How to exact cost for media lies about Harbaugh-to-NFL

Submitted by Section 1.8 on December 21st, 2018 at 4:15 PM

It has become such a regular joke, the annual Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors, that many stories are noting that regularity in their opening paragraphs.

This year, it hasn't stopped douchebag deluxe Paul Finebaum and drug abuser Cris Carter from supplying the 2018 edition of such rumors.

There are two things about such rumors.  First is the simple fact that it is part of Finbaum's and Carter's respective business models to traffic in such rumors.  They get attention; they get 'content' for 72 hours or so; and it is cost-free to them.

The second fact is that while the rumors are never a serious problem for the Michigan football problem, they are a minor concern.  Recruits and their families read this stuff; I am sure that in almost all cases, they know better.  But Harbaugh is sometimes compelled to respond; it can be a distraction to the program.  The constant repetition and annual re-emergence of the same rumors is caustic.

The problem with the completely unserious world in which the Finebaums and Carters exist, is that they never have to answer for these things.  They start the rumors, the rumors are denied, Finebaum gets a few more listeners and page-hits, and then next week it is on to something else.  And when it comes time for the Finebaum speculation to actually materialize, the previous story is forgotten.

I'd like to see a permanent spreadsheet of all of the false rumors of Harbaugh departing to the NFL.  Listing the media figure who is advancing it, his purported sources, the NFL team(s) he expects to sign Harbaugh, and the time at which a contract is expected to be signed.  And leave it permanently posted as an MGoBoard sticky.  For reference and a reminder when the rumor mongers say almost anything else about Michigan football.

In the alternative, I thought of simply betting Cris Carter $100,000 that Jim Harbaugh would be coaching the University of Michigan football team in 2019.  Carter no doubt has the money.  He probably got more than that for signing with agent Norby Walters before his senior season which got him declared ineligible for his final season at OSU.  Anybody know how to get a message to Carter?

 

Gentleman Squirrels

December 21st, 2018 at 4:19 PM ^

The narrative will die down soon. Remember in the early years of Saban, when every offseason was basically waiting for Saban to jump ship to NFL? Nobody really talks about that anymore and any thought about that is basically laughed off. The same will happen for Harbaugh as long as he doesn't show any interest in an NFL job

Wolverine 73

December 21st, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^

Not so sure it will die that easily.  Harbaugh was a very successful NFL coach, Saban was not.  The Harbaugh brothers are super competitive and John has his Super Bowl win.  I don’t think Harbaugh is going anywhere until he beats Ohio State at least a couple of times, because I don’t think he would want to be known as a guy who couldn’t do that.  But I can see how Harbaugh to the NFL rumors are more likely to recur than the Saban to the NFL rumors.

Jason80

December 22nd, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^

He was 15 and 17 and since his 9 win season there only twice have the Dolphins reached that many wins in a season. Miami has been bad organization for the last generation and they surely weren't chasing Nick out of town. He left for a better opportunity at Alabama not because he couldnt hack the NFL. 

Section 1.8

December 22nd, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^

If you are serious about these objectively silly rumors being used to hurt us in recruiting (I don’t know if you’re right, but I accept that you’re being serious), you are helping me make the point that some active opposition is needed.  In the hyper competitive world of college football recruiting, if as you say Michigan is being hamstrung (however slightly) in recruiting by these third-tier media jackasses, then why not push back aggressively?

LSAClassOf2000

December 21st, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^

The only question I have for the NFL beat is this - why won't you let this die?

I mean, quite clearly Harbaugh has stated that he is uninterested in the NFL 2.0 in his career. Why is this so hard to understand?

OwenGoBlue

December 21st, 2018 at 4:52 PM ^

Not enough good coaches + this gets clicks. There's the Carter stuff and then there's the lazy "someone says Harbaugh sometime" stuff. 

When Carter stuff starts, lazy people echo it. When lazy people do their thing, Carter-types amplify it. Never really ends, just goes on forever because it's a human centipede media cycle. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 21st, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^

It does not escape my notice that the people whose "beats" are the ones most benefiting from fake Harbaugh rumors, are also the ones spreading them the most.  I don't mean that their readers are the most interested, I mean that the teams they cover or otherwise might have a rooting interest in seem to directly benefit.

BuckNekked

December 21st, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^

Clicks, clicks, clicks, clicks, clicks. Thats what passes for journalism over the entire spectrum of our news today. It is all driven by clicks and advertising dollars. There has not been a news article posted in the last 15 years that wasnt motivated primarily by clicks. We are in a new age of yellow journalism where nothing can be taken seriously.

jbuch002

December 21st, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^

Forget about the spread sheet and read Hans Rosling's Factfulness. It will help you cut through the media's fear mongering and filter out the BS that's there. After I read it, my world view improved dramatically and so did my view of M football after the horror last month.

mGrowOld

December 21st, 2018 at 4:50 PM ^

Meh.  He's a good coach with a proven track record in the NFL.  He's also a coach, if his previous stints with San Diego, Stanford and the Niners would seem to indicate, gets wanderlust at the 3-4 year mark.  

It's not a difficult narrative to push nor for people to believe.  And its not going to stop as long as premier HCs are in demand in the NFL.

Sorry.

viewfromalbany

December 21st, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^

Today, another rumor from Florio, who is a NFL hack.

There is a simple response to any of this.

1. No economic reason to consider NFL.

2. Harbaugh's current bosses are Manual & Schlissel.  NFL alternative - incompetent general managers and egomaniacal owners.  He has experienced the NFL model.  Why return to clowns like Snyder, Irsay, & Jones?  Why return to a league that has blackballed Kaepernick & allows perpetrators of sexual assault to play?

 

TallyWolverine

December 21st, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^

Maybe next year JH will beat them to the punch. In the postgame press conference after OSU, mention he's staying at Michigan. They'll have to find something else to talk about. Maybe Finebaum can talk about what its like to sit under Saban's desk when he's not doing The Saban Show

Section 1.8

December 22nd, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^

But see, it is only in hindsight that the sports media hacks look the worst.  In real time, they say their sources are good and the rumors are strong.

Mchigan/Harbaugh deny them.  The stories live on.  They might even get boosted, by virtue of quotes (even if they are denials) from Michigan/Harbaugh.

That is why I want to shine a light on the retrospective.  “Hey, jackass.  In 2015, you said Harbaugh would be coaching the Colts in 2016.  We know how that turned out.  And we want to make sure that everybody knows about that, so that they never believe another word that you write about Michigan football...”

 

youn2948

December 21st, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^

Can we start suing them for slander and detriment to our football program when it's obvious it's otherwise?

I mean free speech and all but at what point is it blatant character assasination and a litigable offense?

PaulWall

December 21st, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^

Colin cowherd was on it yesterday.  I like cowherd a lot,  but yesterday was annoying.  Unfortunately he did have a valid point: Harbaugh has 15 to 20 years left in coaching.  He's such a good coach,  that he will get heavy interest from the nfl every year.  Will he leave? Who knows.  I personally think that he'll get 2 national titles in 3 years and then head back to nfl. I originally thought the beginning of conference would have started this year,  but i really think im only a year too soon. Regardless,  as good of a coach as he is,  there will always be legitimate interest from the nfl.

NotADuck

December 21st, 2018 at 6:18 PM ^

1.  Chill.

2.  The wolf cares not for the opinions of sheep.

3.  Cris Carter is FORMER drug abuser.  It is disrespectful to anyone to label them a drug abuser for life after they find a way to get better.  Think about it this way: if your mother used to abuse drugs and found a way to become sober and has stayed sober for years would you be OK with random assholes on the internet calling her a drug abuser?  No one deserves that, not even Cris Carter.

Section 1.8

December 21st, 2018 at 7:32 PM ^

No, sport; the point here is that Cris Carter DOES deserve this kind of treatment as long as he is making a sort of vocation out of trafficking in stupid bogus rumors.  The offense you have taken is exactly what I intended.

Now; I remain interested in a wager of $100,000 with Cris Carter on the issue of whether Jim Harbaugh will be Michigan’s Coach next year.  If that can be arranged, I’ll be happy to up the stakes to include an apology for not calling Cris Carter A FORMER DRUG ABUSER if I don’t win.

Section 1.8

December 21st, 2018 at 7:40 PM ^

I don’t think that Pete hates Michigan.  I don’t think that he dislikes Harbaugh.

But I do think that he hates Michigan fans and particularly forums like this one because we’ve shown repeatedly that we will have fun deconstructing his errors and excesses like few others and to an extent that no Michigan coach or administrator would care to.