Part of the reason was that Holmgren had just been received the inaugural Distinguished American Award from the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation during the group's awards banquet.
But the real reason is that during the course of the festivities, the federal judge in Minnesota ordered the injunction behind the NFL lockout lifted. Though NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted that the league had no plans to start the league year until having an opportunity to seek a stay, Holmgren said he was ready to get back to work.
Asked if the Browns facilities in Berea would be open Tuesday, the coach quickly said, "We're always open." But he couldn't say whether any players would be at work.
The lifting of the lockout added a second element to what was already expected to be an evening more newsworthy than the typical rubber chicken sports banquet. And not the least of which was the filet mignon (cooked to medium rare perfection) supplanting the chicken.
Ohio State Jim Tressel showed up as scheduled to present the award named for his father, Lee Tressel, even though the NCAA earlier Monday leveled charges of rules violations that could cost the Buckeyes coach his job. One report noted that 13 coaches in various sports have been accused of 10.1 violations, of the same severity as those facing Tressel for withholding information that essentially led to allowing athletes who would be ineligible to play in games last season.
"This is one of those special banquets you wouldn't miss for anything,'' Tressel told the packed ballroom of high school and college athletes and their families, friends and coaches.
Not even the threat of further NCAA sanctions, apparently.
Tressel, looking grim in a tailored suit, didn't speak to reporters, and indeed slipped out a side door during the speeches, thus avoiding the phalanx of reporters that followed him wherever he moved. However, he did spend several private moments with Holmgren in a lobby outside the banquet hall before the festivities began, and he spoke animatedly with Holmgren and Boardman native (and longtime friend) Bernie Kosar, who received the Dino Lucarelli Lifetime Achievement Award, on the dais.
The award bearing Lee Tressel's name normally is given to the college coach of the year. This year, it went to an entire football team, the Miami Redhawks
.
Don Treadwell, the Redhawks head coach, was a wide receiver there under Tressel, who was quarterbacks and receivers coach at the school. At the time, though, the now bald-pated Treadwell sported a trendy Afro. Pointing that out was Tressel's sole attempt at humor on the evening.
Don Treadwell, the Redhawks head coach, was a wide receiver there under Tressel, who was quarterbacks and receivers coach at the school. At the time, though, the now bald-pated Treadwell sported a trendy Afro. Pointing that out was Tressel's sole attempt at humor on the evening.
"There's something sacred about the cradle of coaches,'' Tressel said, apparently fighting emotions that had to be running high on the heels of the day's events.
Funny guy: Mike Holmgren had the line of the night. One of the postgraduate scholarship winners was Andrew Ford, a College of Wooster defensive back who is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry. Holmgren's line: "I heard someone here was getting a PhD in chemistry. I went to USC. I don't even know if they offered that course.''
Inspiration Award winner: Matt Galland, one of 20 graduating high school seniors honored at the banquet, launched an organization called Rush for a Cause that's aimed at helping athletes who suffer catastrophic injuries. It was inspired by the travails endured by Kory Wiita, a Medina Highland player who was paralyzed in the final game of the 2009 season. Galland received the Inspiration Award for his efforts, and used his time at the lectern to call on Tressel to take the push to the collegiate level and Holmgren to do the same nationally. Tressel left without responding but Holmgren told Galland, "I'm here to tell you, Matt, that the Cleveland Browns are the first team on your Christmas list.''
Bernie on Colt: Bernie Kosar, noting that quarterbacks and offensive coordinators "are the victims and beneficiaries'' of the guys around you, said he expects the Browns' draft to bolster the weapons in quarterback Colt McCoy's arsenal. He also said that the biggest leap in a quarterback's career comes between the rookie and sophomore season. He knows the team, he knows the huddle, he knows what's expected of him, he knows the offense. Well, because of the lockout, McCoy may not know the offense as well as he'd like, but Kosar said he did expect that having Pat Shurmur as his coach, and running a West Coast style offense will help the young quarterback.
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