LuvdaFan36
08-18-2004, 03:34 PM
Mike Holmgren never will be forgotten in the Green Bay area. After all, he led the Packers to a Super Bowl championship and has a street named after him.
But just as Holmgren moved on to bigger responsibilities with the Seattle Seahawks in January 1999, Packers fans also have moved on.
Holmgren’s return for a preseason game Monday night was the third time his Seahawks have played in Green Bay in less than a year. The buzz that used to be generated when Holmgren came back to face his former team was barely evident.
Packers fans always will appreciate what Holmgren did for the franchise, but they no longer feel betrayed by his departure and don’t pine away for his return.
Part of the reason is Holmgren’s less-than-stellar track record in Seattle. Since leaving the Packers, Holmgren hasn’t won a playoff game. In five years with the Seahawks, he has posted records of 9-7, 6-10, 9-7, 7-9 and 10-6. Including an 0-2 postseason mark, Holmgren’s overall record in Seattle is 41-41.
That’s a far cry from his glory days in Green Bay, when his teams went 84-42, including 9-5 in the playoffs.
Sherman stacks up
Packers coach Mike Sherman, who served three seasons as an assistant under Holmgren, stacks up favorably against his old boss.
In his first four seasons, Sherman has posted a 43-21 regular-season record, compared to Holmgren’s 38-26 mark from 1992 to ’95. In head-to-head matchups, Sherman is 2-0 against Holmgren in games that count, including a playoff victory last January.
Holmgren maintains the edge in playoff victories by claiming four in his first four seasons compared to Sherman’s two.
While Holmgren and Sherman are demanding, possess a strong work ethic and have an intense desire to succeed, their competitiveness hasn’t affected their relationship or mutual respect. And for all their similarities, they are far from clones.
‘Be who you are’
Considering his intimidating presence and reputation for being an all-powerful football czar, Holmgren is remarkably approachable, remembers names and faces from years gone by, and can turn on the charm. Sherman is more guarded with the media and maintains a more businesslike demeanor but also seems well-suited to thrive in the fish-bowl existence in Green Bay.
Holmgren said the best advice he gave Sherman was to be himself, something he learned from his early days with the Packers.
“Trying to be Coach Lombardi, a lot of guys I think tried to do that, and it didn’t work,” Holmgren said.
“It’s impossible. I just tried to be myself, and I think Mike’s doing that. He’s a very intense, intelligent, organized, passionate football coach and he’s a good man. I just said, ‘Be who you are, that’s it.’”
Sherman desperately wants to be like Holmgren in one key area, however. Holmgren guided the Packers to the Super Bowl title in his fifth year, an achievement Sherman will attempt to match this season.
Mike Vandermause (mvandermause@<hidden>) is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.
But just as Holmgren moved on to bigger responsibilities with the Seattle Seahawks in January 1999, Packers fans also have moved on.
Holmgren’s return for a preseason game Monday night was the third time his Seahawks have played in Green Bay in less than a year. The buzz that used to be generated when Holmgren came back to face his former team was barely evident.
Packers fans always will appreciate what Holmgren did for the franchise, but they no longer feel betrayed by his departure and don’t pine away for his return.
Part of the reason is Holmgren’s less-than-stellar track record in Seattle. Since leaving the Packers, Holmgren hasn’t won a playoff game. In five years with the Seahawks, he has posted records of 9-7, 6-10, 9-7, 7-9 and 10-6. Including an 0-2 postseason mark, Holmgren’s overall record in Seattle is 41-41.
That’s a far cry from his glory days in Green Bay, when his teams went 84-42, including 9-5 in the playoffs.
Sherman stacks up
Packers coach Mike Sherman, who served three seasons as an assistant under Holmgren, stacks up favorably against his old boss.
In his first four seasons, Sherman has posted a 43-21 regular-season record, compared to Holmgren’s 38-26 mark from 1992 to ’95. In head-to-head matchups, Sherman is 2-0 against Holmgren in games that count, including a playoff victory last January.
Holmgren maintains the edge in playoff victories by claiming four in his first four seasons compared to Sherman’s two.
While Holmgren and Sherman are demanding, possess a strong work ethic and have an intense desire to succeed, their competitiveness hasn’t affected their relationship or mutual respect. And for all their similarities, they are far from clones.
‘Be who you are’
Considering his intimidating presence and reputation for being an all-powerful football czar, Holmgren is remarkably approachable, remembers names and faces from years gone by, and can turn on the charm. Sherman is more guarded with the media and maintains a more businesslike demeanor but also seems well-suited to thrive in the fish-bowl existence in Green Bay.
Holmgren said the best advice he gave Sherman was to be himself, something he learned from his early days with the Packers.
“Trying to be Coach Lombardi, a lot of guys I think tried to do that, and it didn’t work,” Holmgren said.
“It’s impossible. I just tried to be myself, and I think Mike’s doing that. He’s a very intense, intelligent, organized, passionate football coach and he’s a good man. I just said, ‘Be who you are, that’s it.’”
Sherman desperately wants to be like Holmgren in one key area, however. Holmgren guided the Packers to the Super Bowl title in his fifth year, an achievement Sherman will attempt to match this season.
Mike Vandermause (mvandermause@<hidden>) is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.