Found December 03, 2008 on MVN:
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How could he have lost so many players to injury during the 1st two weeks of the season, and lose the 2005 league MVP due to a career ending foot injury? How could everything have changed so fast? What happened is nothing short of just old fashioned bad luck, and Mike Holmgren knows it. When everyone that votes for the Hall of Fame inductees for 2013, there will be a coach that will be listed on that ballot that will remind everyone once again, Bill Walsh knew talent when he saw it. There was no difference for players and coaches when it came to Walsh, so everyone was either good enough to work with him, or not. Holmgren is no different. From the 1st time that the Seattle area got a glimpse of their own future in Super Bowl XXXI, the belief that he would lead them to the promise land was embedded into everyone's heart. They knew that Mike Holmgren was worth every ounce of his 8yr contract, and believed in him. He has done nothing short of prove them right. He had compiled a franchise record or 82-62 before this year, 4 straight NFC West Champions, plus leading them to a Super Bowl appearance and that is nothing short of a miracle after living through the horrific 45-47 combination of Dennis Erickson and Tom Flores before him. Before Holmgren left Green Bay in 1998, the last great leader the Seahawks had seen patrolling the sidelines was from 1983-1991, HOF coach "Ground Chuck" Knox, and everyone in Seattle missed a good team. When the 2008 season began, there were holes all over the offensive side of the ball, and the defense wasn't fairing much better. Deion Branch and Bobby Engram were both missing from day one. Shawn Alexander was lost because of a foot injury that never really healed well, and they had to release the greatest running back ever to dawn a Seahawk uniform. With no one to throw to and no one to run the ball, the offense was non-existent from the start. Then to top off some more of his Sunday's, 16 others have spent time on the IR list including: Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck , RB Maurice Morris, T Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, T Walter Jones, WR Koren Robinson, LB Lofa Tatupu, and DE Patrick Kerney just to name a few. This team has had more of its starting line-up injured than any other team in the NFL, and it has shown in the win column. You may doubt some of his front office decisions, of which include loss of Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings, but he has groomed this Seahawk team into something that it was not, a winner. He taught them to believe in each other, and that they could be in the Super Bowl. They believed, and they made it. Joe Montana, Steve Young, Bret Farve, and Matt Hasselbeck all have been taught by him to win. Every one of his former and present players knows that he is the reason that they have succeeded in this league, and know that his leadership had no bounds. From San Francisco, to Green bay, all the way to Seattle; Mike has given it his all and it shows. From the first day of his illustrious 10yr tenure here in Seattle, to the last game this injury plagued debacle of a season, Mike Holmgren has been one of the reasons there is a beautiful new Seahawks Stadium for the people of Washington to watch their team in a cathedral for gladiators. He has given this NFL community the greatest ride of their lives, and they have loved him dearly for it. All of this losing in one season will never replace the joy that he has brought to this place, and his induction into the Hall of Fame will prove it.
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