Perhaps surreal is the wrong word. Holmgren is now almost a year removed from coaching Seattle, but the local affection for Holmgren combined with the vacancy atop Seattle's football franchise combined with a looming deadline for Holmgren to decide if he's going to Cleveland have created a situation where keeping my eyes on the franchise I cover requires opening my ears to what Holmgren will say on the radio.

I know everyone else is listening, too.

Mike Holmgren's weekly radio show -- "The NFL Show with Mike Holmgren" with Dave Mahler and Hugh Millen on KJR, 950 AM begins with this statement: "I would like to fly under the radar," he said, "But it's kind of a wild time."

Under the radar apparently doesn't cover staying off the radio.

First segment addressed Holmgren's humanitarian visit to Oaxaca, Mexico in which concrete floors were installed.

We return from a radio break, and we hear what Christmas will be like when his family -- and grandchildren -- come down to Arizona in the week after the holiday.

And now, we come to the topic of the Cleveland Browns. He doesn't like the term czar.

Holmgren on his visit to Cleveland: "I did fly back there last Monday and spent Tuesday with Randy Lerner, the owner, and met a lot of the folks in the organization," Holmgren said. "Went for a ride Tuesday afternoon and looked at houses and different things, the normal fact-finding you would do.

"No money was talked about," Holmgren said, it was more of a chance to get to know the franchise and for the franchise to meet him.

He was asked if he's been offered the job.

"I had a pretty good feeling when I left," he said. "As I said, I had a lot of dealings with the owner, which is very refreshing. He's an honest man and a good guy. I just liked everything I heard. I think I'd have a real good chance."

Holmgren confirmed there is a time table he is working on with the team, and "any and all" options are on the table.

As for his timetable on a decision, Holmgren declined to specify the exact date: "I would say sooner than later," Holmgren said. "I think in fairness to the Browns and their organization, I think you have to do that whether it's me or anybody else dealing with the organization."

Millen asked Holmgren why a decision would be made soon. "In fairness to their organization," Holmgren said. He went on to say he's not trying to leverage anyone else.

Why would a job in Cleveland be appealing to Holmgren?

"The biggest attraction for me so far is ownership," Holmgren said. "Randy Lerner would really like his team, he wants the team to play well and do well for the city. He likes the area. He wants to do this for a lot of reasons. He is really a genuine guy when you talk to him."

Holmgren said that one of the big attractions is there aren't a lot of layers between him and the owner.

"In fact, there are none," he said.

Question from Mahler, have you been contacted by any other teams in the NFL. "Ummmm, yes," Holmgren said. "Next question."

Q: Have you been told you're not going to be considered for the job in Seattle? "I have not been told that," Holmgren said, "but who knows. I'm very sure that the organization wants to go through a process, an interview process and look at some people. It's my understanding they've hired a search firm to do that. No one has told me that I'm not going to be part of that process."

Q: Any signs you would take to be discouraging? "No," Holmgren said. "Other than the fact that there is a little bit of a time crunch here involved with Cleveland and some other people. As we're getting down to the last few weeks of the season, maybe I was hoping for a few more positive signs."

Holmgren was also asked about the public profile of his expressions of interest regarding the Seahawks.

"There would be something really special about being able to do something with the organization again," Holmgren said. "But having said that, I'm a big boy. But organizations make decisions ... I don't regret saying I would love to be with the Seahawks."

He was asked about any disappointment he might feel that the Seahawks didn't embrace his expression of interest in the Seahawks presidency.

"Look at, I've stated what I had to say," Holmgren said, "and then if a different direction is called for and that's what they want to do, that's great and I wish them well. But I would like to work next year so I have to go on and look at other things. There's some time. We'll see."