Harbaugh’s Chewing During Games
Coach Harbaugh dips on camera during games with an intensity unknown to mankind. His tobacco packed lips have even fielded comments from my wife (though she has become proficient spotting lippers by looking at my fishing trip photos).
i don’t think the NCAA lets players chew during games. My question is does anyone else notice this, do we care.*
*i don’t, wife thinks it’s gross.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
It's gross no matter who does it.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
Non-Gritty comment^
October 30th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
Now thats gritty
October 30th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
Seconded. Way gross and potentially health-impacting.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
Not potentially. It's absolutely negatively impacting your health. Severity of that impact differs, but it's a net negative for anyone who does it, even if you get away with just unhealthy teeth.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
Yeah, it's nasty and hazardous to your health but hey it's his life and his choice.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
The physical portion only impacts him. When you have a huge family your choices regarding your health directly impact loved ones, so I don't really hold the "eh do whatever you want" viewpoint here. I mean yeah, it's not right to say he can't do it, but it definitely has the potential to affect more than just him.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
Oral cancer from chewing tobacco is actually a controversial topic. (For the record I am not advocating chewing, just presenting material.)
Brad Rodu, D.D.S., professor of medicine at the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Medicine and the Endowed Chair in Tobacco Harm Reduction at UofL's James Graham Brown Cancer Center has a study from 2012 in which he states,
"The risk of mouth cancer among smokeless tobacco users is extremely low -- certainly lower than the risk of smoking-related diseases among smokers," he said. "The annual mortality rate among long-term dry snuff users is 12 deaths per 100,000 and the rate among users of more popular snus, moist snuff and chewing tobacco is much lower. For perspective, the death rate among automobile users is 11 per 100,000 according to a 2009 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Compare those to the rate among smokers: more than 600 deaths per 100,000 every year."
"The data clearly show that smokeless tobacco users have, at most, about the same risk of dying from mouth cancer as automobile users have of dying in a car wreck."
I have heard another oral surgeon say the same thing in a CE lecture about 5 years ago.
Another study in 2015 talks of the biomarkers for cancer, but not necessarily incidences of cancer.
This is from the American Association for Cancer Research which states, "U.S. adults who used only smokeless tobacco products had higher levels of biomarkers of exposure to nicotine and a cancer-causing toxicant -- the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK -- compared with those who used only cigarettes. "
More studies need to be done. IF in doubt just avoid it.
October 30th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
"Oral cancer from chewing tobacco is actually a controversial..." Your additional info does not support this statement. The additional info supports death from chewing tobacco. If caught as just "oral cancer" the survival rate is very high. So it's like saying, getting punched in the face is controversial because the death rate is low. Nope, it still sucks to be punched in the face and can make life very uncomfortable. I don't know much about this subject, but I'd like to know the rate of mouth cancers of smokeless tobacco users vs non-tobacco users. Are they the same? I suspect they are not.
October 30th, 2018 at 7:00 PM ^
I knew this would upset some apple carts and hesitated posting. Again, I do not advocate chewing or drinking. (Maybe drinking if you are married). Every study you read on almost any topic, will say at the end that “more studies need to be done”.
People who do not smoke or drink alcohol still get oral cancer. A 2010 study in Head and Neck Oncology looked at 278 oral cancer patients. 67 had no history of drinking or smoking. This was smoking not chew, but just to give the idea that the incidence of chewing tobacco and oral cancer does not have as high of an increase in risk of developing oral cancer as say smoking and lung cancer. What Rodu and others are saying is that the increase in incidence with chewing tobacco compared to someone with no risk factors is not as great as would first seem.
People do get lung cancer without smoking. The proof is clearly there with smoking as a direct multiplier of risk. No doubt. Vaccines are safe, the Earth is round and fluoride does not cause cancer.
October 30th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
no.
no.
NONONONONONO!
More studies do not need to be done. Also, the world is round and vaccines are safe.
October 30th, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^
As someone who has dipped for 10+ years since junior hockey and ya been trying to stop for a couple years, this is great news. I try to be disciplined but it’s consistently better with less side effects than any other vice I’ve tried. I know it’s bad for me but it’s pleasurable and I’d rather do that than consistently drink or smoke.
In summary: bad but good to know it could be worse. I’m just glad I’m not a regular automobile user.
October 31st, 2018 at 7:32 AM ^
It's funny how much people rail against tobacco and other drugs but then alcohol often isn't even considered to be a drug to lots of people. The stats on alcohol-related death and violence is insane.
I actually started smoking cigarettes but I do so very infrequently (usually a third of a cigarette every few weeks) and I only do it with my own hand-rolled cigarettes from plain tobacco. It's sometimes really great for getting my head out of a fog when I'm tired. I tried looking up how much/whether plain tobacco is healthier than cigarettes (which are pumped full of extra nicotine and tar) and there really haven't been studies done with plain tobacco. I'm sure it's not healthy, but considering how little I do it I'm really not worried about it.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
Username does not check out
October 30th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
That's BS......It's Big League Chew!
October 30th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
Wish he wouldn't.
Eh, Tony Gywnn.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
It's allowed because it's not actually tobacco but a mix of raw steak, metal and crushed glass.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
It's actually discarded placenta. He is chewing raw stem cells during the game. It's the source of his powers...
October 30th, 2018 at 10:45 AM ^
That seems a little too 'modern science' for JH. My guess is the story goes, Coach Hanlon and his dad were talking one day about how black licorice fortifies the blood. So he dashes a little dill on top to 'keep the witches away' and drops in a big gob of anise powered black licorice before kickoff of every game to keep his blood nice and curdled.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
You said anise - heh heh.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
Just keep winning.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
I throw one in every time I notice it; makes me feel like I'm standing there with him on the sidelines.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
Makes me feel like his lips are my lips, and mine his.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
LMAOOOO
October 30th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
Your comment warms my cockles
October 31st, 2018 at 9:00 AM ^
Oh my God, I'm in tears.
October 30th, 2018 at 1:17 PM ^
Username checks out.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
Tim Beckmann was reprimanded for it while at Illinois. He probably went all oski on someone.
October 30th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
I believe OSU had to report it when Mike Vrabel was a coach as a secondary violation to the NCAA. That's when they went through their whole thing of reporting a ton of secondary violations to look like they were brown nosers.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
I've noticed it before...that and the can of dip in his pocket is occasionally noticeable. I think lots of coaches dip (way more than we think). I don't really care what anyone does, but when you're at work wearing the logo on national TV, it's not the best image for the university.
I know for NCAA Baseball, no player or coach is allowed to use any tobacco products in game.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
They aren't "allowed" to use it, but I'll bet 80% of college baseball players and coaches dip. That number might not be as high during games, but practices are a different story.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:40 AM ^
I guarantee you check a cup twice before drinking out of it in any college coach’s meeting room for football, baseball, hockey or lacrosse.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
All this time, I thought everyone just had Big League Chew in their mouths. That's as close to using dip as I've ever gotten.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
That number might be a little high, but there certainly were plenty of players and coaches who did it both in games and practices and no one ever said a word about it when I played. Though that was 15 years ago, so enforcement of the rules could be different now.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
Yeah, of course. I remember they made a big thing of it a few years ago wherein I think you get ejected or receive a suspension if you get caught using during a game.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^
I'll bet you're fun at parties.
It's a little chewing tobacco, not heroin.
Christ.
October 30th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
How do you know it's not heroin-infused chaw????
October 30th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
cuz he doesn't play the Star Spangled Banner on a guitar before the game?
October 30th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
Like I said, to each their own. I smoked for 15+ years so I get it. But again, when you're a public figurehead, things are different whether you think that's fair or not doesn't matter.
October 30th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
Being obese is just as harmful as using tobacco. Is Mattison embarrassing the school by being 100 pounds overweight? Does he deserve ridicule?
October 30th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
I don't think Mattison is as out of shape as you think he is. He's not 100 lbs overweight. He might not have a low body fat percentage, but for a near 70 year old he works out a lot. He's in the weight room on the treadmill quite a bit, in addition to the rigors of coaching young men.
I get your point, Mattison is just a bad example. Maybe Dudek.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
You're right, bad example. Just making the point that we should be going after the fatties just as hard as the tobacco users.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
Hoke received plenty of ridicule for his weight. Same with Borges.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^
Hatter, I don't think anybody is saying that Harbaugh should come in for scorn or ridicule over the fact that he chews tobacco on the sidelines. But I really don't think you could argue that it is not the best look. As distinct from being overweight, chewing tobacco on the side lines is against the actual rules of the college game and like it or not is not the best example for players, many of which are a year out from being legitimate kids. I don't think anybody should "scold" him for it or that it is really worth much attention or angst, but I think it is fair to say it is not ideal.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
They are making crash test dummies larger to reflect society. There's a health crisis. We all have obese friends, coworkers, or family. Go preach to them.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
But we want our o-line obese so that they can block well.
Maybe nobody should not be preaching to anybody.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
I don't think obese is technically correct given the amount of muscle that a college OL carries. Sure, they should generally slim down after they're done playing, but Division 1 offensive linemen aren't unhealthy, they're certainly in better shape than the vast majority of the population.
Not all 300lb people are created equal. This is the main drawback to the BMI measure - not taking into account muscle mass, aerobic health and strength, and lifestyle kind of renders your measure of healthy weight useless.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
1. I'm not sure he's receiving ridicule, exactly. Nor did I say it was embarrassing to the school. I don't think it's a great look in the same way it wouldn't be a great look if he lit up a cigarette during the third quarter. Again, as someone who was addicted to tobacco products for a long time, I don't chide anyone. But I didn't light up in my office at work in front of clients either.
2. Michigan is a tobacco-free campus.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
I'm wearing a nicotine patch right now. It's not working all that well.
Are you sure it's tobacco free and not just smoke free? Because that's a stupid rule if it's true. I get banning smoking, but banning someone from using a product that is only harming the person using it makes my blood boil.