Should Mike Holmgren Step in Front of the Mic More Often?

On Wednesday, Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren held a press conference to address the situation surrounding quarterback Colt McCoy and his concussion.

Holmgren explained that a concussion test was not administered to McCoy on the sideline, which doesn’t come as a surprise, but he reassured the media that the training staff followed all of the correct protocols.

The press conference was an opportunity for Holmgren to clear the air and provide a little clarity to the organization’s actions, as the speculation was – as always – beginning to run rampant. Of course, his comments brought a whole new wave of speculation, which makes one wonder if most media members simply ran out of things to talk about and are just taking this story as far as it will go.

This does beg the question though: should Mike Holmgren step in front of the microphone more often to address the media? While it’s not really his job to be giving press conferences on a regular basis, there have been a number of instances this season where Browns fans and the media could have used an explanation quickly to avoid that dreaded speculation.

It’s a fine line that Holmgren walks, and I think he’s taken the right path this season, allowing Pat Shurmur to essentially be the voice of the team. With Shurmur being a rookie head coach, it would have been very easy for Holmgren to make himself a constant presence in the media, fueling the “When will Holmgren finally take the reins and coach this team?” talk.

That being said, there are still many people who would like to see Holmgren take a more visible approach, making himself available to the media far more often than once or twice every few months. It’s an interesting proposition, but Shurmur needs to remain as the voice of this team to prevent the likely whispers that would percolate as a result of Holmgren becoming a larger presence in the media.