49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh took some time on Friday to chat with KNBR, and had a whole host of comments. You can listen to the entire 11:38 interview over at KNBR.com.
It was an interesting discussion as Coach Harbaugh discussed a whole host of content. The first half of the interview focused on what he has brought to the team and how things changed. Coach Harbaugh takes a very small amount of credit for the mindset, which is interesting on its own. He has been quick to deflect praise and this is one of the few times we'll hear him acknowledge some doing.
The best comment had to be at 7:09 when he was discussing how there is a fun environment in Santa Clara and that the team works hard, but likes to have a good time. At the 7:09 mark he tells a joke about a cucumber and a mushroom. The hosts don't give it its proper due, but it's an entertaining punchline.
The most talked about portion of the interview was Coach Harbaugh stating that Michael Crabtree has the best hands he's ever seen. Whatever your take on Crabtree's hands, Matt Barrows made an interesting point: could Crabtree be getting the 2012 version of the Alex Smith treatment?
In 2011, Jim Harbaugh lavished praise on Smith throughout the offseason and into the regular season. Considering Smith dealt with so much negativity for the first six years of his career, and Coach Harbaugh had to know his options were limited heading into last year due to the lockout, the praise made sense.
With Crabtree, he showed improvement last year and is working through a healthy offseason for the first time as a pro. If he can stay healthy through training camp and into the season, that alone would seem to be enough to get him even further along as a wide receiver. However, it is interesting to consider what some Harbaugh love can do for him.