Harbaugh Attorney Tom Mars Statements to B1G
Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellenger consolidated article about UM response to B1G, including excerpts of response by Harbaugh attorney Tom Mars:
"In a separate eight-page letter to the Big Ten, Harbaugh’s attorney, Tom Mars, mirrors many of the same arguments but also offers the first explanation for some of the questions that have dogged the Michigan coach since the Stalions scandal first broke. NCAA rules prohibit public comment during an ongoing investigation, effectively preventing the accused from publicly defending themselves.
Mars, for example, addresses the accusation that even if there is no proof Harbaugh did know about how Stalions was able to steal opponent’s signs, Harbaugh should have known, or at least should have been more curious, because Stalions’ was able to do it. It is legal to steal signs. It is the in-person scouting ring Stalions allegedly ran that is against NCAA rules.
However, Mars argues that since Michigan offered proof that both Ohio State and Rutgers had accurately stolen its play signals last season — presumably via game film, which is allowed — that figuring out the signs is not particularly difficult."
“When other teams had been legally acquiring Michigan’s signals with 100 percent accuracy for at least two years by studying Michigan game films, there was no reason for Coach Harbaugh or anyone else to believe that (Stalions) had not acquired his information about other team’s signals by using the same methodology," Mars wrote.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:33 PM ^
Yeah he did. But I think he was saying those were the names other people were going to be reporting today, that Lil Penny was waiting for. I could be wrong but that was how I understood it.
November 9th, 2023 at 6:04 AM ^
He actually dropped the names on Tuesday. Yesterday (Wed) he said he thought they would be leaked to the media at large but were not.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:44 PM ^
Let's declare Mars as a Blue Planet!
November 8th, 2023 at 9:44 PM ^
Where in the record does it show that the play sheet was 100% accurate?
November 8th, 2023 at 9:55 PM ^
The attorney of record,for the head coach of the team,who instrumented the plays, just said they were accurate.
Thus putting into record that the play sheet was 100% accurate
November 8th, 2023 at 9:59 PM ^
He's trolling, as usual.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:17 PM ^
Yes. And I suggest we never respond to trolls. It's what they want.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:13 PM ^
That's not the record.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:21 PM ^
Lead attorneys written statement is not the record ?
as of now there is no more official record than that!
you realize twitter does not qualify ?
and although I love this board and my fellow enthusiasts , we don’t really count either , so which “ record “ are you referring to ?
November 9th, 2023 at 6:56 AM ^
Suck on this record ShuttleTroll.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:00 PM ^
I believe some insider or one of the articles mentioned that coaches confirmed it. Can't remember which one.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^
Checking your history, why are you even here? You said previously you graduated from UM, but based on your other comments you also seem like your real name must be Pete.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:28 PM ^
Anyone can say they're a UM grad. He's a troll.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:05 PM ^
The play sheet had been calibrated by top members of the state and federal Department of Weights and Measures to be dead on balls accurate.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:07 PM ^
Of course this is your takeaway here.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:47 PM ^
If this is an exhaustive list of the evidence the B1G sent, all I can say is wow. Wtf. I'm kind of taken aback how rinky dink and inept they're moving on this thing.
A public article??? Tf is this, amateur hour? A video titled PSU vs UMass that hardly shows anything? Really B1G?
Makes me wonder what's really going on here and if we in fact should leave the conference. Just triflin
November 8th, 2023 at 9:54 PM ^
I didn't read it as a comprehensive list of the evidence. Just 4 specific pieces that are of low value (to put it generously). Regardless of the quality of other evidence, the inclusion of obvious bullshit helps characterize the conference's accusations as sloppy and rushed, rather than carefully considered.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^
It was 4 items in question, not all items.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:37 PM ^
Oh ok. Still pretty shitty work, but I'd like to know what else they think they have. What's Petitti's deal? Harvard law? Somebody splain!
November 9th, 2023 at 6:12 AM ^
Don't be fooled. It's a mountain sized pile of damning evidence of the "elaborate" scheme, orchestrated by a "vast" network of professionals, the likes of which can be traced back to some of our country's greatest crime families.
Sincerely,
Pete
November 9th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
Ryan Day has a team in charge of an investigation and you expect them to be able to run it effectively???
November 8th, 2023 at 9:49 PM ^
8 page letter you say, I could have done it in half a page...
November 8th, 2023 at 9:50 PM ^
Pettiti just has zero clue what he's doing. He has no reason to suspend Harbaugh other than because he probably promised OSU he would at first. He's got zero good reason to do it. Twitter seems to be expecting that Harbaugh will be suspended tomorrow - truly an all-time baffling move.
I just cannot fathom what Pettiti is doing. He should be trying as hard as possible to quiet this fake scandal down but he's stoking it. How long till a network says 'get this clown out of the Big Ten'
November 8th, 2023 at 10:13 PM ^
In private he may be realizing that he’s strayed too far down this path and to backtrack now would make him look tremendously foolish. He’s now potentially doomed himself into looking like a fool regardless of the decision he makes. At minimum, he’s shown that he can be bullied and bent to the wills of conference ADs. That’s not a good look for someone so new to the job.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
He's going to look foolish either way, but plowing forward and getting slapped by a judge will be worse.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^
The other significant problem with the play sheet argument is that the play sheet wasn't given to Purdue until very late in the 2022 season, so it couldn't have formed the basis of Harbaugh in 2021 and most of 2022 believing that it was really easy to steal accurate signals from game film.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:00 PM ^
Trolling.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^
The letter asserts that Michigan's opponents learned the Wolverines' signals from game film.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:17 PM ^
Right, but the play sheet to Purdue in late 2022 by definition can't have helped formulate Harbaugh's state of mind in 2021 or most of 2022 about the accuracy of getting signals from game film, as the letter claims.
How could Harbaugh have believed in 2021 or September/October/November 2022 that you can get 100% accurate signals from game film based on a play sheet for a game that wasn't played until December 2022? (Assuming he even got it in December 2022 -- also not in the record.)
November 8th, 2023 at 10:59 PM ^
The second-to-last paragraph in the OP was written by the authors of the article, not Mars. It shouldn't have a quotation mark after it. We don't know that Mars claims that Harbaugh relied on the letter exclusively.
Also, just to play along, what in your mind qualifies as "the record" here?
November 8th, 2023 at 10:04 PM ^
There is.. if they could jump to connect jh with Connor (which we know that ncaa said there isn't) and suspend.. michigan could question his bias because the same rule should apply right now to the three schools. Again, legal. No cause for suspension. If cause, then it applies now to them too.. if he does this, lawsuit and he will be fired quickly for stupidity and more or less being inconsistent.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:05 PM ^
Troll. You don't know what else they have. Harbaugh can say whatever the fuck he wants. His lawyer is not going to put this on paper unless he has some proof.
You are either OSU or MSU fan. There is going to be more about OSU coming out soon. Enjoy your coach if you are OSU fan. Oh, Haskins just ran for another TD.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:06 PM ^
Damn dude! No, the other significant problem is you. I’m starting to question whether Harbaugh picked on you as a kid or something and you just can’t get over it. Change your name to Pete Shuttlesworth.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^
How about Peter Shuttlecock.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:07 PM ^
Nice attempt.
One can legally (we're being told it's legal) create an accurate play sheet. The accurate play sheet is evidence of that. It doesn't matter when it was created. I could create it tomorrow. That would still be the evidence.
Why should Harbaugh think that just because someone appears competent that means they're cheating?
November 8th, 2023 at 10:09 PM ^
Really gonna go hard on this "how do we know the playsheet is accurate" stance, and completely ignore everything else, huh? Haven't gotten any new marching orders from your Sparty and/or Buckeye slappies you follow and regurgitate?
November 8th, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^
If this were to go to court, and its decided that there is no rule breaking (sounds like we are going to argue that), is the NCAA investigation a moot point because a legal system made a decision? Or would they only rule on whether the big ten can hand out punishment under the sportsmanship clause?
November 8th, 2023 at 10:31 PM ^
They are not going to decide the merits of the case right now, they are just going to decide to pause (TRO) the case or not.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
Yeah I'm way out ahead of my skis right now. Got a little too happy with these statements.
November 9th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
The court couldn't decide whether or not something broke NCAA rules. It can only determine whether the NCAA (or B1G) properly followed their onw rules adjudication procedures and afforded Michigan the due process it is entitled to.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:52 PM ^
When Petitti is fired after this, Michigan and Michigan only should get to pick the next Big Ten commissioner
November 8th, 2023 at 9:54 PM ^
pettits news conference after all this will be gold … I’m guessing his wife has already has bought him his Depends !
November 9th, 2023 at 9:02 AM ^
At some point I'd like to see that guy up on the podium, taking questions from Sam Webb, Joel Klatt, Dan Wexel, and RG3. Seriously, his silence is allowing all of [gestures at social media] to fill the space.
Isn't part of your job supposed to include public relations?
November 8th, 2023 at 9:56 PM ^
I'll summarize:
November 8th, 2023 at 9:59 PM ^
Part of me hopes they choose the fuck around and find out option and try to punish Harbaugh. I like salty Michigan.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:28 PM ^
I think we're well past that now.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^
Will pettit do a Brandon and send out an email at 2 am tomorrow announcing the suspension of Harbaugh?