This really doesn’t have much to do with the San Francisco 49ers currently, since it’s now three coaches later, but it still provides me with a bit of amusement. The Big Ten Network announced they have suspended analyst Braylon Edwards for violation of the network’s social media guidelines. What exactly did Edwards violate? Why he took a few jabs at Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh didn’t have himself a good weekend. He played against Notre Dame and what started out as a potential thumping against the Wolverines, turned into a moment where it looked like they might win the game. Unfortunately, a fumble during the two minute drill sealed their fate and the Fighting Irish walked out with a win. It actually doesn’t look good for Harbaugh as a coach in general, but we won’t go into that here.
Edwards said a few things that led to Harbaugh saying a few things, and the story ended with Edwards getting suspended from the Big Ten Network. The thing is, this has been going on for awhile, and I’d venture a guess it started in San Francisco.
When Harbaugh was hired in 2011 to coach the 49ers, it was Trent Baalke’s finest, and maybe only hour of assembling some good free agents. There was Carlos Rogers, Jonathan Goodwin, and Donte Whitner, to name a few. Braylon Edwards was also a part of that mix, seen as an experiment.
It didn’t go well. Edwards was waived in late December after getting a cool 181 yards in just nine games and that was all the 49ers saw of him. Perhaps Edwards wasn’t too happy with the way he was used, and the way Harbaugh treated him when he was one of Harbaugh’s players. There’s nothing to confirm this besides my own speculation, but one has to wonder if this ‘feud’ began in San Francisco.
Edwards’ criticism of Harbaugh didn’t begin with the game over the weekend, he’s been vocal about Harbaugh’s coaching at Michigan (Edwards’ alma mater) for quite some time. Enough to make one wonder if that 2011 appearance has something influencing the vitriol coming out on social media.
In any case, I found it rather amusing that these two can’t play nice and it probably started on the 49ers’ field.