Holmgren Apologizes For Outburst

Speculation over Mike Holmgren's future apparently has gotten to the Green Bay Packers coach, who apologized Monday for cursing at fan who derided him at halftime Sunday.

Holmgren was making his way toward the tunnel in the north end zone at Lambeau Field after his team's uninspired first-half performance against the Philadelphia Eagles when a fan shouted that Holmgren should start thinking about his current job instead of his next one.

Holmgren responded by yelling two expletives at the heckling fan.

Monday, Holmgren said he was sorry even though he felt the fan, who didn't use vulgarities himself and was not ejected, had crossed the line.

"I'm embarrassed by it, first of all," Holmgren said. "I have never done that before and I trust I'll never do it again. I fully believe that a fan comes into the stadium and if we're playing poorly, they can say just about anything they want to say."

But, Holmgren said, the fan "in my opinion, crossed the line with me. It was pretty personal, dealing with my family, my future, things ... that to me right now is very sensitive."

The Packers are 8-4 and on the verge of conceding the NFC Central title to the Minnesota Vikings.

"I'm giving it everything I've got, believe me, in my job right now, for the Packers and for this team," Holmgren said. "I'm sensitive to that, and I reacted. I shouldn't have. I should have just kept walking. I wasn't right in what I did. I apologize to the gentleman."

Jerry Parins, the Packers' chief security officer, said the fan wasn't ejected because while his comments weren't vulgar. He speculated the fan was upset that the heavily favored Packers led just 10-6 at halftime in a game they won 24-16.

Holmgren has tried not to talk about his future this year, but the subject keeps coming up because he hs a clause in his contract that allows him to leave for a job as both coach and general manager.

Two weeks ago, Packers general manager Ron Wolf estimated there's an 80-percent chance Holmgren will leave Green Bay, where he's 80-41 in seven seasons.

Holmgren insisted his fate isn't affecting his performance.

"My focus is entirely on what we're doing right now and this football team," he said. "Anyone that cares to think differently is wrong."

Wolf said he didn't think the focus on Holmgren's uncertain future was wearing on his coach.

"No, I don't think it is," Wolf said. "This whole affair has been going on since the week of the Super Bowl."

Holmgren failed to quash rumors that week that he was interested in going to Seattle. Then, the escape clause was written into his contract, and he's been dogged by queries about his plans ever since.

The questions first arose last season after he said he'd like to try his hand at running an entire operation, "and I said, `Yes. Some day,'" Holmgren recounted. "Now, this thing has taken on a life of its own."

Holmgren, who has guided Green Bay to back-to-back Super Bowls, said his players have "done a remarkable job" in not allowing the speculation over his future to fluster them.

"In the feedback I'm getting from players, it's not affecting them at all," Holmgren said. "Guys joke with me about it."

Offensive lineman Marco Rivera says he isn't thinking about it.

"The only thing I worry about is what I got to do to make this team better," he said.

Meanwhile, off-hand remarks by Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy about his interest in Holmgren could lead to a fine for tampering.

A league official has questioned Policy who, in response to a question at a recent meeting of a civic group, talked of his interest in Holmgren as coach and general manager. Policy has since said the remarks were not meant to be taken literally.

Wolf declined to say if he had or would file a formal complaint with the league.

"I don't think that's anybody's business but ours," he said.

© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved