Be Prepared for the NFL spin of this story in the next couple of days...
If you guys haven't noticed, it's already happening. A lot of reporters are already pushing the "only reason Harbaugh is leaving the NFL is because the right opportunity didn't open up"/"there weren't as many suiters for him as originally perceived" angle.
The one thing I've noticed over the past couple of years with sports reporters: they absolutely hate to admit they were wrong. And instead of admitting it, they will manufacture a narrative around the story to cover their own ass.
Though these same reporters & on-air personalities (Cowherd, etc) would have definitely rubbed this in our faces had JMFH stayed in the league, lets be above them...at least for now. It annoys me like Im sure it annoys some of you as well, but I'm fine with letting them spread their bullshit.
Won't change the outcome.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 8:27 AM ^
To me, no insult to the OP, this whole obsession with the NFL spin has an old fashioned Sparty feel. When we were good and they sucked, they would rejoice when Michigan lost a game. Never mind that their own team was barely qualifying for a toilet bowl, when we lost they would act as if they won the NC. That's how this whole obsession with NFL spin seems to be.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
Shitty reporters who make up shit need to be held accountable.
All of these stupid assholes need to be exposed and humiliated.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 8:54 AM ^
At what point do you think they made shit up. Some of the guys reporting about what Michigan was doing were complete shit - FootballScoop and that Brandt guy come to mind.
However, everyone - including Charles Woodson - who knew Harbaugh professionally thought that he preferred the pro game and wanted to stay there. You can hardly blame some of these reporters who were simply passing along the overwhelming sentiment amongst Harbaugh associates around the professional ranks.
Is it really hard to believe, given that no successful professional coach has gone from an NFL team to a college team and that Harbaugh went to the NFL the last time MIchigan was looking for a head coach, that maybe Hackett brought enough money, control, and support to change Harbaugh's mind 180?
And the "No good positions were available" isn't really made up. The rumor mill suggests that the Jets, who aren't exactly treating Rex Ryan well right now, and the Raiders, who are a tire fire, are the only likely landing spots for Harbaugh.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
Oakland, he wouldn't have to move and got his start coaching there.
Chicago, he played there and loved Ditka.
NY, the biggest possible stage and possibly both jobs will be open.
SF, make peace and stay at home.
Miami, if he was determined to stay in the NFL, Ross probably nabs him.
Of all of the realistic jobs to ever be available, those sound like the top possibilities. If Harbaugh wanted to stay in the NFL, what is he waiting for? Obviously it's not Atlanta. If he only wants to coach the Patriots, Packers or the Steelers, then he doesn't prefer the NFL.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:23 AM ^
It's all business. Nobody wants to get their information from a guy that was wrong.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:23 AM ^
Well, at least the Oakland Raiders tried to hire Jim Harbaugh.
That may serve as small consolation, but a source tells FOX Sports that the Raiders were truly in the mix to sign Harbaugh as their new head coach. Harbaugh, though, ultimately chose to return to the college ranks as the new head coach at the University of Michigan. That deal could be officially announced as early as today.
"Jim was their first choice," the source said. "(The Raiders) are disappointed."
December 29th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 8:27 AM ^
just saving face. Harbaugh's been signed, sealed and (almost) delivered for weeks.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^
I think the Raiders have to make this known so it looks like they tried to hire the best guy. Placate the fanbase by saying "We were all in, he chose someone else." No harm there.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^
Bingo Flanders. PR matters to these NFL clubs.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:48 AM ^
Hmm, isn't that what many thought Michigan was trying to do?
December 29th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 8:27 AM ^
People in general, not just NFL reporters, hate to admit that they were wrong.
I think that we'll probably see some "Harbaugh just couldn't handle the NFL pressure" bullshit too.
Don't care. He's coming home.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^
...still won't give it up. Acknowledged John Bacon and others...and still said no.
Here's the kicker that I haven't heard anyone discuss when it comes to Shefty.
He's leaving his head in the sand despite guys who HE uses as sources saying "it happened."
These guys say "per source" all the damn time, and then the "source" gives the information first, and Shefty won't acknowledge the info. It's stupid. It shows the agenda.
Shefty has used these same guys as sources before, but now their info isn't good enough to spew out and call his own.
Fuck that.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:37 AM ^
Was listening to Schefter on Mike & Mike this morning, on the ride in (yeah, I know, I know but it''s sports related and something to help kill the time in the truck). Shefty said something to the effect (paraphrasing): "We (ESPN) were late reporting it (JH to UM) because he (JH) just couldn't make up his mind (about leaving the NFL)." That seems pretty contrary to what we've heard elsewhere.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^
Who cares.
Once Jimmy is in khaki and blue everything else is irrelevent.
What people DO need to get used to, is the NFL rumors that will pop up for 2 months every December and January from here on out.
Based on how EMO everyone is about even landing Jim, I am worried about the crowds on ledges every winter. Get used to it folks - we have the de facto target #1 for the NFL as our HC and the same folks bringing you this crap the past month are going to be spreading shit about him leaving starting next Halloween. And every year after.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:37 AM ^
Yep, this is a new reality for UM. It has a top 5-10 HC in all of football who was succesful in the NFL and a very competative man. Every off season until he retires from coaching, NFL teams will come calling. Maybe he will take an offer at some point. We can't control that a whole lot. But it is the new reality. Enjoy it while it lasts, and hopefully he builds a strong base like he did at Stanford.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:44 AM ^
Just like Carroll.
...it's going to get old for sure and in fact, it's the one thing I'm looking for during his press conference. I know he wants to be here, but I want to feel like he wants to be here way more than anything in the NFL. Like he would've come back without everything tugging on his heart strings...because that stuff wears off.
Again, I realize he's ALWAYS loved Michigan. I just want to feel like he wants this more than the NFL and it wasn't just Des, Brady, Moeller, etc. all calling and pushing him back to A2.
Now every Michigan fan on here will take a Pete Carroll type run - minus the scandal. Every single one of us.
However, we all want a Saban type run - I'm no different. I want a statue for the man.
I want to be talking Harbaugh vs. Bo just like they talk Saban vs. Bear in Alabama.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^
Obviously no one can see into the heart of Jim but the Balas interview with Huge the other night it sounded very similar to the comments we've heard filter out where his dad said "if you come, you are staying until you finish the job."
So to me that tells me NC or bust.
But at minimum he finishes this 6 year gig. But we're going to hear so much crap every offseason starting really in earnest not next winter but the winter after IMO. But based on just a lot of people's smoke I think he is here 5 years minimum and then IMO will take another look at the NFL circa 2020-2021. Which I will be ok with as I assume he will have this place fixed and his coaching tree is well endowed. And will be way more so in 5-6 years. This is why I wasnt against Miles for 6 years at age 61 if not Harbaugh. I think both probably are going to have the same lifespan at UM.
But again he is not here for a 3 year engagement and then to "springboard" back to NFL. I think he honors this entire contract. After that - well I'm going to worry about that in another era.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:05 AM ^
...and I can see that.
I do wonder (privately) if there is a certain NFL job that Harbaugh covets more than the rest. I'd assume it would be SF, Oakland and Chicago...and he just left one of those and the other 2 are probably open.
So that makes me feel a little better as well that he's turned them down.
Regardless, we got him, let's go win some football games!
December 29th, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^
They'll just move on to discussing all the vacancies and speculating on who is going to be in play for them. There's no benefit for them in continuing to talk about Harbaugh once he's here. Then there's no need to admit they were wrong.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:36 AM ^
While I understand your point on the NFL reporters, my question back to you is why should I care? We got our coach, and in the end I could care less what any reporter has to say about why he came to Michigan. In the end, all of this is just speculation and no one knows why he is coming to Michigan, except Jim. While I respect the opinion, this type of post seems as petty as the NFL guys trying to cover their own butts
December 29th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
To me, the reason to care is because these are the same folks that "report" on the League. From now on, I'll take everything they say with a BIG(GER) grain of salt. It just seems like they have their own agenda instead of reporting what's actually occurring. If you don't know, say you don't know. But then, I guess you'd be out of a job (which maybe isn't a bad thing).
December 29th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
Espn give it up. Jim Harbaugh to Michigan per sources. We all know it. 49er fans are pissed. Michigan Fans Ecstatic! It is everywhere we can all read. Whats with the vacuum? Story has broke, you did not get the lead. It is done.
Jim Harbaugh to Michigan!
December 29th, 2014 at 8:43 AM ^
I've snarked about the NFL take on this affair on Twitter a lot, but at this point in the process, I think I am at piece with the idea that they have a narrative to defend and I certainly can't fault them for trying to make a living off that narrative no matter how weird or patently incorrect it is at points. Oh, did I snark there? Damnit. No matter, we benefit from their loss.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:43 AM ^
IDGAF; Harbaugh is now the head coach of Michigan. I can't wait to settle back to recruiting and high anxiety as the season approaches. How many THERE ARE? posts we gon' have?
December 29th, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^
Shefty wants to stay unbiased but the act is getting old now and he is close to being put onto my blacklist with that tool over at the Freep.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^
No good available NFL jobs? The right opportunity? OK. I guess Chicago, NY, and Miami (if Ross wanted him) are all crappy places to coach.
Keep beating the drum, NFL talking heads. you've been doing it for weeks. Why stop now?
December 29th, 2014 at 9:01 AM ^
Lost in the "no good jobs" narrative is Ross didnt axe a coach with 1 year left in his contract. If Jim wanted to stay in the NFL, Ross would have had the jet in SF last night instead of UM and he;d be in Miami today. It's total bullshit. And why when I heard Ross say he is bringing back his coach last week I was thrilled as yet another incremental data point. Dude would be out of work today if Harbaugh was staying in the NFL.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^
Well, one of the guys that caught the most hell, Rapaport, reported early on that Ross wasn't looking to make a change at Miami and wanted Harbaugh at Michigan. He also reported early on that Chicago was a tight-ass organization and probably wouldn't spend for Harbaugh. He also reported that Arthur Blank had an affinity for Rex Ryan but not so much for Harbaugh.
So the national rumor mill had pretty much come to the conclusion that NY and the Raiders were the only possible landing spots, and both of those organizations are talent-depleted and have a track record for mistreating coaches.
Put simply, there weren't really any good available jobs. The big error the national guys made was becoming convinced Harbaugh wanted to stay in the NFL enough to take a crap job. Even Charles Woodson said at the time that it sounded like a 1 in a million chance, because that is what everyone in and around the league thought.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^
.... when you watch the first few minutes of Harbaugh's post-game presser, two things are clear to me: (a) he is not happy about how things are ending with the 49ers and (b) he will really miss the NFL:
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ers/ci_27217170/video-san-francisco-49ers-…
That doesn't mean he won't be thrilled to run out of the tunnel at the Big House.
The demonizing of NFL writers is more a meme; they were printing what they were hearing and what they were hearing was that Harbaugh did not want to leave the NFL and other teams were very interested in him.
Harbaugh's agent David Dunn did what any good agent is supposed to do: work to maximize the value for his client. And he likely used NFL writers towards that end.
It would be great if John U. Bacon had "all areas access" to this drama. Thank goodness Jim Hackett was more interested in getting his man than stoking his ego. The fact that President Schlissel chose Hackett over other obvious AD choices is the real masterstroke here. Look for the "interim" to be dropped off his title soon. He deserves it.
Go Blue!
December 29th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 9:19 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 9:56 AM ^
December 29th, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^
We have our man. I could not care less about some nfl blowhards and spin from a bunch of places I typically ignore.
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