Tretakoff Musings

The Bill Parcells soap opera continues this week, and not for the reasons you might expect. Sure, three coaches in the NFL have just been axed, and more are likely to follow, and normally when you hear about coaching opportunities, a huge shadow looms over each: Parcells (although the other Bill, Cowher, is starting to compete). The latest drama is on his success with the Miami Dolphins as the head of football operations. Turns out, his contract is unique in that if the owner sells the team, he can walk away, and be fully paid for his whole contract. So, the hand wringing begins: will he stay or won't he? This is a guy who twice put his hall of fame election on hold by refusing to stay unretired and come out to restore respectability to a franchise, so who's to say he won't again? He's had the magic touch, both as a coach and an executive, for now five major NFL franchises. He brought the New York Giants two Superbowl rings. He brought the Patriots to a Superbowl. He...

Very sad news today that the venerable L.L. Bean cataloger and direct marketer is facing the troubled times with something of a scary approach: layoffs . This is a company that, to my knowledge, has never endured the contractions that so many retail chains have, and they've preserved that classic Yankee/Maine feeling of "toughing it out together." I hope they find a third way, as I'd love to see them be a model for so many other companies in this, like they have in so many other ways.