Sources: Resolution talks in NCAA's case vs. Michigan hit impasse over Jim Harbaugh's refusal to say he lied
A potential negotiated resolution in the NCAA infractions case involving the Michigan football program broke down this week after the NCAA demanded head coach Jim Harbaugh state that he lied to investigators, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.
It is generally challenging to prove someone knowingly lied without detailed contemporaneous evidence, which sources say the NCAA either lacks or simply doesn't exist.
If coaches on FBI wire taps openly talking about paying players (before NIL was a thing) isn’t “detailed contemporaneous evidence” Jim and UM need to tell NCAA to pound sand. Enough of this! Hang the banners!
January 19th, 2023 at 1:49 AM ^
The NCAA can go pound sand.
Fight it to the end unless they drop the level 1.
January 19th, 2023 at 8:41 AM ^
I'd argue that the ncaa needs to choke on the bag of dicks they should eat.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:29 AM ^
Username definitely checks out
January 19th, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^
Mangia!
January 19th, 2023 at 1:50 AM ^
HARBAUGH TO NCAA: DROP DEAD!
January 19th, 2023 at 1:59 AM ^
NCAA TO HARBAUGH: SHHH DON'T TELL ANYONE OUR SECRET, WE ALREADY ARE DEAD!
January 19th, 2023 at 9:45 AM ^
I approve of this historical reference.
January 19th, 2023 at 2:10 AM ^
Choke on a burger, NCAA!
January 19th, 2023 at 2:13 AM ^
This is turning into to the silliest, stupidest, nothing to see here fucking joke the NCAA has ever decided to sic their fucking chihuahuas on. Quit while your way, WAY, fucking behind. Michigan is one of your biggest brands fuckholes.
Harbs seems like the guy who remembers the name of every guy who he recruited, played for him, played with him, played against him, but doesn't remember what he ate for lunch two hours ago.
January 19th, 2023 at 8:01 PM ^
I’d submit that a payer exchanging his football trinket and jersey for a tattoo is still king in that category.
January 19th, 2023 at 2:26 AM ^
I hope they say he lied an Harbaugh sues them in federal court and makes them try to prove it.
January 19th, 2023 at 3:34 AM ^
Not to be that guy, but if Harbaugh somehow ended up suing the NCAA in federal court (not really sure what that claim would be), he would be the one with the burden of proof
January 19th, 2023 at 6:46 AM ^
Wouldn't defamation be the claim? I believe we have at least one attorney who posts here who handles defamation cases. They are often difficult cases to win.
Here, it sounds like the evidence against Harbaugh is scant at best. I'm sure Tom Mars can come up with something that will make the NCAA cringe when he files a complaint.
January 19th, 2023 at 7:48 AM ^
Defamation is hard to win (I am a law professor and, as luck would have it, I am in the middle of teaching defamation this week). He have the burden of proving that the things they said about him were false. And he would probably be treated as a "public figure," which means he would have the burden of proving "knowing or reckless falsity" (a.k.a. "malice") by the NCAA. And he would have to prove malice by clear and convincing evidence, which is a higher burden than the usual evidentiary standard in civil cases.
January 19th, 2023 at 8:43 AM ^
Fellow MgoLawprofs, unite!
January 19th, 2023 at 8:49 AM ^
I am not a LawProf, but I am more than willing to serve as your lackey -- just please don't sue me.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:48 AM ^
Then you have the question of damages. Unless the University low balls him because of the NCAA defamation going to be hard to establish.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:39 AM ^
A fair point, but Jim strikes me as the sort of guy who would sue for the principle of the matter. And he wouldn't need to show special damages, so he might get something anyway.
January 19th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
A lot of rich lawyers due to "spite" suits by wealthy clients!
January 19th, 2023 at 9:58 AM ^
Doesn’t work that way.
January 19th, 2023 at 3:16 AM ^
The NCAA is Dark Helmet from Spaceballs; lots of alleged power and a mountain of stupidity. I’m certain that their luggage password is 1-2-3-4-5 as well.
January 19th, 2023 at 5:11 AM ^
Fools. Everyone knows a luggage password should contain upper case, lower case, and special characters.
January 19th, 2023 at 7:16 AM ^
And at least 10 characters.
January 19th, 2023 at 8:31 AM ^
Character. NCAA.
Mutually exclusive terms.
January 19th, 2023 at 6:33 AM ^
I suspect the combination is 0-0-0-0-0.
January 19th, 2023 at 8:41 AM ^
President Skroob is the one with 1-2-3-4-5 on his luggage. Dark Helmet is the one that pointed out it was idiotic. Dark Helmet’s problems generally are less that he’s particularly stupid, but that he’s “surrounded by Assholes”.
January 19th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
To his credit, Dark Helmet’s Schwartz was as big as Lone Star’s. He just didn’t use it as well.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:24 AM ^
The NCAA response to Harbaugh's refusal to say he lied..."keep firing assholes!"
January 19th, 2023 at 5:15 AM ^
Ncaa needs to eat shit and be glad they can still cover expenses. They’re toothless at this point. To get Harbaugh means they better be dragging the national champions and every SEC team in along side of him. Warde obviously was nutless in this whole thing which I believe caused all this drama. I see Santa having Harbaughs back on this making Warde the odd man out.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:46 AM ^
Manuel is auditioning for a job with the NCAA which is why he’s doing his best impression of a feckless, empty suit. It’s actually a match made in heaven. Die on wrong hill, make it all about you, to justify your existence, and try to retain some semblance of power.
January 19th, 2023 at 5:44 AM ^
So the NCAA is demanding that he admit to lying even though they have no evidence that he lied. That's beyond ridiculous. And all the infractions are violations of pointless and arbitrary rules. The NCAA is a corrupt and evil institution. It doesn't adequately punish extremely serious infractions and then it does this nonsense. UofM and Harbaugh should stand firm against this BS.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
I agree with all of this. And yet, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the NCAA tried to hit UM with a post-season ban in a last gasp attempt at relevancy and legitimacy.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:25 AM ^
"Show me a person, and I'll show you their crime" - Lavrenti Beria, NCAA Head of Investigations.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:27 AM ^
Underratred comment.
Speaking of Beria, watch The Death of Stalin if you haven't yet. Very funny movie.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
Casting Buscemi as Khrushchev was brilliant. I was also fond of the blowhard guy they cast as Zhukov. Fabulous movie. +1 for you, sir!
January 19th, 2023 at 11:01 AM ^
Seconded. It is an awesome and hilarious movie. Jason Isaacs’ portrayal of Zhukov is pure genius.
January 19th, 2023 at 6:37 AM ^
Good for Jim! The NCAA has been one of the most corrupt and greedy organizations around for decades. Screw them and it sound like Jim is taking the UP YOURS approach.
January 19th, 2023 at 6:55 AM ^
Make 7
January 19th, 2023 at 6:53 AM ^
Don’t worry guys…Warde’s on it
January 19th, 2023 at 7:09 AM ^
He's taking his lauded Silent Panther ™️ behind the scenes approach - I hear it's absolutely punishing!
January 19th, 2023 at 7:39 AM ^
Where exactly do you think this source of information came from, that enabled a highly favorable piece to be written? The NCAA is getting drubbed in public opinion as details about this investigation are made "public".
January 19th, 2023 at 6:56 AM ^
I haven't looked into the details much, so this may sound silly, but what is the NCAA's motivation here? Do they think Michigan will be (stupidly) "ethical" here and play ball with them so that they can show the world that they sometimes punish the big guys?
For the authoritarians who might jump in and ask what the NCAA is supposed to do if someone breaks rules, please refer to the basketball programs of Arizona and Kansas. (I have other examples ready.) There effectively aren't any rules.
January 19th, 2023 at 7:06 AM ^
Historically we're exactly that program and that's how the NCAA gets punishments to happen. The NCAA's toothlessness in the last two decades came as schools started fighting on even the most egregious stuff (Arizona, Kansas, Nassar, UNC's academic fraud)
January 19th, 2023 at 7:44 AM ^
All those cases have written the playbook for UM on how to respond. The initial step was an offer to settle on picayune ground, admitting wrongdoing to some minor offense. When the NCAA doesn't play ball, the next step is to withdraw all prior admissions of guilt, and begin fighting every last molecule of NCAA's oxygen in the allegation. I guess, from the NCAA point of view, they will be hoping for a different result.
January 19th, 2023 at 1:11 PM ^
Michigan has been a self righteous sucker in the past, so the NCAA does have reason to expect the same.
January 19th, 2023 at 6:56 AM ^
The NCAA can politely piss off... they are such a joke
January 19th, 2023 at 8:35 AM ^
Yes, even FIFA and the IOC laugh at them.
January 19th, 2023 at 7:05 AM ^
The NCAA is a travesty of a mockery of a sham.
I don’t blame Jim at all for refusing to give in on that.
January 19th, 2023 at 7:20 AM ^
A true traveshamockery!
January 19th, 2023 at 7:19 AM ^
Never, ever admit this formally to said body especially if you don't believe you did. Why would you hand an unethical organization with a vendetta (apparently) a noose? Let them twist in the wind or play their hand for the weak sauce it is!