Harbaugh at Stanford Orange Bowl Story
Article this morning on....ugh, Bleacher Report, most of it is stuff we all know and they're just rehashing, but this part of the article is hilarious
Frank Beamer has one. The Virginia Tech head coach is sitting on a porch overlooking a golf course in Reynolds Plantation, Georgia, on a tar-bubbling summer afternoon—a lazy, storytelling kind of afternoon. As he puts down a glass of lemonade on a table, he says he has a tale to tell. It might just be, he claims, the weirdest damn story of his entire coaching career.
Beamer leans back in his chair and loosens a memory from late 2010. The Hokies of Virginia Tech, where Beamer has coached for the last 28 autumns, were preparing to play Stanford in the Orange Bowl. A few days before the Jan. 3 game, Beamer met the Cardinal head coach—Harbaugh—at an event in Planet Hollywood in Miami.
“After we take some pictures, we start talking, just the two of us,” Beamer said. “Jim says over and over how much respect he has for Georgia Tech. He must have said it five times. I’m just looking at him like, ‘Are you serious?’
“Finally, I’m joking with him and I say I can’t wait to tell my team that you called us Georgia Tech. Because, you know, we’re Virginia Tech.”
Harbaugh then threw his infamous shark expression at Beamer: mouth agape, eyes on fire, looking poised to chomp. Harbaugh’s assistants have seen this look for years; he sometimes holds it for about 30 seconds without speaking, causing everyone in eyeshot to wonder what is flowing through his mind—if anything.
Beamer continued to lock eyes with Harbaugh for a few moments, waiting for him to say something, anything. It may have been the most uncomfortable silence of Beamer’s life.
“Well,” Harbaugh finally told Beamer. “I can’t wait to tell my players that you said you were going to play Samford, not Stanford!” He then turned and walked away.
More than four years later, Beamer smiles at the memory, still befuddled by Harbaugh's response. “No question, Jim is a different kind of coach,” said Beamer, whose team lost in the Orange Bowl to Harbaugh and Stanford 40-12 in what was Harbaugh’s last college game.
“He’s either crazy...or he’s crazy like a damn fox.”
September 1st, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
Is that the Shark?
September 1st, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
when one of my roommates from UM got into Harvard Law during senior year, I kept referring to it as Hartford Law and told him he'd have a great time in Connecticut.
Drove him crazy.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
That's just silly. Is Hartford law even real? That clearly sounds like you were just being annoying (and/or somewhat jealous).
September 1st, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
and he was being silly and annoying. That's what makes it funny.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
Well, sounds like the roommate didn't think it was funny... just plain annoying.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
The joke wasn't for the roommate's benefit, it was at his expense.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:09 AM ^
Sounds like something you would expect in an agricultural college dorm, errr, MSU dorm. Whatever they're called.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
Nope.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
We finally found the person whose sense of humor can't even be measured on the scale.
Who are you, Sheldon from Big Bang Theory or something?
September 1st, 2015 at 11:43 AM ^
Lol. Come on, we all know that Sheldon is funny. I've got to be well below that. : )
September 1st, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^
I don't know. This brought back bad memories from when I was going to Michigan. As background, I'm coming from the east coast.
"You're going to Michigan. Must be great to be a Spartan. They're an up-and-coming team."
- No, I'm going to the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.
"Oh, yea. I know, the Spartans, right?"
- No, the Wolverines.
"Oh, never heard of them. Are they in Ann Arbor too?"
- Nevermind. Just nevermind.
September 1st, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^
Yeah, I'm pretty sure this conversation has never happened. Ever. The other way around? Maybe. No one confuses going to State with going to UM. You're really working hard to have horrible posts today, I'll give you that, though.
September 1st, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^
Similar conversation also happened earlier this year. Colleague was asking me if I was excited about watching the Final Four and that my team looks great... "Sorry, that's not my team. We didn't make the tournament this year." :(
September 1st, 2015 at 12:02 PM ^
It's confirmed. He likes Big Bang Theory. His humor is broken.
September 1st, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
Big Bang Theory and That 70's Show. Two of the Top 5 shows of the past decade. My other favorites are GoT and TWD.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
You sound fun.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
MLaw blah blah blah. How much fun did you really think he was before he proved it with the most recent replies?
September 1st, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
Not as fun as your mom.
/joke
Hope that was funny. Still learning.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
If you had any friends, you would understand. Friends joke with one another. "Hey, um, you're poor."
"Well hey, your mom is dead."
That's what friends do.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
you aren't exactly helping the lawyer stereotypes here.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
September 1st, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Similarly, I almost always know I'll like a Harvard alum if, when first asked where they went to school, they reply Boston.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
Really? That's my number one tell for if I won't like someone. To me, it smacks of 'Oh, I don't want to make you feel inferior because of how awesome my school is, and I don't want to sound like a braggart because of how great the Harvard name is, so I'll just say "Boston" instead and wait for you to ask me "What school in Boston, BU? Harvard? MIT?" so I can reply smuggly "Harvard". '
September 1st, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^
Totally agree. Nothing more pretentious than being purposely vague because you're looking down on your audience.
Where did you go to college?
- In New Jersey.
Oh, Rutgers?
- No, southern New Jersey. Right outside of Philly.
Oh ok. Not sure what that is.
- Oh, it's an Ivy League school in New Jersey.
Oh, you mean Princeton?
- Yes, how did you know. I didn't want to say, but since you guessed...
September 1st, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
Actually Princeton is in central NJ, near Trenton. The school in South Jersey right outside of Philly is...Rutgers (Camden)
Not that it was the point of your post, but looking at other posts you seem like someone who doesn't mind corrections.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
The weirdest dude in all the land.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
I don't know about this story. Given Beamer's age, he might be hard of hearing. It's just as plausible that Harbaugh actually said Virginia Tech and then Beamer is the one that heard it wrong.
September 1st, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
Those two words / states sound NOTHING alike. Now if he were saying Birginia or Firginia I might side with you, but no one would mix Virginia with Georgia.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
I often hear people say one thing, and when I ask them about it, they convincingly tell me that they said another thing. At that point, I don't know who to believe. It happens. I wish all conversations were transcribed. :)
September 1st, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
And it pissed him off when Beamer called Stanford "Samford"...some POS FCS school.
So he wanted to prove a point.
You know how intense he gets...that was the biggest game in Stanford football history at the time.
Just like the hard smack or whats your deal?!
He's just wired differently and for games that he feel are super important, he turns into this so focused higher power that most do not understand.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
Could be. But then again, everyone talked about how he went crazy during the Cowherd interview... and honestly, I didn't think he did that bad. He just sounded a bit disinterested and got confused by the "buy" vs. "bye".... so sometimes, I'm a bit skeptical of these articles that try to paint Harbaugh as a lunatic.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:49 AM ^
I don't think he ever wanted to do the interview in the first place...I'd also be willing to bet that he couldn't give 2 shits about Colin Cowherd. And if Cowherd was going to come on being his usual asshole self, Harbaugh just wasn't in the mood - I don't think there's a time where he ever would've been in the mood for someone like that. Harbaugh's not the type of guest for a Cowherd or that bald guy down in the SEC, Feinbaum or whatever his name is. He'd be much better on a Mike and Mike or show where it's not about the host and it's not for entertainment.
Harbaugh seems that focus THIS week by the way...if given the opporunity, it wouldn't shock me to see him do something equally headscratching on Thursday. Up 28 in the 4th quarter and have Shane Morris throwing fly routes to Brian Cole or something like that.
I don't think it has anything to do with Utah or disrecpect from their head coach. I just think he's that focus and has made the game out to be that big/important in his mind.
Now, I also don't think we'll be up 28 in the 4th, but he's got a focus and a look about him right now that would scare me if I was the opposing team. Not literally scared, but it's almost like he knows something everyone else doesn't and he's got this game won in his mind. Stanford beat USC 55 to 21 that year and Harbaugh was still trying to run up the score...it's like he psyched himself into thinking that USC was the biggest enemy in the world he'd give no mercy.
I have no doubt in my mind that we will be prepared to play on Thursday. I'm almost getting to the point where I'm nervous that we'll play so well that I'll drink too much of the Kool-Aid and forget that it's a looong season.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:59 AM ^
I think we win 42-7. Defensive/ST touchdowns will happen.
September 1st, 2015 at 9:51 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 1st, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
Best part? Harbaugh neither apologized to Beamer in person nor issued a public apology. He is full on, full time competitiveness.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
but not a Hoke style, sorry for the flag plant...
September 1st, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^
He gave Beamer the Colin Cowherd treatment.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^
"Harbaugh’s assistants have seen this look for years; he sometimes holds it for about 30 seconds without speaking, causing everyone in eyeshot to wonder what is flowing through his mind—if anything."
That part seriously made me chortle.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:03 AM ^
Haha. That's actually a pretty awkward response but what else do you expect. At least he then kicked Va Tech's ass. After that moment, Harbaugh probably went straight to the film room, crushed 18 diet cokes and a plate of bbq and drew up the winning gameplan.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
get it.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
not alone.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
That's a great story. I have absolutely no doubt Harbaugh laid the trap and Beamer fell right into it. That is some world class trolling. Do not attempt at home.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
I assume Beamer didn't tell his players about the Georgia Tech thing, because he was so baffled by the encounter.
That would be great bulletin board material, which went unused because of crazy. What on earth can you do? Tell your fellow coaches, colleagues, reporters, have a chuckle... and get your ass handed to you 40-12.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
Would the Cardinal have won by more than 28 points if Jim had been gotten the name right?
September 1st, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
God, can you imagine being on the receiving end of that?