Q & A with Mike Holmgren

[Erie Dawg]

@mopaji said:

Excellent example! Holmgren's confidence is obvious and I think it makes us all feel good about him making the right decisions.

PS. I thought Mangini started this last year. Let's not forget to give him his props too!

I agree with KFP, he was to much like Belichick, short answers very dry.

That's why I think the media hates him cause he don't give them nothing, not even a good sound bite.

[SuperSteelers]

Sounds like a winning team is coming to Cleveland. I'm excited about it and the thoughts of a rivalry that should not have been put on hold.

P.S. I hate Cleveland!

[mopaji]

@kosar_for_president said:

What! Mangini wouldn't tell us the kind of shoes he's wearing, even when he standing right in front of us.

On no, I get that. What I meant was he started this 'rebuilding' thing last year and put us in a much better position this year to make these moves. He caught a lot of shit over the course of last year about losing and not talking and all the while, the media ignored all of the incredibly important executive decisions he made to set us up for this year. You will never hear me say Mangini is open like Holmie. But that never bothered me. I don't care if my coach ever speaks. In fact, interviews rarely have any worth-while content; Holmgren is the exception. The guy seems like he'll answer anything. But he did warn us that he don't dance too much! And he's right!

[mopaji]

@supersteelers said:

Sounds like a winning team is coming to Cleveland. I'm excited about it and the thoughts of a rivalry that should not have been put on hold.

P.S. I hate Cleveland!

Oh, there will be no rivalry. I have a strong feeling the Steelers are on their way back down to mediocrity. I'm not sure Tomlin has the patience that Cowher did when rebuilding. And the Roonys won't have the same patience either.

[SuperSteelers]

@mopaji said:

Oh, there will be no rivalry. I have a strong feeling the Steelers are on their way back down to mediocrity. I'm not sure Tomlin has the patience that Cowher did when rebuilding. And the Roonys won't have the same patience either.

Shut that pretty little mouth Nancy.........THE RIVALRY LIVES!!!!

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@supersteelers said:

Shut that pretty little mouth Nancy.........THE RIVALRY LIVES!!!!

You've got a purdy mouth.

[Gips]

@mopaji said:

Excellent interview and HOLY SH*T the guy will answer anything!

One thing that really struck me was his calm, confident, almost coy response regarding Wimbley and Quinn. Something like, "watch what what happens next because of it". I'm not sure this team has ever had a collection of minds in there like it does now. I am completely thrilled with this team. And it sounds like Mangini is his right hand man and I love that. I was worried trhat Holmgren taled too much but was hoping that was the arrangement. It seems like it is. It's a smooth, cohesive, and efficient group over in Berea.

What scares me is the Clausen thing. It seems like there is some internal debate about him still.

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THAT KID!!

I hope it's a smoke-screen.

Actually im looking forward to mangini falling flat on his fat ass with no one to blame but himself mike and heckert have done a great job of giving the sloth enough rope for both himself and daboll now lets see if they hang themselves...i am betting they will...

[Tim Couch Pulls Out]

@gips said:

Actually im looking forward to mangini falling flat on his fat ass with no one to blame but himself mike has done a great job of giving the sloth enough rope for both himself and daboll now lets see if they hang themselves...

Did Mangini xxxx your wife or something?

Christ, get over it already. Mangini hate got old long ago, move on.

[mopaji]

@supersteelers said:

Shut that pretty little mouth Nancy.........THE RIVALRY LIVES!!!!

I know it was supposed to be insulting but it was still funny.

[mopaji]

@gips said:

Actually im looking forward to mangini falling flat on his fat ass with no one to blame but himself mike and heckert have done a great job of giving the sloth enough rope for both himself and daboll now lets see if they hang themselves...i am betting they will...

Wow, how can you know enough to say Holmgren is doing a good job but not know enough to see that Mangini is a really good coach? And in case you didn't read the interview, Mike is working with Mangini, not Heckert. Heckert, like most GMs, is the errand boy for the Head Coach. And you don't even need to see the article to know that. That is the chain of command on any team. So, Heckert isn't doing Mangini any favors. Mangini points, and Heckert runs. And even Holmgren himself is at the mercy of the Head Coach. The reason Holmie is getting all of the credit is because he is doing all the talking.

Holmgren is not stupid. He isn't going to get any player that the coach doesn't want. That's a really great way to set your team back and cause a lot of friction within the franchise. (see Berea 1999-2008). All he can do help plan out the path in which the team should go. Final say goes to the coach and the paper-work and the phone calls are done by the GM.

[Thaak]

@gips said:

Actually im looking forward to mangini falling flat on his fat ass with no one to blame but himself mike and heckert have done a great job of giving the sloth enough rope for both himself and daboll now lets see if they hang themselves...i am betting they will...

Yeah, that's the attitude a fan should have. Lets hope our coach sucks cause I want him to fail. Well guess what, if Mangini fails, the Browns will fail next year as well. That isn't fun for anyone (except maybe Steelers' fans.) Why not hope he does well, so that the Browns do well? That's a novel idea.

[Bag O'Browns]

Great interview by Holmgren! He's the perfect combination piece to have with a guy like Mangini. He takes on all that other stuff and it allows Mangini do what he does best and that is the football aspect of things. I like the combination of people we've got working things, i hope it pays off for the Browns and works out like i think it can.

[The Italian DawgPound]

Wow!

At last we have someone in the organisation who gives answers you can understand.

Can't believe it...

[nobuo]

I'm impressed that he answered so many questions so clearly and didn't play the political rope-a-dope routine. Another +1 for the Browns FO. I can't wait to see the draft and how this mentality translates to the field.

[sisky fringo]

it's apparent Holmgren has talked to Mangini about the merits of working with the media instead of against them. he also hinted about it later in the interview, about all of them "having jobs to do".

i noticed since the combine EM has opened up significantly more and many of the reporters and journalists have been in awe at how receptive he's been lately.

while we may want to crown Holmie for this new demeanor i just think it was more about Eric setting the stage in year 1 and now he's just loosening his grip a little.

[sisky fringo]

@nobuo said:

I'm impressed that he answered so many questions so clearly and didn't play the political rope-a-dope routine. Another +1 for the Browns FO. I can't wait to see the draft and how this mentality translates to the field.

i'm impressed too, but too much transparency can also be a double-edged sword.

if you reveal too much you could give opponents a competitive advantage, as EM says, and if you get caught blowing too much smoke your credibility suffers.

slippery slope for MH imo.

[sisky fringo]

@mopaji said:

What scares me is the Clausen thing. It seems like there is some internal debate about him still.

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THAT KID!!

I hope it's a smoke-screen.

one thing that's struck me as odd mopaji is how MH keeps giving Clausen the "no vote" yet is so willing to boost other QB's like Bradford, Tebow, and McCoy.

it would be one thing if it were just some opinionated fan like me saying it, but this guy is a widely accepted QB guru. his "vote of no confidence" in the kid could cost him millions in the end if a team regards MH's opinion highly.

like you said it could all be smoke screen too but if i were Clausen i'd definitely feel slighted.

[Browns57]

@sisky-fringo said:

i'm inpressed too, but transparancy can be a double edged sword. if you reveal too much you could give opponents a competitive advantage, as EM says, and if you get caught bhlowing too much smoke your credibility suffers.

slippery slope for MH imo.

Finally someone in our organization who can answer questions and not end up looking like a fool on a Coors Light commercial!!! This is so refreshing. I can't wait to see how the draft turns out this year. I think we are about to see a bunch of winning seasons for the Browns. I haven't been this excited since 87!

[WRREBEL]

I am holding judgement on this until a later date. Where is the play maker WR to stretch the field? I use to be all positive and a foolish diehard. I remember how mad I hated rich4eagle on this board. Turn out that guy was right...

by the way i went to HS with Lady Gaga...

[Kosar_For_President]

@wrrebel said:

by the way i went to HS with Lady Gaga...

Worst piece of shit to show their face in "music". What a phony.