Dousing of Parcells is where party ends

The Cowboys will be all business in preparation for their regular-season finale.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Although the playoff berth was finally clinched, Quincy Carter still wasn't sure about dumping a bucket of ice water over coach Bill Parcells' head.
Not until fullback Richie Anderson, a team captain and one of the former players Parcells brought with him to Dallas, approved -- and then helped the quarterback with the celebratory task.
"I asked Richie, 'Should we do this?' He gave his OK," Carter said. "But I still let Richie help me, just to be sure ... since he knows him a little better than a do."
Final-play fun
Just before the final play of Sunday's 19-3 win over the New York Giants, Carter and Anderson doused the Cowboys coach.
For the first time since 1999, and after three straight 5-11 seasons, the Cowboys (10-5) are in the playoffs.
Parcells became the first coach to earn playoff berths with four franchises, but he had never done it in his first season with a team until Sunday.
So let the party begin.
Well, not quite.
Besides the dousing of Parcells to the delight of the crowd at the home finale, and a few joyful shouts going off the field and into the locker room, the celebration was somewhat mundane.
"We don't want to take it too far," Carter said.
No victory cigars. No uncorked champagne bottles on the floor.
"That's a good sign that we're not overly excited," defensive end Greg Ellis said. "If we were popping open champagne, it would be like all we wanted to accomplish was to get into the playoffs."
Ellis said the players weren't told to "keep it down" by Parcells or anybody else. The subdued celebration was a natural response.
Even owner Jerry Jones, who admitted going to the playoffs in Parcells' first season was beyond his expectations, was somewhat calm.
Jones clapped his hands and spoke to a couple of veteran players on the sideline as the game wound down. While he pointed to a receptive crowd as he walked off the field, he made no other overly proclamational gestures.
Tempered excitement
And there was no teary-eyed response from Parcells like after the win over Carolina a month ago. While the coach seemed excited to his players, he also almost immediately started talking about next week's regular-season finale.
"We have a chance to do something special. Our season has just begun," tight end Dan Campbell said. "I get the feeling everybody on this team is excited, but I think we're ready to go back to work. We need to set our expectations high. This is when it starts getting fun."
Parcells, who also became the first coach to have 10-win seasons with four teams, reminded his players that there isn't time for an extended celebration. Preparations begin Monday for the New Orleans game.
"They will enjoy this moment until tomorrow at 1 p.m.," he said.