Jason Taylor and Bill Parcells are at odds, and that should be hard to believe because these men need each other -- Taylor needing a genius football man to bring him a championship and Parcells needing a savant pass-rusher to bring him a championship defense.
And yet these men, giants in their respective NFL fields, today refuse to even pick up the phone to speak to one another, much less bridge what is an increasingly widening gap between them.
Haven't we seen this before?
Leave it to the Dolphins to be the scene of this kind of drama not once, but twice in a decade, with the Taylor-Parcells drama serving as sequel to the feud Jimmy Johnson and Dan Marino carried out almost 10 seasons ago.
That Marino and Johnson soap opera had a forgettable 62-7 ending, which is what can happen when egos that large collide even as they represent the same uniform.
And just as Marino vs. Johnson pitted a legendary player against a superstar coach in 1999, the theatrics between Parcells and Taylor also match two men of unquestionable stature -- one a great player, the other a great coach and personnel man.
It is a shame it happened once. It is wrong that it is happening again.
But that doesn't change where we are today.
Taylor today remains a Dolphin despite his wish to play elsewhere. The Dolphins today hold Taylor on their roster despite last week's efforts to shop him throughout the NFL as a valuable commodity.
''We took some calls earlier in the week,'' general manager Jeff Ireland said Sunday. ``But nothing's changed on that. Nothing's changed. We want the guy back.''
And yet there is no guarantee that will happen because of that Parcells-Taylor dynamic.
AT THE CRUX
Taylor, Miami's best player, moved to Hollywood this offseason to pursue a show-business career. He accepted an offer to appear on Dancing With The Stars without really asking Parcells for his opinion or permission.
Taylor knew his decision would keep him from Miami's offseason conditioning program, but figuring he always is in shape, he went anyway.
Parcells, hired in late December to remedy Miami's seemingly infinite maladies, didn't bother embracing Taylor when he first got the job. The men have had perhaps one 30-second conversation since December.
When he heard Taylor was not going to participate in the voluntary offseason program, Parcells was displeased, because, in his eyes, Taylor should be a leader on this team and skipping work is not the kind of leadership anyone wants.
That is the foundation of the disconnect between the men.
And, unfortunately, there is more than just a foundation to worry about.
Two weeks ago, Taylor took a break from his dancing gig and visited the Dolphins. He visited with teammates in the locker room and, after a warm reception, decided to call on Parcells.
Taylor walked into a room where Parcells was watching tape, and Parcells ignored him. He looked at Taylor and went back to his work without saying a word.
That incensed Taylor.
You can argue that Parcells is right to ignore a player who is ignoring Miami's offseason program and has asked to be traded. You can argue that Taylor is right to expect a certain amount of respect after 11 stellar NFL seasons and being ignored is being disrespected.
OUT OF THE TABLOIDS
But there is no argument the relationship's little crack is now a sizable fracture.
The relationship is such that Taylor wouldn't think of calling Parcells and asking why he wouldn't talk to him two weeks ago. The relationship is such that Parcells apparently sees no need to clear the air with Taylor.
This thing is Star magazine strange.
And the really bizarre moment is still five weeks away, when Dancing With The Stars wraps and the Dolphins hold a mandatory minicamp June 6-8.
What happens if Taylor and Parcells pass in the hallway or on the way to the practice field? It would be awkward.
Maybe it won't come to that if Taylor is traded before then, but Ireland insisted Sunday that is not going to happen.
So here is the alternative: Parcells and Taylor should call each other and talk and resolve their petty differences.
After all, following a weekend in which Parcells tried to build a new foundation by adding six players along the line of scrimmage, maybe the next logical move is to reinforce a relationship with the team's cornerstone.
