SEARCHBITS XIX: GONE TO PLAID Comment Count

Brian

plaid-958x360[1]

All hell: done broke loose

THE BIG NUMBER. The 48 or 49 million dollar offer that had been kicking around the Michigan internets—pretty sure Sam Webb was the first to drop it—has now reached the NFL reporters, who are furiously reminding you that they are never wrong about anything even when they are vastly wrong about something:

Rebuffed my ass. Nothing about how this has gone looks like Michigan getting rebuffed, publicly or privately. Michigan took its time to get their offer together, waited until Harbaugh was eliminated from the playoffs, aimed, and fired. Michigan reporters from Webb to Lorenz to Balas (and me!) have been way closer to things than these guys from the start.

But keep those ranks together. I mean… why the hell are you even reporting anything in the first place when this is your explanation for the change?

Asked why he was considering it now, but hadn’t been previously, one person said now that the 49ers are out of the playoffs, it was possible for Harbaugh to at least consider it.

Bottom line: Harbaugh has some thinking to do and decisions to make.

The implication of all this reporting is that Michigan had no chance because it was not the NFL. This explanation makes it clear that Adam Schefter's earlier reporting was based on hearsay from people with no clue—at best. Harbaugh wasn't going to consider anybody before the 49ers were eliminated.

OKAY. I'M IN. Ran across a twitter feed that felt credible that claimed a connect to Harbaugh's agent, but I was hesitant to tell you guys about it until he put something out that was checkable and not public knowledge. Here's something from 4 PM today:

He got the number right as well. That official offer took a few hours to filter out to the NFL guys, who are now reporting it. The Michigan guys are sitting back with their McKayla faces on after being told repeatedly that Michigan knew they were done, had no chance, etc.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS. Michigan's offer blindsided the NFL guys. The Michigan side of things had the number, the years, and the approximate timing. That gives greater credence to the other half of the Michigan chatter: it's happening.

WHAT I'VE GOT. I don't have anything reportable. By that I mean information that I know is correct because I know who got it and why. I do have just an avalanche of IT'S HAPPENING stuff that is secondhand. Aside from the downer email I mentioned a few days ago, I have a half-dozen bits of hearsay ranging from dubious to pretty credible all pointing towards Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.

If you would like to change this situation, I'm listening.

FURTHER EYE-ROLLING. The Raiders had 16 million a year out for Jon Gruden.

Okay buddy. And I used to think Michigan was arrogant. It is not about whether the Raiders can give Harbaugh another gold toilet; Michigan's offer is highly competitive. It's about Michigan or the NFL.

THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY HAD TO DO. Michigan assembled a kickass offer to come back to Ann Arbor and run the town. It is now highly public. If Harbaugh doesn't come, that's on him. No milquetoasty private conversations about how he flaked leaking out over the years; no debate about whether Michigan had a bonafide offer. They came strong and public in exactly the way they should have last time. (According to a player on Rodriguez's last team, he was giving everyone the impression he knew he was done even before the Gator Bowl. In that case he should have been gone after OSU.)

If it doesn't work out, okay. Jim Hackett still did this as well as he could, and if Michigan does have to move on to Plan B they can at least do so as a unit, knowing that they did their level best here.

PLAN B. A dollar it's Dan Mullen, if it comes to that.

Comments

6tyrone6

December 17th, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^

I agree highest paid coach anywhere if he takes it. I hope JH realizes that he can make more impact at UM with college players than he will in the NFL.  I think he takes the job because he can make such a huge impact here.

UMfan21

December 17th, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^

If the worst happens, what does the $48M figure mean for Plan B?

Now that he knows we are willing to fork over that much, we just lost leverage right? Seems hard to lure plan B, stroke his ego, and tell him he's not worth our best.

EGD

December 17th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^

If we're offering sums like $8M, maybe we really can flip a Stoops or Mora type as plan B. As for Mullen, he (i) has to understand that his track record doesn't command Harbaugh money, and (ii) now is his chance to cash in on his dream season, and with UF and Wisconsin off the board M is clearly his best destination no matter what the salary.

Ray

December 17th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^

go to school here, his dad didn't coach for Bo, he didn't play for Bo. He didn't promise a win against tOSU in 1986 and deliver.

But win a couple-three B1G championships and put a good series of beatdowns on OSU and MSU and we'll start talking Harbaugh dollars. Till then, you haven't earned it.

Up for the challenge?

unWavering

December 17th, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^

The ESPN Schefter interview a few minutes ago was.... odd.  That, following a couple of days ago where ESPN "insider" stated that it's PLAUSIBLE that Harbaugh is the number one target for Michigan over Jay Gruden. Go home ESPN, you're drunk.

unWavering

December 17th, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^

Here you go: 

  Anyone else kinda hopping

Anyone else kinda hopping Harbaugh comes and tells some of the decommits to fuck off? There's no reason behind it and I understand why they did it its just.. Would feel right

Seriously. Think about what you said.  You want to tell kids to "fuck off" because they did not remain committed to an underperforming football team without a head coach?

Really?  You deserve to be lambasted.  Perhaps you didn't make the comment maliciously, but it shows a severe lack of critical thinking skills and empathy on your part.

unWavering

December 17th, 2014 at 10:19 PM ^

I know perfectly well what critical thinking means.  Telling someone to fuck off after they made the clearly right decision for themselves is not critical thinking.  It's an emotional (and pointless) response to an understandable course of action.

steve sharik

December 17th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^

These are 17-18 year old kids making a life decision, one that includes what coach you play for; i.e., when they commit, they commit to a coach as much as anything.  That when the coach is gone (or the writing's on the wall) and they decommit, to tell them to "fuck off" is douchebaggery at its finest.

JamieH

December 17th, 2014 at 10:24 PM ^

when your "one little comment" makes you sound like a douchebaggy asshole, you get treated like a douchebaggy asshole.  It's rather simple.  It's even simpler when you follow up your comment with about 5 other comments proving you have no ability to comprehend what a douchebaggy asshole you sound like.