If not, that’s a lot of ignorance then, especially if he had unintentionally broke pre-season etiquette earlier. That’s just too unlikely for me. His brother’s a head coach. How would he not be aware or at least not have an assistant to whisper in his ear? He wasn’t honestly apologetic afterwards. It seems to me that Harbaugh just doesn’t give a fuck. I think he believes his way is best and to hell with what the NFL coaches club has laid down as president before he got there. It’s working so far, I just don’t get how handing out ammo is a good move for the future.
Most of the players were laughing. Honestly I think players from both teams loved the tussle. Think about these two teams and the head coaches they have had before Harbaugh and Schwartz. We are talking about a murderer’s row of incompetence and either apathy or misplaced emotion.
Christ if I were a Lions or Niners player of any appreciable length of tenure I’d take a bullet for these guys and today’s shenanigans would only cement that loyalty.
Also
I don’t either but thanks to New Orleans blitzing SF to Hell and gone in that game, Harbaugh eventually overhauled how the Niners react to a blitz and now they are one of the best teams in the league at beating the blitz.
Shadarr
3344
Exactly. If Payton was trying to teach Harbaugh a lesson, I don’t think Harbaugh learned the lesson Payton was was trying to teach.
Harbaugh has every right to be amped up after a win like that, because he out-coached Schwartz and company. They sacked Stafford five times in one game, who had only been sacked six times in the previous five games. They held Megatron without a touchdown, when he had scored nine times in five games. They ran right at Suh and the much-vaunted D-line and gashed them for 200 yards, mostly with one specially designed play which they ran four times or so and the Lions had no answer for. And at the end of the game, when it was do-or-die time for the Lions (who previously had been a fourth quarter offense) the defense held for a four-and-out, twice.
If Schwartz is pissed about the handshake, he’s not learning the right lesson because he just got taken to school by a rookie head coach.
sluggo
3345
I think that’s probably the most significant thing that will ultimately come out of this. The players on both teams will look at their head coaches and think, “my coach is ready to run through walls for us, so I’ll do the same for him.”
Zuwadza
3346
The current playoff standings one third of the way through the season. Looks a hell of a lot different than last year’s playoffs.
I’m really surprised at the Saints this year. They look really good on offense for the most part but they seem to be getting worse in the end zone, where they typically play really well. They’ve also been getting hit really hard by penalties which is, again, very unlike the Saints. Their running game looks a hell of a lot better than last year though, so I feel good about that.
On defense they look downright mediocre. Run defense is starting to come together a little, which is good, but the pass defense looks pretty bad, especially on third down. I’m cautiously optimistic about this season, but it’s hard to think they can make it far in the playoffs like this.
I don’t think Harbaugh has the right to be amped up like a 15-year old, running around chest-bumping players and probably telling Schwartz how he just beat his ass. He’s a coach. He’s supposed to act like one. Something really similar happened to some guy named Josh McDaniel… you know, the former coach of the Broncos. After starting off the season amazingly well and finally beating the Patriots, he pranced around like an idiot and didn’t even bother shaking Belichek’s hand (I don’t care for him either but whatever). What happened? Oh yeah, turns out McDaniel was a chump. And let’s not forget Harbaugh post-game ambushing of Pete Carroll a few years back when they trounced USC. Harbaugh had made it personal for absolutely no reason other than to make it personal.
Harbaugh has every right to be happy. But he should act like a man, not a man-child.
— Alan
Uhhhh Schwartz celebrates like that after every win, what’s that make him?
Oh come on. Pete Carroll ran up the score every chance he could and couldn’t take it when it finally happened to him. He’s the one who took it personally.
No question. Schwartz should do likewise.
Lorini
3349
So what’s Harbaugh going to do when the Niner’s make the playoffs in a game that actually means something? Slam the opposing head coach into the ground and start jumping on him?
C’mon, 5 wins is nice. But it’s just not that big of a deal. That game wasn’t even a divisional game. Harbaugh was over the top.
Lorini
3350
So should the Raiders sign David Garraud or trade for Kyle Orton? Apparently the Broncos are willing to trade Orton for a draft pick. Also the Raider blog mentioned that Vince Young could be available to the Raiders?? I don’t understand how that could work.
If you don’t think that game meant something, you don’t understand professional football very well (and I know you do).
The Hell it isn’t. It’s a very big deal. He overreacted no question. I doubt he will make a habit of it or up the ante to the absurd level you are suggesting. Holy crap he celebrated winning a tough game. The overreaction to his overreaction is astounding.
Meanwhile, Jerreh isn’t pleased.
Lorini
3353
But Bill, it makes the game about him and not about the game and that’s just not good. He should be slapping his players on the back, not the opposing coach.
And see, that’s why I like Hue Jackson so much. He understands what a big game really is and realizes that yes, the Raiders haven’t been 4-2 in nearly 10 years, but who cares? That’s not the point. The point for the both the Raiders and the Niners is to get into the playoffs. They can win all these types of games (no QB, road game against perfect team) all they want but if they are home watching other teams in the playoffs, these games are meaningless.
And certainly Schwartz should have just walked away, he’s no victim either.
I’m definitely not saying Schwartz isn’t a victim, though in this exact case his reaction to Harbaugh is I’d say 20% justified and 80% stupid. But Harbaugh was the instigator.
Yeah I know USC killed Stanford, but everyone killed Stanford back then. Harbaugh made it personal simply because he could.
— Alan
Scuzz
3355
He probably was and admitted as much afterwards. But from everything I have heard that is part of the package you get with Harbaugh.
Oh, I know. I won’t say any different. You know they were both on the Ravens staff back in the late 90s. Maybe he got confused! (Probably not) Anyway, I don’t think he was deliberately trying to get in Schwartz’ face about winning the game.
If they win all these games they won’t be home during the playoffs. Also you better believe Harbaugh and his staff knows what a big game is. This was a big game. That 4th down TD slant catch by Delanie Walker to win the game was written for this game.
I hope they meet in the playoffs. That would be hilarious.
Pete Carroll was the one who was confrontational about the game after it was over, not Jim. He just didn’t sit there and take it, either.
DT1
3358
ESPN is saying Brandon Lloyd has been traded to the Rams. (I wish the Texans had made an effort towards Lloyd.)
Sarkus
3359
What draft picks? Seriously, the Raiders are down to a 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th for the next draft. Do you want them trading any of them for Orton, who isn’t signed after this season?
Shadarr
3360
Here’s Jim Schwartz being classy during the game. If he’s a victim of anything, he’s a victim of karma.
Yeah I know USC killed Stanford, but everyone killed Stanford back then. Harbaugh made it personal simply because he could.
Apparently you need a refresher on the sequence of events. Carroll ran up the score on everybody, including Stanford. After turning the program around, Harbaugh ran up the score on USC. After the game, Carroll said “What’s your deal?” and Harbaugh responded “What’s your deal?”.
So, where in there is Harbaugh “making it personal”. He had a chance to make a statement against a division rival and a national champion and he took it. Running up the score isn’t exactly uncommon in college. That’s not personal. Do you think any coach of Oregon State would take his foot off the gas if he had a lead over Oregon in the Civil War? Not fucking likely.
