Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren Has a Message to Local and National Media, "Spread the Word"

Friday, October 21, 2011

ClevelandBrowns.com

By Daniel Wolf
Senior Writer

When Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren speaks, everyone should listen.

Unfortunately this does not happen, at times.

Especially when Holmgren is standing in front of media members, during an impromptu press conference in-season, and the media is taking their notes and tweeting out Holmgren tid-bits.

Related: Browns President Mike Holmgren Defuses Drama in Cleveland (Full Press Conference Transcript)

Then, some of the media doesn't listen to what may have been the most important message(s) in his address regarding source material, or lack thereof.

"It really bothers me when I get these, ‘unnamed source’ or however that’s phrased," Holmgren said. "We’re trying to put together a good organization and a good football team and all those things, all that is, is distracting us from what we’re trying to do. I don’t like it either.”

Next, Holmgren specifically talked about the media attention of Peyton Hillis and the strep throat which caused him to miss a game, his contract issues and everything else in between.

"[The Hillis thing is] not this major conspiracy deal going on, it’s just he had an injury, he tried to go again, he couldn’t go and it’s something that happens every Sunday with any number of teams all the time, but because of the previous stuff that had happened with Peyton I suppose it became more newsworthy, but that’s where it sits," Holmgren said. "No one has called off negotiations, no one has said, ‘Let’s wait until the end.’"

So the Friday reports on the Internet—saying Hillis is going to become a free agent—are all false and this is a clear-cut example of another part of Holmgren's message not being heard by members of the media.

Holmgren's closing statement really summed up his thoughts on some of the recent stories being published about the Browns.

"What I would ask is that is to kind of spread the word a little. I think distractions are created and some of them are unnecessary. They just are. It’s not helping anything and I understand everyone has a job to do. I get all that. Some of it, the distraction causes us to be less than our best at times because you are dealing with young people, immature at times, and they kind of don’t understand the big picture," said Holmgren, who then concluded.

"I know you [speaking to the media] want us to do well, I know everybody wants the team to come back to their former glory. You can help with the formula, I guess that’s what I’m saying. I appreciate it. Thanks for your time today."

This closing statement clearly says Holmgren recognizes the media has a job to do, but he is also telling them to stop the unnecessary distractions with their continued reporting ways/methods that has stirred up the Browns organization to the point where Holmgren had to address it in public.

It's been said by Holmgren, and it's public knowledge, the media is being watched by the president of the Browns.

Both Holmgren and fans want it to stop. But are those who are supposed to be listening, listening?


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