Man... You guys are a hard bunch.....
There's a different tact to take on this issue with Mike Holmgren of Holmgren Way fame....
While I disagree with his rifling of our Coaching Staff as he left Lambeau for "leftier" (not loftier) pastures - meaning Fritz Shurmur could have stayed put, but didn't; etc.,etc. -- I certainly think the Green Bay Mgmt thinking was off-kilter quite a bit during those days. Some will say that Green Bay was behind the curve by the time Holmgren asked for the dual role of GM/HC - I mean, didn't Andy Reid get his option for such a seat right about the same time frame? And, wasn't Andy Reid a disciple of Mike Holmgren? Certainly Holmgren is gonna want to accomplish the same feat, as one of his protege's... You would, too!
Trouble is - the pundits were right - the attitude of success for dual roles was dying out as a true failure - very, very few HC's could handle the role of GM - facing players at contract time, as well as dictating policy and playing roles on the field - at the same time. Andy Reid is a phenom in how he accomplishes the whole stint... trust me.
Green Bay (I think) was more at fault with the Holmgren issue, than Mikey was for leaving over it. All you have to do is review what happened almost immediately with Mike Sherman. No one has to look any further...
Now, had Holmgren had the patience to wait it out for (possibly) one more year - he may have attained that which he seemed to think he could handle. And, on top of that, Brett Favre would most likely have more than one SuperBowl under his belt, by this time - he also probably could have retired several years ago, as well - I mean, look at it from a re-write of the script... Holmgren stays - Brett gets that 2nd SB - Dad suddenly dies - Brett retires - no more left to accomplish.... especially with Deanna coming down sick.
But - it went differently and in the end - it's taken GB this long to work out a correction of events. In the end, Holmgren proved out that he certainly cannot handle being both the GM & HC - and will most likely never try that act again - even here in GB, they finally got it that the dual roles were impossible without a robot staff to process necessary events in the background.. which Sherman lost just two years ago.. remember that?
I hold no grudge for Mike Holmgen - without him at GB, Favre gets no success using his singular gun-slinger mentality -his INT rates soar as they have in the Sherman Era - and he gets replaced for better options... No streak at Starts - no 3xMVP status... nuthin'.....
The end result is Holmgren will always be held in high regard around the NFL - for the QB's he has brought to the pinnacle of fame - meaning MONTANA, YOUNG, FAVRE and now - HASSELBECK..... very very few HC's have that kind of resume.... with one possible exception.... Mike McCarthy.....
Anyone seeing a corrolation here.......?
You guys need to lighten up.....
I do, still agree with the notion that Holmgren will always be the 2nd best Coach (ever) for the Green Bay Packers. I cannot imagine them changing the name of the SuperBowl Trophy to the Holmgren Award. You?
