NYT article on Harbaugh, hoping he stays at Michigan (gifted so you can read it)
January 11th, 2024 at 10:00 AM ^
I approve of this message!
January 11th, 2024 at 11:19 AM ^
What a fantastic article! Concisely explains the entire reason for both suspensions.
I hope Jim reads it. If he views staying in college football as a crusade to redeem and guide the sport for generations of student athletes to come, he may find something there that is worth even more to him than a Lombardi trophy.
There are not many people with the human interest and love requisite for that prior sentence to ring true about them.
And he is our coach. Indeed: who's got it better than us?!
n.b. the "gifted" link did not bypass the paywall for me, but Neverpunt's link below did.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:41 AM ^
Perfectly said. It’s gonna be real interesting to see how this plays out. Coach Harbaugh has been masterful at keeping his cards close to the best and it’s admirable in this snake filled media landscape.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:42 AM ^
Let´s hope John challenges Jim to get a second NC while he gets a second SB.
The family should keep those trophies coming!
January 11th, 2024 at 11:55 PM ^
Don't read the Comments! I started reading expecting a mixture of UM supporters, reasonably neutral, and anti Michigan. I was horrified to see that it is overwhelmingly filled with obvious congenital UM haters. Of course there were a few UM defenders but it was overwhelmingly aggressive, ignorant (in the sense that they have no understanding of the situation) hatred merely repeating "cheaters" and other buzz words. It felt much like the comments in a Lansing or Columbus newspaper.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:07 AM ^
Not sure if this will work to share it but paywall workaround version
January 11th, 2024 at 10:15 AM ^
Thank you!
January 11th, 2024 at 10:30 AM ^
Thanks NeverPunt!!!
January 11th, 2024 at 10:57 AM ^
Archive.Today is amazing. I have used it so many times over last few months to read pay walled athletic, ESPN, WSJ, etc. Michigan articles that I have made a shortcut on my phone home screen.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:08 AM ^
I haven't read it yet but I absolutely believe Jim Harbaugh is good for college football. Beyond being an entertaining and interesting guy, he seems like a good-natured dude in a sea of corporate greed and misanthropy. College football is destroying itself and it needs more people like Jim Harbaugh. I don't think he can save it on his own, but he can certainly inspire others to help.
Yet another reason to be proud of this program. I hope he reads this article.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:10 AM ^
Just started reading, but this sentence was a nice surprise:
Widespread reports suggest that he will leave Michigan to return to the National Football League, prompted by his unsatisfied Super Bowl ambitions (he was a great success as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 through 2014 but never won the Lombardi Trophy) and his weariness with the state of the college game — especially its ersatz regulatory authorities, who twice suspended him this season for infractions of questionable severity.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:36 AM ^
If this year has proven anything, it’s this:
Either rules DON’T apply to Harbaugh, or rules ONLY apply to Harbaugh; whichever is worse.
It’s absolutely a targeted attack, and it’s been so effective that you have to assume it’ll continue. The NCAA and the B1G have learned that if you go after Michigan, Michigan will eventually fold.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:29 PM ^
Hopefully that's not the case going forward with President Ono. U-M was willing to pursue the TRO on the Big Ten suspension until there was no point in doing so.
Am I correct that part of U-M dropping the larger suit against the Big Ten was contingent on the conference agreeing to not impose additional penalties? Dropping that suit was a mistake if they didn't receive such an assurance.
And I would think that there are strong legal grounds for going after the NCAA if they impose significant additional penalties on Harbaugh and/or U-M for "Cheeseburgergate" or penalize in-person scouting in a way that's out of line for previous infractions in that area.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:43 AM ^
Matt Walther is self-professed lifelong Michigan fan. Not that I'm mad to see statements like that in national publications.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:56 PM ^
he's a great writer.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
Ersatz.
Perfect word.
And now a word from our sponsor...
January 11th, 2024 at 10:12 AM ^
Thanks Wendy but I think it only works for you. Not working for me.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^
Copy and paste the link into the first box here. It'll give you a copy of the archived article.
Edit: Thanks to whoever on the board provided this workaround. It works like magic.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
Sorry about that. I did gift it but wondered if it would work in this venue. Now I know.
January 11th, 2024 at 10:20 AM ^
Aptly phrased: "ersatz regulatory authorities."
January 11th, 2024 at 10:25 AM ^
Great read. Obviously written by a level headed writer who didn’t go to Staee or An Ohio state
January 11th, 2024 at 10:42 AM ^
Harbaugh is an innovator and a disruptor. From satellite camps in the south and building NFL-style defenses to advocating for players obtaining remuneration for putting their bodies on the line Harbaugh has been the one at the forefront of changing college football. He's special. We know it and our rivals hate him for his brilliance.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
If people are having trouble with the OP’s link, try this one, also a gift article as a subscriber. Sorry for the fact that it’s messing with the formatting of the thread
January 11th, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
Thank you for sharing. Great article.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:14 AM ^
This "stubborn and delightful man." Ain't that the truth. He's a bubble off center but in a good way and he's our guy. He is unique and I hope that he recognizes that U of M, unlike the NFL which homogenizes everything and everyone, cherishes and will embrace that uniqueness. .
January 11th, 2024 at 11:24 AM ^
Was his sister not there? I saw Tom Cream so assumed she was also there. If so, she was left off the family roll call in the first paragraph.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
https://twitter.com/brockheilig/status/1744618325206851601
She was there in a "Michigan vs. Everybody" hat.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:41 AM ^
Walther draws the lines we do that Jim's outspokenness on giving the athletes power and a piece of the pie is what lies behind the OUTRAGE over advanced in-person scouting. Walther also ties in Jim's outspokenness during George Floyd/BLM as evidence that he's sincere (I'd add the statements about fairness in the justice system from 7-8 years ago). Good piece.
It's interesting that they turned the comments off.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:43 AM ^
Also paywalled, but a similar article from Jason Gay at the Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/jim-harbaugh-michigan-national-championship-nfl-86b10eb0
Jason is a Wisconsin grad and regularly, in a tongue in cheek way, bemoans the number of Michigan grads at the WSJ. FWIW, there has been quite a decent amount of Michigan content at the WSJ this week.
January 11th, 2024 at 11:59 AM ^
Great article. Thank you.
January 11th, 2024 at 12:08 PM ^
Great essay and I think the topic of just how much Jim Harbaugh has shaped college football in the last 10 years is actually ripe for a lot more discussion. When it comes to the players and their equity within the sport (along with his surprisingly progressive nature on social justice) I'd argue Harbaugh has done more and is more important to the health of college football than Nick Saban could ever hope to be (regardless or whether he is the best in-game coach or all-time or not). In these ways, Jim Harbaugh quite literally embodies what it means to be "leaders and best".