Josh Pate on the Harbaugh situation
This morning Josh Pate (24/7 sports) gave a funny and insightful description of cheeseburger-gate, what's happening with the case now, and the most likely outcome. He even threw in a pretty good analogy from The Office which is just about perfect for this whole thing. I will be redirecting all of the mouth breathing KU fans in my life asking me "what's Harbaugh done NOW??!" to this video.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
Maybe John will be available by then to lend a hand. It's not like we haven't shifted players and coaches between Michigan and the Ravens before.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
Which Hall of Fame is he bound for? NFL? College football? I'm truly curious. JH has a great playing and coaching resume....but I don't see anything in there that will put him in a HOF (at least at this point....but that could change with a couple of Nattys).
August 14th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
Rock N' Roll HoF. They don't seem to be too stringent on the "Rock n Roll" part.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:27 PM ^
I just scrolled through all CFB HOF inductees back to 2000 to get a feel for what the bar is set at to be inducted as a coach. For all modern, major-college coaches, it seems like you either need to win a national championship, or if you don't have that, be a head coach for multiple decades. Program-builders seem to get extra credit as well, as guys like Frank Beamer, Bill Snyder, and Mike Belloti are in without any "Nattys" as you say.
Anyway, I think he's going to get in. As a coach, his case is borderline right now but meets the 100 wins/.600 WP easily. And I think his career as a player puts him over the top. Remember, it's not just 8+ seasons at Michigan, but the USD and Stanford coaching jobs were great too.
Arguments against would be zero major bowl wins at Michigan and (as of now) no longer than 9 years in one place. I hope that he stays long enough and has more postseason success to cover both issues.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:29 PM ^
John Cooper is in the College Football HOF.
I think Jim will make it.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:08 PM ^
I totally agree...Jim is one of the best in the business and what he's done at UM will be extremely hard to replicate. He pulled UM off the heap of dying, blue blood programs and brought it back to unforeseen heights. Can be argued that he should be the highest paid in the business bec. with all of the shifts in CFB and the expectations that come with the UM HC job I don't know if I'd trust anyone else to pull off what he'd done.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
I don't think anyone is sanguine about the possibility of him leaving. I think most of us are just realists who see that year after year (with or without NCAA nonsense) he flirts with the NFL and clearly has an itch to eventually end up back there. Obviously most of us would love for him to finish his career here. But if he doesn't, it's not the end of the world thanks to how he's turned the program around.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
Exactly.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Are they sanguine about it or realistic that what Harbaugh wants isn't the deciding factor? The deciding factor is whether an NFL team will offer him a job.
August 14th, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^
It's been reported in a few places (including by Pate in the video here) that the Denver job was his if he wanted it.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:08 PM ^
I have no idea how Warde and the administration are handling this in Harbaugh's opinion, but I would have to believe a lukewarm defense or caving in to the NCAA would intensify those JH -> San Diego rumors.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
Funny comparison of Jim Harbaugh to Pam Beesly. I hope Jim does get that raise eventually!
August 14th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^
the better comp is Gabe to the NCAA. The whole not knowing if he has any authority and people going around him all the time.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:06 PM ^
Don't know who Josh Pate is, but I do like the analogy of the NCAA essentially being Gabe from The Office-- out of touch and spineless. I'm not super plugged in on this whole nonsensical situation, but from what I know it seems to me the interactions between Harbaugh and the NCAA *did* go down like that conversation with Pam, where Harbaugh called their bluff and refused to admit to lying like they wanted him to. But then the NCAA got the burger receipt from the AD, and instead of having Harbaugh's back, Warde caved and started negotiating with these clowns.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:12 PM ^
As someone who is personally acquainted with a good number of those mouth-breathing KU fans, I can hardly wait to be a spectator for the aftermath!
August 14th, 2023 at 1:50 PM ^
They are still VERY bitter about that Sweet Sixteen game. I was in at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. a few years ago and had a Kansas fan yell "Fuck Michigan" at me when he saw my hat.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:09 PM ^
We didn't brick those FTs for them.
August 14th, 2023 at 9:15 PM ^
You mean the ones by the guy that whacked McGary in the sack? Yeah, I'm glad it was that dude who bricked them. We'll call it even.
August 14th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
That's weird. They've blown a lot of tourney games as the favorite over the last 20 years ... do they hate all the teams that upset them?
August 15th, 2023 at 9:56 AM ^
"Does Kansas hate all the teams that upset them?"
I believe the correct answer is - Yes, absolutely, all the time, and forever.
Kansas also feels they should not be challenged by any entity for their history of brown bagging, improper agreements / references / signings, etc.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
I can report from Leawood KS the threat is real. KU Fan wants this to be what they want in the worst way.
Forever beautiful.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
Where are you in Kansas? I'm in Wichita. I think there are like 2 other Michigan fans in this city.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:53 PM ^
I'm just outside Topeka. My wife grew up here, so that's why we eventually ended up in this area after living in several other states. My folks went to UM and I was born in AA, but I grew up in Florida for the most part, so I'm used to being a pretty lonely fan. There are several mgobloggers just in Topeka though...and I'm pretty sure at least two or three that live in Wichita. Are you planning on going to the Nebraska game by chance? I took my son two years ago, and we went to the Iowa game last year. It's such a rare treat to only drive a couple hours to a game.
August 14th, 2023 at 6:35 PM ^
Yes, I am! We took our 3 kids (then 7, 4, and 1) and the fans were very nice. Going again this year.
August 14th, 2023 at 6:41 PM ^
Not sure if the whole fam is going this year but some of us are. Haven't bought tickets yet. You?
August 14th, 2023 at 10:00 PM ^
It all depends on the youth soccer schedule. My dad (who is responsible for me being a fan to begin with) will be in town that weekend from Charlotte, so I would LOVE to make it a 3 generation event. If I end up going, I'll come back to this thread and let you know. An mgoblog meet-up would be great in Lincoln!
August 15th, 2023 at 9:29 AM ^
Just email me at [email protected].
August 14th, 2023 at 8:47 PM ^
Envious of both of you. I'm another Kansas resident (Hoyt, just north of Topeka), but I won't be going anywhere for the Nebraska game, as my daughter will be getting married the following weekend. Mother of the bride isn't allowed to go gallivanting around when last-minute preparations are happening.
August 14th, 2023 at 10:02 PM ^
There will be more games in Lincoln:) Not quite like going to the Big House, but it's pretty damn fine football cathedral.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:05 PM ^
If the Nebraska game was not the weekend before the MN game would have made that trip but off to Minneapolis.
I have been to Hoyt for work - worse place to live for sure.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
LOL about going to Hoyt for work. There's a feed store, a combination pizza place and liquor store, a school, and not a lot else. I'm sure it did look like a miserable place to live, although their city park is really nice. I myself live a couple of miles out of town on 12 acres. The view is beautiful, and I'm close to a freeway that will get me where I'm going pretty quickly. It's not a bad existence.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
Leawood KS! Moved from Chicago (Rogers Park) in 95. God has blessed me.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
he failed to mention cheeseburgergate and dudek, both details making this story more absurd.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
What I'm not comfortable with is Warde Manuel choosing the next coach. It seems to me that he'll make sure to hire someone he can control. Brady Hoke 2.0? Harbaugh has always known his own value and he has always been his own man. I'm not sure how much support he is getting from Warde on this issue, or whether Warde was the reason contract negotiations were stalled last year, but I've never gotten the feeling he was fully behind Jim. Whatever happened with Ono stepping in and saying a deal would get done? Any optimism I had from that statement is long gone.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:39 PM ^
I'm curious - is he correct when he states that Harbaugh was offered the Denver job, and simply didn't want it?
August 14th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor, Mich., this week to meet in person with Jim Harbaugh about the team's head coaching job, according to sources informed of their situation. - from NFL.com
I don't know that he was offered, but they sure seemed interested. I recall that the job was not a great opportunity for various reasons.
August 14th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
Not sure i would want to coach mr. unlimited [diarrhea] either.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
Do Kansas fans even know what football is? Surprising they would care about Harbaugh.
August 14th, 2023 at 3:55 PM ^
They want Michigan to fail at all things, so that's the heart of it. Believe me, it gets worse during basketball season.
August 14th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^
I just hope college football fans see what is happening to our beautiful Game. A governing entity has INDICTED a sitting coach over "cheeseburgers". NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER LET THIS STAND!
August 14th, 2023 at 4:50 PM ^
When die-hard suckeyes and sthpartan dawgsth are defending Michigan, you know the situation is some grade-A bullsheeeit.
August 14th, 2023 at 5:45 PM ^
Mean while back on the ranch the SEC continues to LIE and CHEAT for decades an the corrupt NCAA does NOTHING
August 14th, 2023 at 6:16 PM ^
Can someone write what he said that was relevant? Don't feel like opening up a video.
August 14th, 2023 at 7:29 PM ^
Nothing would make me happier than to see us win the National Championship and have Harbaugh slip in a cheeseburger reference with a big smirk during the trophy ceremony.
August 14th, 2023 at 7:38 PM ^
A fun listen. Thanks for posting…
August 15th, 2023 at 9:59 AM ^
It also appears two individuals associated with the SEC have sent shots across Michigan's proverbial bow.
Both Pete Finebaum and Lane Kiffin raised this issue of the NCAA. Finebaum shared his views on ESPN and Kiffin retweeted the link to an ESPN article.
Here's to hoping the team - "takes complete care of business" - during conference play and the post season.