Good morning everyone. I really have made an effort to not talk Jim Harbaugh this off season aside from matters that directly relate to the 49ers. So despite the fact that he has been all over the news in various ways over the past several months, I haven't touched it. But yesterday was a little different and I decided since there really isn't anything interesting going on that we would talk Harbaugh.
So anyways, yesterday morning Jim Harbaugh was on Colin Cowherds's radio show and gave the traditional Jim Harbaugh/Colin Kaepernick one word or sentence answers that we all know the media loves. It got so awkward that Colin actually hung up on him. Later in the day he threw out the first pitch at the Tigers game and what I noticed was that the only changes to his attire from what it always is, was that he was wearing a Tigers Jersey over his black sweater and a tigers hat. Is Jim Harbaugh purposely turning into a cartoon character of himself?
It makes sense. In college, recruiting is everything and in recruiting, profile is everything. I remember when Lane Kiffin was at Tennessee and made an ass out of himself several times in front of cameras. He was incredibly transparent about his motives after he left for USC and those motives were to raise the profile of the university by keeping it in the news. I doubt Jim would ever admit it, but he is doing the exact same thing. Michigan Football is in mainstream sports headlines seemingly every week. Whether it's Jim playing a pickup game shirts and skins or reportedly trying to get one of his players to medically retire to free up a scholarship, Michigan football is always in the news. The question is, is this just who he is, or is this carefully calculated neuroticism? To the links!
Final Section of Candlestick Park Comes down (49ers)
The art of the Harbaugh interview (Maiocco)
Niners' Bush Could be Impact Player on Punt Returns (NBC)