Pete Thamel with all the hot takes on Harbaugh post-Media Day
Pete Thamel is the worst. I don't even know where to start with this column. He even takes issue with Harbaugh not wearing a suit to Media Day and thinks it was a publicity stunt.
EDIT: Added the highlights (or lowlights) for those wanting to avoid the clicks:
1. The introduction:
We are living in the Golden Age of Harbaugh Infallibility, an era devoid of media skepticism, lauded through self-promotion and defined by the inevitability of Michigan football domination. Jim Harbaugh can say whatever he wants, wear whatever he wants and act however he’d like with complete impunity, feeding his relentless attention addiction one tweet at a time.
That, of course, is not the reality surrounding Michigan football heading into 2017. Just the feel. The reality is that Michigan projects for a third consecutive third-place finish in the Big Ten East, Harbaugh’s third consecutive loss to Ohio State and another season spent futilely chasing what Michigan feels is its rightful place atop the Big Ten. The reality of the Michigan program is that the Wolverines have lost three of their past four games, need to replace 17 starters and lost a program-record 11 picks to the NFL draft.
Harbaugh can hang out with Judge Judy, sleep at a recruit’s house and call out opposing programs and athletic directors for NCAA misdeeds. He can attend WWE events, coach first base for the Tigers and take his team on an overseas field trip to Rome. We know all that. We’ve seen him tweet about it, heard about it on his YouTube channel and been subjected to breathless 24-hour coverage of his every move.
2. "Reasonable" standards for year 3 of rebuilding a program in arguably the toughest division in college football:
Here’s a reasonable standard that Harbaugh is unlikely to live up to in year three – that of Penn State’s James Franklin and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer. Franklin won the Big Ten last season in his third year in State College, an impressive feat considering he took over a program decimated by NCAA sanctions. Ohio State won a national title in Meyer’s third season there, and Meyer also took over a program weighed down by NCAA sanctions.
3. Harbaugh "ducks" Thamel's question?
Harbaugh was asked pointedly by Yahoo Sports if all his attention-seeking efforts left him exposed for criticism with a young team. Let’s just say he didn’t exactly strap on his “iron jock strap,” to borrow his most creative media day phrase, to answer. In fact, he ducked the question with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
4. Thamel rewrites Harbaugh's coaching history:
The purpose of this column is to serve as a reminder that the data points from his two previous stops show that there’s a shelf-life for the schtick. No member of Stanford’s athletic department would trade David Shaw for Harbaugh straight up, as Shaw continued Harbaugh’s winning momentum without any of the day-to-day headaches. And Harbaugh’s tenure with the 49ers ended so badly that they sacrificed the immediate future of the organization to get rid of Harbaugh. This isn’t to give the incompetent leadership and ownership in San Francisco a pass, but rather to point out that no team in recent NFL history has gone through greater lengths to undermine their coach.
5. The conclusion:
As Harbaugh enters year three at Michigan, his act continued by showing up at media day wearing a Michigan hat and Jumpman sweater. His coaching colleagues wore suits and sport coats. It was another stunt for attention, which will thankfully be diverted to the field when Michigan opens against Florida in Texas. That’s the start of Harbaugh’s tricky equation of keeping the on-field results matching the off-field bravado. There’s no ducking the caliber of teams Harbaugh needs to leapfrog in the Big Ten, and the truth of Michigan’s reality will soon unfold in the most honest manner possible.
I'm not worried.
Rich Rod should be available for 2018 after Harbaugh gets fired for going 10-2 in 2017.
Maybe we should just fire him right now and get the inevitable over with.
Pete Thamel should be on the no-fly list. Dude is a total hack.
This is the same guy who, the day before, wrote an article stating that Mark D'Antonio built Michigan St. "with class"...so yeah, my 2 year old knows more about college football then him
I love that he didn't wear a suit. The guy wore a suit last year, but added a hat and people gave him shit for it. I just don't get it. Who truly cares if the guy is wearing a suit?
EDIT: This is golden - "Ohio State won a national title in Meyer’s third season there, and Meyer also took over a program weighed down by NCAA sanctions."
GTFO. That OSU team was still loaded. Those "sanctions" did not hinder OSU one bit.
Will be getting a call from The Atlantic anytime soon.
Ordinarily I'm against the Pivot to Video Movement but I'm also for Less Pete Thamel. I'm so conflicted.
To the OP - Why post it on here if it's garbage? So we can rally around you and agree? It's almost as bad as having to see a WD post showing picture of his fucking closet. Almost...
Because it is about Michigan Football. No one is forcing you to read it. But it is about Michigan and it is so bad that it is funny to me.
And I am not the only one that noticed or commented on it today. Fearless leader Brian has tweeted about it as well.
Lighten up Francis.
Fearless Leader is a callback to the Boris and Natasha episodes in Rocky and Bullwinkle. You can't get better callbacks than to R&B.
Thamel is the idiot who was the lead reporter in that disastrous fact-challenged story at SI accusing Oklahoma State of all manner of NCAA and other viotations. SI's credibility took a huge hit based on his work there.
dude's getting cruicified in the comments
That’s the start of Harbaugh’s tricky equation of keeping the on-field results matching the off-field bravado.
I don't really think it is accurate to call this "bravado" - all this is quite frankly who Jim Harbaugh is. He's not going out of his way to do these things at all really. You're just seeing him being him for the most part.
"Meyer took over a program weighed down by NCAA sanctions."
Spare me your bullshit, Thamel. OSU may not have been able to go to a bowl that year, but Meyer could otherwise not have walked into a more perfect situation. That roster was top to bottom the best in the conference the moment he walked through the door, there was no mass exodus of transfers, and unlike just about every other new HC who's building his team, Meyer already had the ideal QB on the roster to run his offense. A QB with experience, no less. He had Braxton Miller, who couldn't have been a more perfect fit for his offense. That team was built to win from Day 1.
Harbaugh took over a fucking disaster of a program. A team that prior to his arrival, had no toughness, no leadership, and no identity other than being a pushover. Within two years, he's gotten Michigan right to the doorstep of the nation's elite. He was not given a roster full of already-elite players that knew how to win.
They have not come through that door yet, in my opinion. But they're close to pushing their way in.
Yes, they had a bad year in 2011 when they lost their senior starting quarterback and a couple of other key players. I think Fickell's biggest mistake was not starting Miller sooner; it was obvious very early that Joe Bauserman wasn't going to cut it.
The timing of the Tressell scandal was such that it didn't significantly hurt recruiting; they had their 2011 class signed by the time Tressell was fired and Meyer was hired before signing day in 2012. None of the suspensions carried over into 2012.
If Tressel was still there, OSU would still be very good, but I don't think they'd be the overwhelming favorite every year that they are now.
That's what always gets me is that osu is the overwhelming favorite and Meyer has one the division once in five years. He also lost to a team Michigan beat by 39 frickin points. One of the main reasons people dislike Harbaugh has nothing to do with his personality. It is because he makes Michigan relevant again and they really don't like that because they don't like Michigan for whatever reasons. I like Jim Harbaugh for the very same reasons they hate him. If I had to say which coach I dislike between Franklin and Meyer, I would have to say Meyer because I just think Franklin is a better person, but with that said, this guy should be very careful bragging him up because his season is not going to be as fruitful as psu fans wish. Also Stanford can keep Shaw because he is not as good of coach as Harbaugh and he can't recruit with Harbaugh. With all that being said as Michigan climbs to the top of Big ten conference, just remember little weasels like this guy and how angry he is now remembering Jim Harbaugh refusing to play his game.
Urban took over a team filled with talent. Franklin was lucky to beat OSU and had an easy schedule after that game. He forgot to mention the final score when PSU played Michigan. We'll see what he will be saying in 2019 and the years to follow. It will probably be "I'm so sick of Michigan winning all these national championships".
The spot of a football. The random leaning of this way or that by one official as he ran up to set his feet. That's all that allows a silly article such as this.
You'd think these analysts would have analyzed the season's results and be cognizant of that. And balance the outcome with the team's play on the field. If the spot had gone the other way, Thamel would be writing a story about how we're all going to have to get used to the shtick, because Harbaugh took his team to the playoff in Year 2 ("Year 2!!", he says, with double exclamations, "wait until he gets his own guys in there!" ) and he's set to dominate the college football landscape for years to come.
Need to go Mono y Mono in a boxing ring. I'll sell tickets, though I think the haymakers will be rather unspectacular
"Harbaugh ducked the question" is an interesting way of saying "Harbaugh nailed my shitty premise."
Harbaugh made this dude his bitch
i noticed whenever a so called writer has an exchange with harbaugh and is made to look a fool, he runs off and writes what i am quite sure he considers a "blistering" article about him. instead he makes himself look like an idiot.
with their panties bunched so tight.
I've got no problem with some constructive Harbaugh criticism (and often feel we need a bit more around here) but literally every single point this ass-hat tries to make is a twisted version of reality to fit his agenda.
Maybe the dude thought just 2 or 3 blatant lies might be too obvious so he decided to hide them in an article that is 100% bullshit?
Pete Thamel's editor literally gave him the following task: "Go out there and write something that trolls Michigan fans so hard, they regurgiatate it on a large Michigan blog and we get thousands of free page views".
Task completed.
Not having a chance at getting mopped by a generational Bama team doesn't really constitute "loaded with sanctions" but whatever.
even if the writer is a troll, the reality is still shit. 3rd place in the Big 10 East is not what we signed on for.
that you signed up for? you act like all these games have already been determined.
if the team doesn't lose 3 games and doesn't finish 3rd place in the division again -- because they do better -- that's a good year. BUt you and me and pretty much everyone on here thinks 3 losses and 3rd place in the division in year 3 of the harbaugh experiment is what's gonna happen.
And that's a failure.
Your mom's a failure.
who's greatest achievement was MGoPoints
i dont think that is what will happen at all. there would be alot more rich people if nobody was ever wrong. thinking michigan will finish third this year is just as dumb as thinking they are a lock to win it all in 2018. this is just the type of year when teams do win it all.
There’s no ducking the caliber of teams Harbaugh needs to leapfrog in the Big Ten, and the truth of Michigan’s reality will soon unfold in the most honest manner possible.
It's almost like Michigan didn't beat both teams in the B1G Championship game. Oh wait.
its getting harder and harder to point out all of harbaughs and michigans failures. so the best thing is just cherry pick the ones that fit youre story and agenda. i really beiieve this is the year they win it because everyone is so sure they cant.
i still believe that if msu can get there 2 years ago and penn state won last years big ten, anything is possible.
Scoreboard, Pete.
That's an equation even a student in Columbus could solve!
Love how Coach said what do you want me to say so you can finish your article!
Thank you Thamel for adding to Harbaugh mania! Without functionally illiterate "journalists" like you, Harbaugh would not be able to pull this off.
Harbaugh is building a MACHINE thanks to your ilk. We appreciate it!
Yep agree 100%...it's like taking any known excellent coach with a track record of YOY improvement and writing shitty articles on them ONLY because of the ginormous fanbase...aka trolling for clicks
no easier than any other fan base to rile up. michigan happens to have a whole history of success and a very interesting coach. which is what every other program would like to have. harbaugh is the most interesting coach to listen to because he comes across as more honest, not just trying to give you a canned answer for for what he thinks you want to hear.