Professor

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

Holmgren still feeling Super Bowl pain

By DAVE GOLDBERG, AP Football Writer
March 29, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Nearly two months after his Seattle Seahawks lost the Super Bowl, Mike Holmgren is still feeling the pain.

Especially about the officiating.

"To have the story of the Super Bowl be the officials, that is crazy," Holmgren said Wednesday.

Holmgren wasn't pounding-the-table angry. He was his normal self: calm, rational, even a little laid-back. But he said he's still stinging from the 21-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, in part because he knows his team didn't play very well; in part because of a series of calls that went against the Seahawks at critical times in the game.

He has said that before.

At a rally at Qwest Field after the team returned from the game in Detroit, he told the fans: "We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts, as well."

Holmgren was not fined by the league for those remarks, even though most coaches are disciplined when they publicly criticize officiating.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Wednesday that he had a letter from his staff sitting on his desk informing Holmgren that he was being fined. But, remembering Holmgren's contributions to the league during his 14 seasons in Green Bay and Seattle -- and how much Holmgren helped Tagliabue do his job -- the commissioner never mailed it.

"So I adhered to a rule that I learned long ago that the first draft of a letter is better put in the trash can," the commissioner said. "The issue is resolved."

Holmgren said that as he watched the Super Bowl unfold, he kept thinking: "We're due (for a call)."

"It was an unusual game and I don't think you ever really get over it," he added. "You think about it for years. It was devastating."

There were four critical calls that went against the Seahawks, starting with offensive interference in the end zone against Darrell Jackson in the first quarter, negating what would have been the game's first touchdown. Replays showed that Jackson's arms made contact with Pittsburgh safety Chris Hope before they separated -- technically pass interference, but often a "no call."

-- The first touchdown came on a third-down run by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. He appeared to come down short of the goal line, but instant replay was inconclusive, so referee Bill Leavy upheld the call of a touchdown.

-- A holding call on Sean Locklear in the fourth quarter erased an 18-yard completion from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens to the Pittsburgh 1. That would have put the Seahawks in position to go ahead 17-14 with around 12 minutes left. It was a close call that was difficult to see on replay.

-- Soon after the Locklear penalty, Hasselbeck threw an interception to Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor, then made the tackle, but was called for a block below the waist, giving the Steelers an extra 15 yards. They scored soon afterward on a pass from Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward.

The NFL later acknowledged that the call on the interception was wrong, but said the other three were legitimate.

Mike Pereira, the league's supervisor of officials, reiterated that again Wednesday, although he acknowledged the NFL is trying hard to standardize how offensive holding is called.

Pereira, not surprisingly, doesn't share Holmgren's view of postseason officiating.

"I refuse to buy into that mistakes we had in the playoffs are an indictment to the officiating system," Pereira said. "I refuse to let a few bad things unravel the whole organization."

But he also acknowledged the urgency for consistent work by his crews.

"It's a hard game to officiate and we have to continue to get better," he added. "We had some mistakes in the playoffs and we have to suffer the consequences. We have to make sure we bring our 'A' game and keep our officiating elevated."



Updated on Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006 2:53 pm EST

MickeyG

they need to stop complaining about the officals and just get on with the offseason.

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PoppaPoe33

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bigboy

Still, Mike??

juggalo6772

Look did the officals play a part in the hawks lose, Duh the calls were one sided but the steelers still out played them period.

Professor

jugg, I don't know about that, their stats were not very impressive and every time seattle was driving deep, it was a call that stopped them not the steelers. I actually thought that seattle had the better overall game. who cares now though, it's damn near april.

stormdriver

Exactly right on both counts. Yes, the Seahawks absolutely dominated that game (look at stats), but also yes it's almost draft time now and they need to let it go. Believe me, living near Seattle I have heard plenty about it. Time to move on to the next dead horse...

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Idaho Vandals Fan
Green Bay Packers Fan

Professor

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?...nfl&id=2441720

Holmgren decides he wants to coach beyond 2006
Associated Press
National Football League News Wire

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren has decided he does want to coach beyond his current Seattle contract, which ends after the 2006 season.

And all signs indicate the defending NFC champions are about to sign him to stay.

"Yeah, I would like to. I would like to (coach again)," an upbeat, relaxed Holmgren said after Seattle's final practice of a veteran minicamp Thursday morning. "And I think they want me to. So, we'll see ... I think they like me OK."

Holmgren's agent, Bob LaMonte, left Seattle after two days of discussions with Seahawks executives this week about a contract extension.

Those were the first contract talks since Holmgren said in late March that he was "thinking about what I want to do, honestly ... I wanted us to win the Super Bowl and ride off on a white horse."

Holmgren, who turns 58 next month, has four daughters and four granddaughters. Six weeks ago, he talked of spending more time with them, his wife, Kathy, and with another passion, riding his motorcycles across the desert roads near one of his homes, in Arizona.

Thursday was the first time he has said he wants to continue beyond a 15th season as an NFL head coach.

All that remains for that to be with the Seahawks is LaMonte and the team completing details on a new deal.

"They've had some talks, and some real good talks," Holmgren said. "So it's ongoing, and I'm feeling good about stuff. Nothing's been finalized yet. So it's a little premature still."

Two weeks ago, Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said talks regarding Holmgren's future were going well.

"It's all good," Ruskell said.

Holmgren, a San Francisco native and former 49ers offensive coordinator, was Green Bay's coach from 1992-98. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers after the 1996 season. He signed a $32 million, eight-year contract with Seattle in '99.

"We really do like the area. I like most of you," he joked to reporters. "So we really would like to hang around."

When asked if he wanted to also be a general manager again, a dual job he had in his first four seasons in Seattle, Holmgren paused then said, "Why don't we deal with this down the road a little bit?

"Anytime I comment on that, one way or the other, somehow something's happened that I can't control," he said, chuckling. "Let me deal with that at another time."

Holmgren has repeatedly said in recent months he doesn't want his future to become a distraction to his team.

According to Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, it hasn't.

"I don't think we get any part of that. Do we get a percentage of that?" Hasselbeck jokingly asked, referring to Holmgren's potential new money. "Then it doesn't matter. It's not something that we're too focused on."

Holmgren explained the indecision he had about his future in the aftermath of a gnawing Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh in February.

"Look it, at the end of every season I'm kind of drained a little bit," he said. "So they gave me some time.

"It takes a little time, that's all."

Z-Unit07

the seahawks jus need to except the fact they lost wheather it was the refs fault or not. they should start thinkin bout the up comin season more than a last season loss.

Professor

maybe that is why so many teams that lose the superbowl, don't even make the playoffs the next year lately.