Parcells Credits Power Football, and Amazing Good Luck Towel
Old-fashioned power football and a magic towel won the Super Bowl for the Giants, euphoric New York Coach Bill Parcells said today.
“They call us predictable and conservative but I know one thing, power football wins games. It’s not always the fanciest way, but it wins games,” Parcells said at the winning coach’s press conference the morning after New York’s thrilling 20-19 Super Bowl XXV victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Parcells also attributed his team’s success to his players’ remarkable ability to avoid errors. The Giants this season had the fewest turnovers in the history of the National Football League.
“In the playoffs we just had one turnover and it was only 15 in 19 games this year and that’s the reason that trophy is in New York,” Parcells said.
Admittedly a superstitious man, Parcells also revealed his team’s secret weapon today.
“There’s a high school football coach in New Jersey named Rich Conti and in 1986 he sent me this red championship towel and wrote ‘Dear coach, this towel has never lost. It won two state championships in New Jersey, you take it to Pasadena with you.’ So I took it and we won out there,” Parcells said referring to the Giants’ Super Bowl XXI victory over Denver.
“When the game was over I mailed it back to him and thanked him,” Parcells continued.
“He won another state championship with it in ’88. He mailed it to me last week and said, ‘Take this to San Francisco (for the National Football Conference championship game against the defending champion 49ers, won by the Giants in another thriller on a field goal in the final seconds). The towel has never lost.’
“So I got it in my bag right now and I’m taking it back to New York,” Parcells said, promising to return the towel this week.
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.