For most of the end of the 1996 season, the Jets were courting Parcells to take over their football operations. This drew criticism from the team that employed Parcells at the time, the New England Patriots, who were in the middle of a push that eventually led to a loss in Super Bowl XXXI. Parcells made a now-infamous statement regarding the Patriots’ unwillingness to give him more of a say in football matters: ""If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.""