Related Links: Belichick resigns Jets post Pasquarelli: Attorneys scrambling to decipher contract Patriots might not be available to Belichick Kubiak withdraws from running for Pats job Patriots exodus looms after season unravels Audio: Bill Belichick says he can't make commitment to Jets Real | Windows Media Audio: Belichick says uncertain situation is bad for him Real | Windows Media Audio: Jets president Steve Gutman says Bill Belichick is in emotional turmoil Real | Windows Media Audio: Gutman says there is no uncertainty about Belichick's contract Real | Windows Media Audio: Gutman says problems are with Belichick, not the Jets Real | Windows Media Forum: Who should coach the Jets?
	T O P   N E W S

At least that's the way it's looking now.

Then again, judging by what transpired the last two days, it wouldn't be completely shocking to see Bill Clinton take the reins of a franchise which is suddenly in incomprehensible turmoil. Bubba's waffling act would fit right in around here.

Just consider this bizarre sequence of events, which saw the legendary Bill Parcells shockingly step down Monday, only to have his hand-picked successor Bill Belichick resign in the same Hofstra University auditorium Tuesday after roughly 24 hours on a job which he was contractually obligated to take, but never actually accepted.

The way Parcells figured it, he could ride off in to the sunset knowing his Jets were in the sure hands of Belichick, his longtime aide and defensive guru.

The way Belichick figured it, there was nothing sure about coaching the New York Jets at this point.

"Due to the various uncertainties surrounding my position as it relates to the team's new ownership, I've decided to resign as head coach of the New York Jets," said Belichick in a hastily hand-written letter of resignation he presented to Parcells and team president Steve Gutman just minutes before he repeated it to a shocked media gathering.

"As we look into the future of the New York Jets organization, there are a number of obvious uncertainties that would affect the head coach of the team," Belichick said.

Though Parcells repeatedly said Belichick would control all personnel decisions in his farewell press conference Monday, the truth is that nobody can control what a new owner is going to do, whether it be Cablevision chairman Charles Dolan or Johnson & Johnson heir Robert Wood Johnson IV.

And Belichick is sick of his fate being controlled by others. For once, he would like to be the one with the ball in his hands.

"Everything keeps changing," said Belichick. "I need some firm ground to stand on."

For instance, New England owner Bob Kraft had made no secret of the fact that he lusted after Belichick to not only replace fired coach Pete Carroll, but also become the general manager. But Belichick never got the chance to listen to Kraft.

Thanks to the contract he signed with the Jets, he automatically ascended to the role of head coach the second Parcells resigned his coaching duties and went to the front office as a glorified consultant.

And the league office backed that stance Monday.

Just as the Jets informed the league office Tuesday that they would "continue to retain their contractual rights to Bill Belichick despite his announced resignation as Jets coach. Based upon that information and upon Belichick's contract on file with this office, we have advised our clubs that no club other than the Jets is permitted to speak with Belichick or his representatives about any NFL employment unless further notified by this office."

In other words, New England is going to have to fight for Belichick through the league and probably will have to cough up numerous draft picks as compensation, just as the Jets had to do for Parcells three years ago.

Though he wouldn't admit as much, it was obvious Belichick didn't appreciate having his hands tied by Parcells, his longtime boss. His throwaway line Tuesday was that the New England situation had nothing to do with this, and that it had everything to do with the uncertainty of the Jets.

But Belichick wouldn't be human if he wasn't upset and uneasy. For Belichick made the agreement to succeed Parcells as Jets coach with the assumption that loyal Leon Hess would still be alive.

Nor would Parcells be human if he didn't begrudge Belichick a little for even considering working for his ex-boss Kraft, a man he loathes with all of his heart.

And the one cloudy thought that can't help but come to mind is that Parcells wasn't truly sure what he wanted to do, and probably would have slept on it for a couple of weeks after the season as he usually does, but instead made a hasty decision to prevent Belichick from going to New England.

It makes sense, considering Parcells has made no secret of how much he values his assistant coaches. And to him, coming back to coach the Jets without Belichick manning the defense wouldn't be worth it.

Through all of these sticky matters, the one thing that became blatantly clear is that Belichick was desperate for his freedom, even if it means not working for a while.

"My wife has been pretty thrifty and clipped some coupons and we've been able to save some money and I think we'll be able to live comfortably for a while," said Belichick, stating what would seem a last-resort scenario.

Keep in mind that Belichick's last head coaching stint was for the 1995 Browns, a lame-duck franchise that was in the process of moving to Baltimore to become the Ravens.

"My family has been in a situation where I was the head coach of a team in transition, of a team that went through a lot of changes and it frankly wasn't a real good experience for me or them," Belichick said. "I'm not saying that would happen here. I don't know what would happen. I have no crystal ball."

But he knows how unsettling the past has been, even as he's been arguably the shrewdest defensive mind in the business.

For 12 years -- he had a sabbatical in between as the Browns head coach -- Belichick has been Parcells' diligent taskmaster, not to mention his heir apparent. It obviously took its toll, both on Belichick's state of mind and on his relationship with Parcells.

Remember that when Parcells had his legal squabble with the Patriots, Belichick graciously held the Jets head coaching position for a week, even though it was a farce that ended as soon as Parcells was permitted by the league to coach the Jets.

"Bill and I have conversed about this for months and even years," Belichick said. "Another thing that has been brought out repeatedly is 'Belichick has known about this transition for a year, he's had plenty of time to get ready for it'. Well, I remember back in 1987 with the Giants, that was a strike year. We were coming off the Super Bowl and we had a terrible team. We couldn't beat anyone. We were not very good. Bill told me in 1987, 'I can't keep doing this. One more year and you can have it.' I heard it at New England, too. I've heard it since 1987 for an extended period of time.

"We all know how Bill is. He sometimes reacts emotionally to a loss or a bad season or a series of bad performances. Every time Bill says that, I take it with a little bit of a grain of salt. Because that's what it's been for the last 12, 13 years, whatever it is.

"Until Monday morning, when he made me aware that this was the final decision and not 80 percent, 90 percent, 83 percent, 77 percent, that this was it, I didn't believe it. It had gone as high as 99, but I've seen it back off and come back up again. Until Monday, when it was, 'this is what I'm going to do', then that's really when I thought, 'well, this is what I have to do'. That's how this whole sequence of events has transpired."

Because of the Jets' uncertain future, Bill Belichick doesn't want to coach them at this time.(AP)

Parcells, who reportedly locked himself in his office during Belichick's press conference, wasn't made available to the media, presumably because he had smoke coming out of his ears and didn't want to say something he would regret.

But now the scenarios seem endless.

For instance, would Parcells feel obligated to his players to coach the Jets one last season now that Belichick has jumped ship? A visibly perturbed Gutman wouldn't divulge whether he would cross that path, but he wouldn't rule it out either.

When the sale of the team is finally completed, would Belichick entertain a sweeter, more secure offer from the Jets? Belichick wouldn't rule it out.

But until the considerable dust settles from this mess, it's anyone's guess who will fill the Bill -- so to speak -- as the next Jets coach.