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Notebook: Holmgren inspires with tale of 49ers

By José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter

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KIRKLAND — There was Mike the general manager and coach. Now it's just Mike the coach. And for a few moments yesterday, Mike Holmgren put on his master motivator cap.

It was time to pull out all of the stops, especially after Seattle's 38-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in which nothing went right. Looking for any way to boost morale among his struggling Seahawks, Holmgren went back into his memory banks in a speech to his team yesterday.

Holmgren talked of the 1988 San Francisco 49ers, who started 6-5 then won four of their last five games to finish 10-6 and take the NFC West title. The 49ers, for whom Holmgren was quarterbacks coach, won three playoff games to get into the Super Bowl and captured the big prize with a 20-16 victory over Cincinnati.

"Expectations were even higher. The year before we were 13-2," Holmgren said. "We were misfiring. It wasn't happening. We had just lost to the Raiders 9-3. That was an offense with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice and Roger Craig and all that, and we didn't score a touchdown. So it was a little grim around there."

"And I told them (the Seahawks) that story, and (how) the players just came together. You can only coach so hard, and the players just came together with that group and said enough, and the rest is history, so they say."

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck called Holmgren's story inspirational.

"I thought it was probably the best talk I've ever heard him give," Hasselbeck said. "I have no doubt that our team is going to respond to his challenges and come out and be a different team the rest of the way."

Rice, now a Seahawk, was on that 49ers team in 1988. The story brought back fond memories.

"It lit a fire," Rice said. "When he started talking about that, it charged me up all over again. It's do or die now."
 
Moore says he's sorry

Seahawks defensive tackle Rashad Moore apologized to coaches and teammates yesterday for a shouting incident involving himself, teammates and Holmgren in Sunday's game.

Moore was not in on a second-and-goal play near the end of the first half, replaced by Marcus Tubbs. Buffalo scored on a 3-yard pass, and Moore had to be restrained by teammates Ken Hamlin and Brandon Mitchell from getting in Holmgren's face.

"He was frustrated and wanted to play more, and that's what it was," Holmgren said after the game. "I was trying to calm him down. We talked about it at halftime, and then he played more, and it was a communication thing. Coaches have to talk to the players, and the players must understand that there is a time and a place to get upset about stuff, and I usually don't like it to happen on the sideline during a game."

"There it is," Moore said. "I'm frustrated with a bunch of things, nagging injuries and stuff. I have to know how to handle myself and know where to let my emotions explode. The sideline is not that place."

Alexander booked

Running back Shaun Alexander will have two signings today promoting the recently released children's book, "Alexander the Great," written by Jarrett Mentink.

Alexander will be at Tully's Coffee at the Bella Bottega shopping complex in Redmond from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and at Children's Hospital in Seattle from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Books may be purchased at Tully's Coffee shops in Washington, the Seahawks' Pro Shop or online at www.kidsintheclouds.com or www.shaunalexander.com. Part of the proceeds go to Alexander's charity foundation.

Notes

• RT Chris Terry is expected back from an excused absence in Florida today and will re-take his starting position in practice tomorrow.

• DE Chike Okeafor re-injured his right ankle Sunday and is questionable to play Monday.

• LB Tracy White's target return date from a pulled hamstring is the Minnesota game Dec. 12, while LB Chad Brown (knee) is due back Dec. 19 against the New York Jets.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com