That time Coach Harbaugh offered my unborn child a scholarship

Submitted by UESWolverine on January 25th, 2024 at 1:51 PM

Really going to miss Coach Harbaugh for many reasons. This is just one of them.

When my wife was pregnant with my first child in early 2017, I had this amazing idea that my child would touch a small version of the 'M Club Supports You' banner as soon the baby was born. In my mind, the baby would come out of my wife, the doctor would immediately lift the baby up to touch the banner, and then over to the nurse waiting with the blanket. LUCKILY, I forgot about this idea after a few weeks. Instead, I came up with an idea to send coach Harbaugh a letter of intent from my unborn child. My wife brilliantly documented Harbaugh's response to the letter in a Huffington Post article here:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/goblue-or-gopink-making-a-baby-wolverine_b_593940b0e4b094fa859f1609

SPOILER ALERT: For those who don't want to click the link, Coach Harbaugh offered my child a 2035 Scholarship. (I would love any MGoLawyers opinions on whether or not Michigan would honor this scholarship offer!)

For any fathers-to-be reading this article, DO NOT ATTEMPT the 'M Club Supports You' banner idea for the delivery room! As I sat in the delivery room waiting for my wife to deliver our first child - I was SO THANKFUL I didn't bring that idea to fruition. The thought of that now makes me cringe. It's NOT the time or place - and you will know what I mean once you are in that room. 

Also - if you want to read an amazing book, my wife also wrote about the Harbaugh Scholarship offer in her book "Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers into Lifelong Advocates". It's a must-read book for Customer Experience folks:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Superfans-Customers-Lifelong-Advocates/dp/B0BPN4MS6D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VNHCNMZPC4CI&keywords=creating+superfans&qid=1706207011&sprefix=creating+superfans%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1#customerReviews

MGoBoard
Football

dickdastardly

January 25th, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^

Might want to forward the letter to the soon to be announced HC Sherrone Moore along with a short video of your child telling Sherrone how he "loves the SH!T out of him" and him pointing to you stating "this f@cking guy right here, he  made me the Michigan man that I am today!"

 

Joined: 09/03/2020

MGoPoints: 24185

JamesBondHerpesMeds

January 25th, 2024 at 2:12 PM ^

DO NOT ATTEMPT the 'M Club Supports You' banner idea for the delivery room! As I sat in the delivery room waiting for my wife to deliver our first child - I was SO THANKFUL I didn't bring that idea to fruition. The thought of that now makes me cringe. It's NOT the time or place - and you will know what I mean once you are in that room. 

My wife, who came to Houston with me for the game, would probably have divorced me if I had done this, or at least brought it up in a critical way in every conversation in the future.

Good choice, sir.

EDIT: I'm also terribly sad that Jim will not, in fact, be at Michigan in 2035 to coach your kid. :(

Joined: 04/13/2009

MGoPoints: 39552

HighBeta

January 25th, 2024 at 2:12 PM ^

The Gem and I had a really good laugh about the idea of hoisting the newborn up to a banner before said new human is handed off for the nurses' cleanup routines and the return to Momma. 

Yeah - nope. :-)

Frame that letter. The family will cherish it forever!

Joined: 10/20/2019

MGoPoints: 15644

ZooWolverine

January 25th, 2024 at 2:44 PM ^

That's awesome . . . but I'm really confused from the article about how Harbaugh revealed the gender. Was the doc only sending your letter to Harbaugh if baby was a boy, so a response meant it was a boy?

Joined: 02/27/2009

MGoPoints: 3719

UESWolverine

January 25th, 2024 at 3:58 PM ^

In addition to the Scholarship note Coach Harbaugh sent, he also returned the doctor's envelope that we had sent. At the time, we had no idea that we basically sent a dick pic. I thought it was just an envelope that said 'boy' or 'girl'. Inside the envelope was an ultrasound. We didn't tell the doctor what our intentions were when they gave us that sealed envelope. 

My interpretation was that the scholarship offer meant 'boy'. And when I finally opened the ultrasound from the doctor, it confirmed that in my mind. But maybe Coach would've offered a scholarship if it had been a girl as well? Either way, we were blown away that he responded. We have never met him and had zero expectations. The scholarship offer was icing on the cake. 

Joined: 01/21/2013

MGoPoints: 4090

JoYo

January 25th, 2024 at 4:47 PM ^

Great story about JMFH!

Seems like this is the best place to tell you all about my 11 yo daughter that sent Jim a letter this December telling him good luck and that we are huge fans.  

A few days after Christmas she received a letter back with a Michigan football coin. It thanked her for the support and was signed by Jim Harbaugh (or a machine that can mimic his signature).

Whether it is real or not, the fact that he or his designee took the time to respond in the middle of a playoff run is truly special and made her feel truly special.

Go Blue!

Joined: 07/27/2017

MGoPoints: 26

WrestlingCoach

January 25th, 2024 at 5:24 PM ^

That’s an awesome story! Good call on no banner, thats too funny though. I once told Harbaugh, standing outside of the Hockeytown Theatre, that I had remaining eligibility if he needed a center, joking of course. He looked me up and down and said, “Center, huh?” And walked away. It was hilarious and this is after he met my Dad and I and was gracious enough to take a picture. Cool ass dude man.

Joined: 04/07/2023

MGoPoints: 3803