Pro Football Grapevine

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I say not much.  From the Seattle Times…

So much for Mike Holmgren’s quiet motorcycle ride into that self-described “sabbatical” next year.

The exiting coach of the skidding Seattle Seahawks had a chance on Wednesday to slam the door on rumors he is a prime candidate to take over his hometown San Francisco 49ers in 2009.

Instead, he left it partially open.

“When I was at Lincoln High School, and for years, that was my dream job. And it never quite came to fruition,” Holmgren said to members of the San Francisco media in a conference call. “But times change and right now, I think it’s been stated … for the 27th time: the plan for me and Kath (wife Kathy) is to take a year off after this time in Seattle. We’ve been here 10 years, and we love it here, and that’s the plan.

“While I’m flattered – we have a lot of friends in the Bay Area – that’s the plan right now.”  (Source, Italics Added)

Art Thiel of the Seattle P-I says the job is too good for Holmgren to pass on.

The bet here is that Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is highly unlikely to switch sides before the game Sunday in hometown San Francisco against his old team.

With just about the same assurance, here’s the second wager: He’ll be working for the 49ers next year.

For Holmgren, it’s irresistible. Too good to pass up. Chance of a lifetime. When Mikey Comes Marching Home Again, Tra-La, Tra-La.

Next to the Fetish Festival/Herbal Aurapalooza, Holmgren’s return to rescue the 49ers will be the biggest thing to hit San Francisco in years. He’ll get a higher vote total than the 105 percent scheduled to go to Barack Obama.

And regarding the aforementioned “right now” phrase…

Holmgren goosed along the speculation, presumably inadvertently, by saying nothing had changed. For right now.

In fact, by unofficial count in interviews with reporters here Wednesday and in San Francisco by phone, he used the phrase “right now” 12 times.

As in: “I’ll tell you what I said last week: Right now, the plan is to stay with the plan I told you.”

As in: “I’m not going to burden (Kathy, his wife) with that right now.”

In answer to a question as to whether he could envision a day when he came to the 49ers in some capacity, he said, “Well, you know what, if it’s OK with you guys, I’m going to refrain from commenting on that. I think it would be unfair to a lot of people. … It’s too much of a hypothetical. Things in this crazy business change on a day-to-day basis.”

Things do indeed change day to day. That’s why saying “right now” as a qualifier means he could change his mind today or tomorrow or after the season ends. (Source)