Early in his first training camp with the New York Jets, in 1997, Bill Parcells was asked why he'd want to take over one of the sorriest franchises in professional sports. He responded with a sneer and a story.

"Two guys are sent to Australia to sell shoes to the Aborigines," he said. "One calls his boss and says, 'There's no opportunity here; the natives don't wear shoes.' The other guy calls and says, 'Boss, great news: These people don't have any shoes.'"

Bill Parcells being carried off the field after his first Super Bowl victory. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Parcells made a career of being the "other guy," providing sturdy soles to tortured souls.

He could've told that story in 1983 with the New York Giants, and again in 1993 with the New England Patriots. Maybe he did. The point is, Parcells turned despair into hope, rebuilding three franchises -- and that's why he deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The retired coach is a finalist for the second straight year, one of 15 modern-era candidates for the Class of 2013. The selection committee will meet all day Saturday, and the results will be announced at 5:30 p.m.

Parcells' résumé is Hall-worthy, but only a few get to Canton on roller skates (one of Parcells' most famous expressions) because of a flawed and political process. In other words, there are very few locks.

The maximum number of modern-era inductees is five, and the ballot is flooded with an impressive group of finalists in their first year of eligibility: offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden and defensive linemen Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp.

Still, it would be a shame if Parcells got burned for a second straight year.

If somebody created a Mount Rushmore of coaches for the 1980s and 1990s, he'd be up there with Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, and take your pick for the last spot. Walsh and Gibbs are in Canton. Heck, Marv Levy is a Hall of Famer, and he lost four Super Bowls -- including one to Parcells.

Parcells, a Jersey guy, will best be remembered for winning two Super Bowls with the Giants, doing it with different quarterbacks.

You think Colin Kaepernick's meteoric rise is a great Super Bowl story? In 1991, Parcells won a Super Bowl with Jeff Hostetler, who had only six career starts to that point. No quarterback in history has won a Super Bowl with fewer starts than Hostetler, a credit to Parcells' ability to adjust when Phil Simms was injured.