Those Who Stay (Twitter account question)

Submitted by GoBlue on

On UMs late push before NFL teams enter the mix: "they're certainly making the most of it. Caught us off guard with the follow up offer"

— Those Who Stay (@ThoseWhoStay7) December 18, 2014

In case you missed it in Brian's second Searchbits yesterday, this is the twitter feed he referenced. Does anyone know who this person is or, more specifically, who he is quoting?

GoBlue

December 18th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

That's what I'd wondered too.  That quote, to my anxious over-analyzing ears, does not sound too reassuring.  I read it as if they were not planning to consider the Michigan offer much, but now might be re-thinking that.

Hopefully that's not the case.  Maybe it's more of a "we didn't think Michigan would give an offer that was significant enough to consider, but now we're talking!"

ak47

December 18th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

It certainly seems to suggest that the idea that it was all done already is bogus.  He also says that the NFL guys were not entirely wrong as Harbaugh originally rebuffed Michigan when they first reached out (niners were 7-4 at that point).

This all makes the most sense to me.  First conversation didn't go well and that is what NFL guys heard about.  UM regrouped, got the cavalry together and cleared money hurdles and came back when it became clear the niners season was falling apart and found a more receptive Harbuagh.  Niners get eliminated from the playoffs and UM makes the big offer hoping to beat NFL teams to the punch.  It makes the most sense and supports the idea that we are 50/50.  Here's to hoping.

charblue.

December 18th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

but the only way to know whether an actual offer was presented before the one yesterday was made public, would be to find out afterward, and that will only happen if Harbaugh accepts.

Michigan will not talk about offers not accpeted. And I have the impression that the first round of discussions were contract talking points, not an offcial offer, because Michigan needed to get a firmer grip on what would be suitable. So, Hackett authorized backchannel meetings with UM reps, former teammates, to indicate what the school might do while principally seeking what it would take to get Harbaugh to Ann Arbor.

Again, the sourcing has to be on this end, not around the 49ers or team management. The leaks are coming from whatever an agent and his office wants out based on Harbaugh's willingness to let it become public. That's how that news leaked last night to all the NFL snitches. But the difference is, this is an actual offer based on the earlier due dilligence. And what's more, Michigan acted after the 49ers playoff hopes were dashed, another major circumstantial change from the time of the earlier report.

Mr Miggle

December 18th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^

follow up does not mean the same thing as a second or revised offer. It's plausible that Michigan made initial contact to gauge Harbaugh's interest. Then they followed that up with a concrete offer, larger than was expected.

I'm inclined to believe this scenario. We were hearing rumors of a very big offer two weeks ago. I believe $8M/yr was part of it. There wasn't much time for an earlier offer to be made, let alone rejected. It wouldn't have gone out before Hoke was fired.

redsoxaa

December 18th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

Supposedly they started talking after the Maryland game.  Obviously both sides were very vague at that point and no numbers were thrown around.  Hilarious that this is the "offer" NFL guys claim JH turned down.

LJ

December 18th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^

So, if credible (not saying that it is), that quote has gotta be bad news, right?  It implies that there was an original offer that was rejected.

I'm skeptical, given how many of the Michigan insiders knew the general terms of the offer but do not think there was ever any rejection.

rlew

December 18th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^

I suggested to him that the 49ers would have been 7-4 at the time of these alleged initial discussions.  He responded that it might explain why interest was low at that point.  I responded again that it would have been an distraction (with Harbaugh reasonably focused on making the playoffs).  He deleted his response to me.  I'm not sure why.  I always find that odd.

State Street

December 18th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^

Yo, this guy has been tweeting at recruits for a while.  I know Brian brought him up, but he doesn't seem that credible, even though he got the offer right (did he have it before the guy in Phoenix?).

State Street

December 18th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^

I just checked, thosewhostay posted his tweet about the offer at 4PM eastern yesterday.  Pequeno in Phoenix made his tweet at 11AM eastern yesterday.  Thosewhostay's twitter feed is littered with posts like these: https://twitter.com/ThoseWhoStay7/status/490707080446488576 directed at recruits.  

On second thought, hotdog46 appears to be thosewhostay.

MGoVictory

December 18th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^

No, Joe Pequeno had tweeted the specifics of the offer (6 years, $49 million) a few hours before "Those Who Stay".

PeterKlima

December 18th, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^

I honestly believe that giving credence to this guy is Brian's mistake.  One of only a few.

 

Unless I am missing something, this guy claims that his uncle "went to high school" with Harbaugh's agent.  Apparently, that is enough of a connection for the agent to spend 30 minutes and more on the phone with this guy for him to send out the information on twitter.  That doesn't seem like something an agent would do during contract negotiations.

 

Why, when all has been silent in the media does the agent start sharing stuff with a rando on twitter?

 

A lot of things are either already out there or not verifiable (i.e,, Harbaugh presented with formal offer at noon PST yesterday - after the news of the offer had been out there for a while).

 

Add in the fact that he has never verified anything about his connection to the agent and that this is the time when people like this come out of the woodwork and I say:

 

BOGUS.

chatster

December 18th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^

Will we learn that Those Who Stay's uncle used to be married to Wolverine Devotee's aunt and that computer hackers contracted by Kim Jung Un have stolen all of Those Who Stay's email messages, tweets and Facebook posts and are about to pass them on to Edward Snowden, James Franco and Seth Rogen?

All these speculative and unsubstantiated "searchbits" from Michigan outsiders who claim to be insiders have me feeling Over, Under, Sideways, Down, wondering "When Will It End?"

charblue.

December 18th, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^

This is Brian researching most reliable twitter feeds based on what he knows and where to look and what to seek. Nobody discloses sources or sourcing methods and tactics because you won't have them or get them if you do.

Beyond that, you seek credibility based on prior credibility. Understand that no information in a negotiation or in a closed news situation is ever made public except if its pried out through leaked documentation or information that someone wants made public for leverage purposes.

The information is made public to benefit a cause. In this case, Michigan has more reason to want this offer disclosed than would Harbaugh's agent. And why? Because it documents a serious attempt by the school to hire their primary coaching target and it puts the world on notice of it.

Harbaugh's agent would have interest in leaking it to benefit his client's negotiating position with other NFL teams.

In either case, the sourcing of the offer and whether it began with a prior offer is background to the choice at hand, whether Harbaugh intends to the Michigan job or not. He's on the clock.

sierragold

December 18th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^

$49,000,000.00 would stop me dead in my tracks. It is nearly double what he is reportedly getting now $25,000,000.00 5yr.

Cheaper cost of living.

Alma Mater.

Whats not to think about?