Mike Holmgren on Hutchinson & his future

by Thomas Beekers on Nov 23, 2009 12:26 PM PST

Sports Radio offers an interview with Mike Holmgren. No doubt his remarks on Hutchinson will get the most interest, and he's non-committal on the Browns, so let's just quote his take on rebuilding franchises.

“You know I think it’s a very valid question you raise. I think to do that with any team, to a certain extent we did it going into Green Bay and a little bit coming into Seattle. It takes a tremendous amount of energy, but there is a certain appeal there, a draw there. There’s something in my personality to that. Taking on those types of projects, that kind of gets me going, but there’s a lot of work to do. The important thing going into any organization is that all the principles, all the decision makers are pointed in the same direction with the same motives, with the same desires and then you have a chance. As you look around the NFL, I’m not sure you can say that about every team and it shows. I think the teams that are successful, through ownership, down through management, down through coaching, there is a singleness, a purpose, there’s enough credit for everybody, no one gets territorial, its just good and it shows on the field. I think in the case of the Cleveland Browns or any of the teams that are struggling, that question has to be answered first before you even have much of a chance I think.”

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The entire introduction (before the interveiw starts)

is all about how Hutchinson “made” the 03-05 Seahawks. This stuff is just going overboard.

It's Great to be a Florida Gator!

"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett

All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.

by Wayward Llama on Nov 23, 2009 5:30 PM PST reply actions

Thats really not accurate at all

The point the intro made was that the recent decline of the Seahawks appears to have coincided with the departure of Hutch. Just read the second sentence – “Now, it certainly wasn’t only the loss of Hutchinson and there have been a number of factors that have come into play”.

Also, either this is a really shitty transcript or Mike Holmgren really struggles to put a proper sentence together.

by miracle_max on Nov 23, 2009 5:36 PM PST up reply actions

People tend to have less than perfect sentences when they are freely talking

Its a transcript of a conversation, not a written essay. He puts his sentences together on the fly better than I would.

by kearly on Nov 23, 2009 6:56 PM PST up reply actions

Obviously no one is at their most articulate in a natural conversation

But reading that transcript hurts my brain. If John Madden did an interview that came out like that Frank Caliendo would have a field day.

by miracle_max on Nov 23, 2009 7:12 PM PST up reply actions

Agree to disagree I guess

by kearly on Nov 23, 2009 11:43 PM PST up reply actions

This is just more reactionist bs.

I don’t know how many of you guys have gone back and watched some of the 05 games, but there were other guys playing besides Hutchinson. I’m so tired of hearing this douchebag;s name it about makes me ill.

It's Great to be a Florida Gator!

"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett

All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.

by Wayward Llama on Nov 24, 2009 3:58 AM PST up reply actions

I'm beginning to think you DIDNT actually watch much of '05

Because otherwise you would recognize just how impotent in comparison Seattle’s run game has been ever since. The Hawks were a top 10 rushing team from 03-05 with him and Walt paving the way for Shaun, THIRD in 05, behind only the Vick-inflated Falcons and, of course, Shanahan’s Broncos. They’ve been a bottom-third team ever since. (14th in 06, but inflated by a couple big games from Shaun…that rushing attack was as abysmal as any we’ve seen since.)

Now, is all of that directly a result of Hutch leaving? No, and I’ll point out again, no one is saying that. But his departure has clearly made an impact on Seattle’s ability to execute offensively.

by miracle_max on Nov 24, 2009 10:07 AM PST up reply actions

I'm glad you aren't saying that but others are.

And the impact can be overstated.

by jacobstevens on Nov 24, 2009 12:14 PM PST up reply actions

I've seen all of the 05 games, multiple times.

And this “Walter and Hutchinson, CRUSHING THE OPPOSITION” is vastly, vastly overstated. Try to remember there were three other guys on that line, people. Tobeck, Gray, and Locklear. There was also Mack Strong, probably the best fullback in football. Jerramy Stevens was a good receiver/blocker for most of the season, Bobby Engram and Joe Jurevicus were glue-handed monsters. And Seattles defense, yes, the patched together unit of 2005, looks a whole lot more ferocious than 2009’s iteration.

I blame the death of Seattle’s rushing attack squarely on Shaun Alexander. Always a soft runner, Alexander was exposed in 2006, both being soft and indecisive as well as fattened from his new, ridiculous contract. Exposed by Walter’s faltering play, Tobeck’s retirement, Gray’s age, Locklear’s descending level of play, and yes, Hutchinson’s departure.

The biggest thing that irritates me is that it seemingly never fails to come up. Every year, there’s more Hutchinson talk. It’s been three years now, Hutch has been effectively replaced by Rob SIms, and yet, still, the discussion comes up. Let it go, people.

It's Great to be a Florida Gator!

"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett

All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.

by Wayward Llama on Nov 24, 2009 5:06 PM PST up reply actions

A great read (the link)

And when I went there I was under the impression that if we didn’t sign him to a long-term deal, which I thought we were going to, then we would just franchise him and move on. When I got there, John Clayton came up to me a couple days after I’d been there and said why did you guys transition Steve Hutchinson? I said no you got that wrong, we franchised him. He goes no you transitioned him. I said John I respect you, but you got that wrong.

Holmgren was so surprised by the non-franchising that he actually argued about it with John Clayton. Wow.

I had a meeting with Steve in my office before I left, a couple days before this all happens. He and I had a good relationship and I told him I hope it all gets worked out and I understand it’s a big contract. He assured me he wanted to be in Seattle, and I told him if it didn’t we were going to franchise him and move on.

Nothing I didn’t know already, but good stuff.

by kearly on Nov 23, 2009 6:54 PM PST reply actions