is old news,” Parcells said at an evening news conference. “I’m not going to discuss this, gentlemen. Nothing’s changed just because there’s another report out.”

Part of Monday’s report was based on comments by Robert Fraley, Parcells’ agent. At first, Parcells denied that Fraley had talked about the situation, then asked reporters, “did you see a quote?”

There were none, although Parcells faced a barrage of questions from New England reporters who cover the team on a regular basis.

When asked whether he works for Fraley or Fraley works for him, Parcells responded, “It’s America, you can say what you want.”

Parcells and Kraft reverted Monday to their consistent response that the focus should be on the Super Bowl and that they would adhere to their agreement to discuss Parcells’ future after the season. Their relationship has been strained, in part because of Parcells’ desire to have more control over personnel decisions.

With the Super Bowl coming up against the Green Bay Packers, guard William Roberts suggested Parcells might deliberately be trying to divert the spotlight from his players.

“You have to wonder,” said Roberts, a member of Parcells’ two Super Bowl champion teams with the New York Giants. “Sometimes he does things and you wonder why he does them.”

Patriot running back David Meggett, who played on one of those teams, said that the team isn’t distracted by the controversy and that Parcells hasn’t discussed it with the players.

“I can’t emphasize this enough,” he said. “We really are not worried about what he’s going to do because of the fact that we have something to do now” in preparing for the Super Bowl.

After last season, Kraft agreed to Parcells’ request that the final year of his five-year contract be dropped, making its new expiration date Feb. 1. The New York Jets reportedly want Parcells for their coaching vacancy.

Parcells has said the outcome of the Super Bowl won’t affect his decision. Kraft said Monday he doesn’t think his players will be distracted.

“Bill and I chatted today and we both feel the same way,” Kraft said. “This will be discussed at the end of the season.

“To me, it’s unfortunate that his agent, Mr. Fraley, took his time to try to put something in the paper, and I don’t think the fans of New England really want to concentrate on that issue right now.”

Besides Fraley, unidentified sources were mentioned in the Globe story, which said the differences between Parcells and Kraft could end up in court.

According to the report, Fraley said Sunday night that Kraft told him that any team that tried to sign Parcells would have to compensate the Patriots. But Fraley said nothing in the contract requires compensation.

Asked if he knew whether Parcells had decided where to coach next season, Kraft said, “I’m through talking about this issue today.”

And when he was asked whether Fraley speaks for Parcells, Kraft said, “You’ve got to ask him that. You can talk to him.”

Parcells didn’t talk to reporters before boarding a bus at midday for practice.

About 90 minutes later, Kraft spoke with reporters for three minutes before entering a silver stretch limousine. He tried to downplay the rift, saying his focus is on the Patriots efforts to win the Super Bowl for the first time in the club’s 37-year history.

He said he wasn’t angry when he read the story “because I’m so happy this week” with the Patriots going for the NFL title.

Patriot spokesman Don Lowery disputed Fraley’s statement in the Globe that Kraft called off a meeting with Fraley for last weekend and, instead, sent a letter informing him of the compensation.

“That’s absolutely untrue,” Lowery said.

Kraft reportedly believes that language in the contract gives him first crack at keeping Parcells and that he can require Parcells to coach the Patriots next season for $1.3 million.

Fraley contends his client is free to do whatever he wants next season. Kraft said he didn’t think Patriots players were even aware of the newspaper story.

“I’m one of the happiest guys in America,” the owner said. “I’m not going to let any foolishness, or other people’s agendas, distract us from one of the greatest weeks in football history in New England.”