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Show DAILY Sunday, February 5, 2006 HERALD SUPER BOWL XL | TODAY,4:25 P.M., ABC | Holm en calms down for “Hawks playoffs, and was stripped of his general managerduties after the 2002 season. “Humbling,”he called it. The team still wanted him to coach. The Seahawksjust wanted someoneelse to bring in the players. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Seahawks were backin the playoffs the following season. Andthe season after that. And nowtheyarein the Super Bowl. And Holmgrenis oldenough * nowtorealize what he’s done. “I didn’t think about or enjoy Shawn Windsor «DETROIT FI RESS DETROIT — Some say a man doesn't change muchafter 50. Mike Holmgren hadnochoice. His authoritative,fiery, perfectionist persona worked when he coached the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s, and led them to consecutive Super Bowls. Butit wasn’t working in Seattle. Last season,his talented Seahawkswerebesetbyinfighting, selfishness anda lack of chemistry. It ended with a home playoffloss to an inferior team — the St. Louis Rams. He almost walked away becauseofit. “I gaveit some serious thought for probably the first time,”said the 57-year-old former BYUassistant coach. Hethought about the beach, his motorcycle, the end of pressure and misery. enoughthelasttime| did this,” he said. “You know,all of my girls live in the area (Seattle)so -* wewentout to dinner andjust enjoyed each other” the night after his team clinched the Super Bowlberth. Easy rider , The team's owner,Paul Allen, talked him outofit. Today, his Seahawks will takethefield to play in Holmgren’s third Super Bowl — the team’sfirst. His players sayit’s because,after almost sevenseasons in Seattle, hefinally relaxed. “In the past, he would really jumpyourcase,”said offensive guard Chris Gray, a 13-year NFLveteran whoarrived in Se- attle the year before Holmgren did. “This year; if something ELAING THOMPSON/Associated Press Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren walks past players at football practice on Fridayin Allen Park, Mich. happens, or someone makes a mistake he comes up to you and says, ‘You know what you did wrong,right? Well,fix it!” Theobscene outbursts are waning. Yet he has his moments. During the NFC champion- ship gameagainst Carolina, Holmgren berated anofficial soviolently after a questionable call that his sister called him after the game. She was worried. “I just flipped,” he said. The next day, he told reporters at the team’s headquarters that he wasn't proudofhis be- havior. He was sheepish. Thatrecognition is evident to everyonein the organization these days. It’s not that he wasalways a hothead,it’s just that he steps back moreovertly now. During the final minutes of the Seahawks’victory over Carolina, for example,he let his assistant coaches come down from the press boxto revelin the celebration onthe sideline. “I wouldn't usually say yes to that,but I’m glad did,” Holmgrensaid. “It was very special.” Other, moresubtle changes came away from the cameras, particularly during practice. “I (had) a tendency to butt into the offensive coaches’ stuff, and this year I didn’t do that as much,” he said. “I might makea note to dealwithit ina meeting or grab a playerindividually and pull him aside and talk to him. That was opposed to stopping practice and maybe changing the momentum of the practiceto let myself vent. If I've matured in any way, I think it’s that way.” Awinningpedigree Holmgrenis one of the most successful coaches in the history of the league. He and John Maddenarethe only two coaches to win playoff games in five consecutive seasons. He's won everywhere he's been,including when he was a quarterback at Lincoln High Schoolin San Francisco and named prepathlete of the year. Heplayed at Southern California from 1966-69. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round but was out of professionalfootball two yearslater. Holmgren spentthe next 10 years coaching high school, including a year at his alma materwherehealso taught history. He coached quarterbacks at Brigham YoungUniversity from 1982-85 and won a national championship in 1984. ~ Hejoined the San Francisco 49ers in 1986 and worked his way up to offensive coordina- tor. He won two Super Bowls there. He took over at Green. Bayin 1992. y Hearrivedin Seattle after turning around the NFL's most historically relevant franchise. Hesigned an eight-year, $32million contract. He was given an executivetitle and control overpersonnel. He was,in short, a mustachioed savior, the prize pupil of San Francisco 49ers legend Bill Walsh who wasgoing to push the lowdown Seahawksto the NFL's upper echelon. In 1999 — hisfirst season — hetook the team to the playoffs, a place the franchise hadn't beenin a decade. The next three years, he missed the Hesayshe will enjoy this ride more no matter the outcome. His Packerslost to Denver the secondtime they reached the Super Bowl. Holmgren grew despondent. For weeks, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. “About a month after the gameI was on mytreadmill and watching the ‘Today Show’ and theylisted the five warning signs of depression,” he recalled, “and I'm lookingatit and I’m saying,‘Yeah, I got no sleep. Mysexlife is bad — all these things.’ And thenI said, ‘that’s me.’” He shared that story witha few writersat the time and doctors floodedhis mailbox with letters, offering to counselhim. “That was a tough one,” he said ofthe loss. Hehadn't realized whatit had doneto him. He had a similar epiphany last off-season, when he contemplated walking away.It’s not that he’s suddenly soft — he still drills players for mental mistakesin practice — he just picks his moments better. Andif they lose today? “I'm not ready to discount seven months of mylife if the game doesn’t go our way Sunday,”he said. “You have to enjoy the journey and enjoy each day.” THIS SHADOW Shadow® Sabre™ Most hot rods don't run on two wheels. Then again most hot rods don’t have 1100cc’s of V-twin power. With cast wheels and sculpted fenders, the 2006 Shadow Sabresitsin a class of its own, a class above the rest. Seeit for yourself at your Honda Dealer. Monarch Honda Powerhouse 398 W. 800 N. ¢ Orem 224-4070 www.monarchhonda.com honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACE TRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL THOROWGHLY, For rider training information of to locate a ridertraining course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Folindation at 1-800-446-9227, Shadow? Sabre™ and Performance First™ are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Lid. (5/05) |