The majority of supporters seem to agree that Harbaugh should be punished if it can be demonstrated that rules were breached, but this conference’s decision was made too soon. Many have already expressed their thoughts about the team searching elsewhere for a conference to attend. There are rumors that university regents may have started these conversations already.
“I’ve talked to him quite a bit. I have a lot of opinions on it, obviously. I’m his brother, you know? I’m proud as heck of him. I’m really impressed with the way he’s handled himself through all of this. I mean, it’s been a long run, and about everything that can be done – his phones, his computers, all that stuff has been looked at, and he’s come through this thing with flying colors. They really have…you know…I don’t know what they’re trying to get, but they don’t have anything of substance. I just think I’m proud of him. I think it’s a
really compliment to our family, and to him – something for us to be proud of. And his kids can see this, you know? You get in this kind of situation where you come under fire for whatever reasons, and you come out in a really good place doing the right thing all the time. And I’m really proud of that, and I think it’s great for our family, the kids, and it’s just a great blessing in that sense. He’s a great man, he’s a great coach, his players love him, his coaches love him, and he stands tall through all of this.
While it isn’t necessarily surprising for for John to provide a ringing endorsement for his brother Jim, it’s noteworthy that he mentioned they (presumably the NCAA) have gone through Jim’s computers and phones, and they’ve come up empty handed. In fact, the Big Ten indicated that they haven’t found any evidence that would indicated Jim Harbaugh participated or had any knowledge of the sign-stealing scandal caused by the actions of former staffer Connor Stalions – but that didn’t stop the conference from issuing a three-game suspension for Harbaugh on Friday.
Although John is focused on coaching the Ravens this Thursday against the Bengals in primetime, he was asked if there’s a chance that he could be watching the game with his brother this weekend somewhere in Maryland. “I don’t know, I don’t know,” Harbaugh said with a grin. “Let’s get through Thursday night and see where we’re at, but I’ll definitely be pulling for him and the whole team on Saturday for sure. But yea, we’re thinking about Thursday night one hundred percent.”
It’s certainly a possibility that Jim will make the trip to Maryland with his team, but it remains to be seen whether or not a court will grant an injunction against the Big Ten that would allow him to return to the sidelines. That court proceeding is set to take place on Friday, so the Wolverines will once again be within a 24-hour window of gametime before knowing whether or not their head coach will be on the sidelines this Saturday.
