Meeting Harbaugh at SMSB: My cool story bro

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

I was geeked when I found out that SMSB was going to be at the HS that's literally on the street that I live on. 

Basically Michigan's entire staff was there. I saw Durkin, Drevno, Wheatley Sr., Fisch and JayBaugh there coaching. 

The schedule of events today had Harbaugh as the main event. He was the final thing on the camp schedule and closed the camp out in the auditorium.

To get into the auditorium, you either had to be a camper, a parent or a card-carrying media member. I am none of these, but I took a risk and tried to become a "go-getter" as Harbaugh put it in his intro presser.

I blended in with some people walking into the building and successfully got in past the initial security guards that were enforcing the wristband/pass rule sternly all day long.

I then stood in the doorway of the auditorium thinking I could hear Harbaugh's speech so it'd be good enough. Then the doorway started getting crowded so some of the security in the auditorium waved the crowd in and pointed it to open seats.

Again, I blended in behind another person and got past the security again, this time getting to sit in the auditorium and being able to see and hear all of Harbaugh's speech. 

I recorded the entire thing. Coach requested that members of the media to not record the whole thing like they usually do and post it online, so I'm not gonna upload the whole thing. I uploaded a 45 second snippet of him talking about attacking things with an Enthusiasm Unknown To Mankind. (video embed below)

After he was done, he got a great ovation from the crowd. He stepped to the side and walked off the stage and out the door. I was able to slip out of the row I was in and headed over to the side he exited through. I then saw him being interviewed by members of the Michigan beat. Angelique, Baumgartner, Snyder. All of them. It was kind of surreal seeing them in person.

Nonetheless, I decided again to take a risk and head down the hall where I ran into JayBaugh who was headed my way down the hall to leave so I tipped my cap and shook his hand wishing him good luck this season.

Harbaugh was down the hall where he still being interviewed by the media. I started headed his way as I decided to take another chance. The closer I got, the more approachable he seemed. He's just a regular guy that has done some incredible things.

He was being rushed out the door after his media tour by a staffer so he could avoid the crowd of eBay whores at the front of the school, but I still managed to get a few photos of him as he was standing directly next to me in the hallway. 

As he was walking out, I yelled "good luck, coach!" and he turned around and said "thank you!" with a smile. 

Here's some photos from the camp.

Durkin chatting with some OSU staffers after the presser.

 

Jedd Fisch (white sweatshirt in the middle) leading a QB accuracy competition that was won by 2019 QB Sam Johnson from Southfield HS. An 8th grader won it!

 

Urban Meyer talking to a HS coach in the stands.

 

Mattison and Durkin talking with Meyer at the grass field during speed drills.

 

Wheatley Sr. talking with a prospect

 

Meeting Harbaugh!

 

MGJS SuperKick Party

June 12th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^

He asks for people not to record the speech, so you do... Is that really what he would want you to do?!

I was hoping this would read like a story with Fabio on the cover... I am so disappointed in you. But your m'lady interaction with Jay makes up for it a little bit...

In all seriousness, I'm glad you had a good day man. You deserved it for your fanhood.

Wolverine Devotee

June 12th, 2015 at 8:40 PM ^

He didn't want press members putting it online like it was a presser. 

I recorded the whole thing to show to my future kids some day that I got to see him speak in my hometown. Only people that will see that video will be those closest to me.

Tipping my cap is just a thing I've always done when greeting people. 

 

Artie

June 12th, 2015 at 9:05 PM ^

Just so you are aware, WD. That blow up doll with Harbaugh's face taped to it will not produce any offspring.

Just messin whichya. Good to see you had a good time...even if you are the Gil Renard to Harbaugh's Bobby Rayburn.



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Wolv1984

June 12th, 2015 at 9:14 PM ^

You should really consider pulling down the snippet.  We all know you got in and saw him, so it seems wise to err on the side of caution and inteperate his wishes about not being recorded to the extreme.  I mean I get you want to meet him, but if this behavior was the norm for Michigan fans, they'd end up needing to hire a department's worth of off duty cops for security simply to keep Harbaugh from being swarmed over by people who want to shake his hand.  

mgo한국

June 13th, 2015 at 4:49 AM ^

Did he ask that nothing be recorded?  From what WD wrote in the OP, he seemed to be asking that the whole thing not be posted online.  Either way, if WD feels that abstaining from posting any of it (or taking down what short clip he did already post) would conform more to his wishes, then I think we can all respect that.

Wolverine Devotee

June 12th, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^

I'm not crazy when I meet players/coaches.

I'm usually really shy/starstruck and try to ask for a photo without bumbling like an idiot. 

I mentioned the eBay whores in the OP. Ugh, there was a truck of neckbeard eBay whores waiting outside the building like hawks. People who weren't even fans and literally had a duffle bag full of stuff for the coaches to sign so they could put it on eBay.

My friend who was with me today met Dantonio while I was inside and apparently he told the eBay whores to get lost when they tried to harass him.

 

xtramelanin

June 12th, 2015 at 11:08 PM ^

unless/until you put down the superguides and go find that wonderful young lady.  log off the blog and go seek her.  your loyalty to michigan, transferred to a mate, will be a joy and a blessing to your entire family, future kids included. 

SalvatoreQuattro

June 13th, 2015 at 12:41 AM ^

besides a wife and kids. If you consider that half of all marriages end in divorce and most relationships in general fail one can readily see that human relationships are not the guarentee panacea many make it out to be. Sure, you may find the love of your life. But you are equally as likely to find a scold who makes your life miserable. 

 

WD should do what he loves. Whether that is a  sports information director or collecting stamps he should pursue that. My only criticism of him is that he doing all this work for nothing. He should start a blog or something. 

Whether he finds that woman or not really isn't up to him. Serendipity, I have observed, is the best matchmaker (if it is going to happen). WD should focus on transforming his passion into a career so he doesn't get stuck in a job he hates. To love what you do for a living is, I imagine, one of the greatest sensations a man may experience.

 

Jim Harbaugh proves that, I think.

xtramelanin

June 13th, 2015 at 8:49 AM ^

that is a false statistic.  they only compare the marriages in a given year that occur with the # of divorces that same year, but that doesn't equate to all marriages that exist.  its like comparing house fires with houses built.  you could say X% of all houses built burn to the ground, but if you are only using the # of houses built and burnt in a given year, you have missed the inventory of houses so the stat is incorrect.

and WD has made it clear his goal, and a laudable one at that, is to have little WD's with a wife.  and JH is married.  if you asked him to choose b/w career and family there is no doubt he'd chose family.  you can be passionate about both, as i'm sure any number of mgobloggers are. 

SalvatoreQuattro

June 13th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^

Especially in the age of the liberated woman.This is not an attack on feminism but rather a acknowledgement that women are much more likely to start divorce proceedings now because they can support themselves and their children on their own. They don't need a man anymore.

Many, many people don't have the personality to stick with it and many men simply want broomhandles that can cook as wives.

Furthermore, the unspoken for marriages you are referring to are a finite number. They are mostly members of the WWII and Boomer generations both of whose numbers are steadily declining. The modern American is poor at marriage. Those who remain true are a shrinking breed. To those I tip my hat.

I'm not entirely sure that one can be passionate about two different things without one suffering from lack of attention.There is only so much time in a day, month, and year for a person to dedicate to what they love. 

Wolverine Devotee

June 12th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^

No, I live closer on 21 to Utica than I do to Dakota so I went there.

I sure wish I went to Dakota, though. Their football stadium has to be the best in the state. It's probably better than most DIII and DII college schools. Utica has to share a stadium with a school that's 3 miles away, despite that school being in a wealthier area. However that could change with the new multi-purpose baseball stadium being built in downtown where they have mentioned hosting HS football games.

Dakota's football program has managed to be the best in the area--better than Stevenson and Eisenhower--despite the school not even being in existence for 20 years yet.

 

razor93

June 12th, 2015 at 9:00 PM ^

In Macomb county warren dls probably has the best football program. 3 times in the state finals game since 2006 1 state title last year and quite a few d1 prospects the last 6 years.

GoBlueRandy

June 13th, 2015 at 1:40 AM ^

Not even close, I'll take Muskegon, Lowell, EGR, and Rockford all day. Yes, I have a west side bias but these programs have been sending teams to the finals for decades now.



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Paly33

June 13th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^

Well I was the first graduating class of Dakota back in 98 and I played on the football team back then. Let me tell you, we were not good at football at all, it's amazing how far they have come. We didn't have that stadium when I was there, we had to share a stadium with Chippewa Valley.

Was just curious though because I grew up in that area but now live in AZ and would have loved to head up there to see the camp.