PFT, POSTED 12:14 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:15 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2007
WILL BIG SHOW BE THE BIG CHEESE IN GREEN BAY?
Though it's nothing more than speculation at this point, the Green Bay Press-Gazette tosses an intriguing name into the mix for the position of president of the Packers.
Mike Holmgren.
Holmgren, known lovingly (or otherwise) in football circles as the "Big Show," coached the Packers from 1992 through 1998, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl win in 29 years. He left in 1999 to become coach and G.M. of the Seahawks. He has since given up the G.M. title (under some duress), but is still the head coach.
It has been believed for a couple of years that Holmgren has been thinking about calling it quits. He has made millions in Microsoft money, and he doesn't need to subject himself any longer to the 12-month grind of coaching. So he could take on what would be a less stressful and demanding job, where he would be somewhat insulated from on-field struggles but at the same time in prime position to claim credit for success.
Other candidates include Titans executive V.P. and General Manager Mike Reinfeldt. Though there's a chance that the Titans would have to give the Packers permission to interview Reinfeldt, since he is in charge of football operations in Tennessee, the fact that the president of the Packers is the top dog in the entire organization, with the power to hire and fire the G.M., likely makes it a vertical move, which by league rule cannot be blocked.
But the Press-Gazette questions whether Reinfeldt is too close to current Green Bay G.M. Ted Thompson. If the decision to dump Thompson needs to be made, could his long-time friend pull the trigger?
Regardless of whether the job goes to Holmgren or Reinfeldt or someone else, it appears that the sudden disqualification of the hand-picked successor to Bob Harlan has opened the door for the team to shift from an executive with no specific football experience to a guy whose name would be recognizable beyond the Wisconsin business community.
