04/23/24
October 17, 2011
49ers, Lions Head Coaches Botch Post-Game Handshake: After the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the previously undefeated Detroit Lions 25-19 at their house, the head coaches nearly ignited a post-game brawl over their handshake. "I shook his hand too hard," said 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, whose team climbed to 5-1. Lions coach Jim Schwartz claimed Harbaugh yelled an obscenity at him. "There’s a protocol that goes with this league," he said. In other week 6 games, Tampa laid out New Orleans and coach Sean Peyton, New England downed Dallas with a last-minute touchdown and Philadelphia won a game.
The bye week really helped Rex.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 09:33 AM on October 17, 2011
My money is on Schwartz in that battle
I would take Harbaugh, hands down.
posted by Debo270 at 10:09 AM on October 17, 2011
Both Schwartz and Harbaugh get that Bruce Dern look in their eyes, so it might come down to who happened to have more energy when the go moment presented itself. Cage these two up with Todd Haley in a three for all and watch the fun begin.
There were post-game Harbaugh apologists quick to downplay or dismiss the episode, but Harbaugh has a habit of getting involved in ugly situations, so I think it's more of the same low class modus operandi on his part.
Anyone in the Niners organization who is bothered by how he conducts himself will likely accept it as a justifiable price to pay for the success they're having.
Before it's all over out in that fantabulous West division, Harbaugh is going to end up doing to Pete Carroll what Spurrier did to Philip Fulmer.
posted by beaverboard at 10:56 AM on October 17, 2011
I can't figure out the Cowboys. They were good enough to beat the Jets and Patriots and had the Lions beat, but managed to drop all three. They could still put it together and win the weak NFC East.
posted by rcade at 11:55 AM on October 17, 2011
There was an ESPN blogger putting this all on Schwartz, but I don't understand it. To me, the most confusing part about Schwartz's behavior is that he didn't immediately spin and pop Harbaugh in the mush once the backslap came in.
posted by yerfatma at 12:10 PM on October 17, 2011
McNabb goes 19 of 24 with 3 drops and 1 intentional throw away and he gets pulled. Poor guy has really become the sponge for all ineptitude around him since leaving Philly.
Wonder what the Vikings next move is now that they've thrown the towel in on 2011. Better Luck next year?
posted by cixelsyd at 12:23 PM on October 17, 2011
Wonder what the Vikings next move is now that they've thrown the towel in on 2011. Better Luck next year?
Ponder is decent and it is obvious Mcnabb isnt the answer. better to see what ytou have going forward. This is the same reason I think Tebow should get his chance.
posted by Debo270 at 12:35 PM on October 17, 2011
I've seen a few Cowboys games this season and I think I can count on one hand the amount of time the networks show Jason Garrett on camera. Instead they insist on showing Rob Ryan's handsome mug after just about every defensive play.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:29 PM on October 17, 2011
McNabb goes 19 of 24 with 3 drops and 1 intentional throw away and he gets pulled.
The numbers weren't bad but watching the game he looked hapless. He was running scared out there and the completions were either check downs or short routes that were so badly thrown that the receiver had nowhere to go after the catch. Though, I was mostly watching the Brewers get ended so maybe I missed some of the better completions.
posted by tron7 at 01:58 PM on October 17, 2011
Tebow should get his chance
Proclaim Tebow the starter and trade your best player to a team also in the Luck sweepstakes - shrewd. 1 and 15 still might not be good enought to trump the Dolphins.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:01 PM on October 17, 2011
I would take Harbaugh, hands down.
Agreed. Did anyone else happen to notice how much more aggressive Schwartz got once he had a few people BETWEEN Harbaugh and himself?
the most confusing part about Schwartz's behavior is that he didn't immediately spin and pop Harbaugh in the mush once the backslap came in
I think the above comment explains that one.
I can't figure out the Cowboys. They were good enough to beat the Jets and Patriots and had the Lions beat, but managed to drop all three.
I'm honestly ready to quite watching. You see those ads on ESPN where everyone's jumping and celebrating in their living rooms while watching the NFL? Garbage. It's absolute misery in my house every weekend, NFL and NCAA. I wish I could quit caring; I really do.
posted by SooperJeenyus at 02:28 PM on October 17, 2011
Did anyone else happen to notice how much more aggressive Schwartz got once he had a few people BETWEEN Harbaugh and himself?
Not really. He threw a shoulder into Harbaugh before that. My money's on the former linebacker over the former quarterback. One slap to the head and Harbaugh would be looking for the flag.
posted by rcade at 02:32 PM on October 17, 2011
once he had a few people BETWEEN Harbaugh and himself?
Nope. It looked like he turned away until his head processed what had actually happened. Kind of like, "Nah, couldn't be . . . wait a sec!"
posted by yerfatma at 03:08 PM on October 17, 2011
Schwartz mouths "What the fuck?" right after the shake-and-slap.
posted by grum@work at 04:08 PM on October 17, 2011
posted by apoch at 04:33 PM on October 17, 2011
I can't figure out the Cowboys. They were good enough to beat the Jets and Patriots and had the Lions beat, but managed to drop all three. They could still put it together and win the weak NFC East.
A few random thoughts about Tony Romo after his game vs New England:
Romo under pressure threw about 3 passes that were in the "Oh, God, I hope that one hits the grass" variety. There were some wounded ducks in the air, and had NE defenders been a bit closer, they would have been picked.
What Romo did or did not do in the game is not as significant as what he was allowed to do. On Dallas's next-to-last possession, leading by 3 after a NE 3-and-out, Dallas runs the ball 3 times, with the last coming on 3rd and 18. Running a draw in that situation is equivalent to waving a white flag. There were more than 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the game. I don't care how well Ryan's defense was playing, handing Brady the ball in this situation just begs for trouble. It was obvious here that Jason Garrett just flat out doesn't trust his QB.
I saw one replay that showed a close-up of Romo as he was throwing a pass. For the life of me, I can't remember any details of the play, save for the fact that Romo got the pass away in the face of pressure. Romo was about to be hit, and just as he finished his follow through he closed his eyes and grimaced. This tells me that he is still mighty afraid of being hit, and is likely to put the ball in the air just to avoid it. A scared QB is a losing QB.
posted by Howard_T at 05:58 PM on October 17, 2011
he closed his eyes and grimaced
Earlier Romo had taken a sack rather than throw it up for grabs or cough up a fumble and I thought "hey, he's finally learning".
That was a few minutes before the eyes closed heave ... guess not.
posted by cixelsyd at 07:40 PM on October 17, 2011
Romo was about to be hit, and just as he finished his follow through he closed his eyes and grimaced. This tells me that he is still mighty afraid of being hit, and is likely to put the ball in the air just to avoid it. A scared QB is a losing QB.
I can't speak from experience, but I would assume getting hit while suffering/recovering from broken ribs would not be the most pleasant experience. His reaction seems reasonable to me.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:25 PM on October 17, 2011
Mack Brown and some other college coaches care so little about sportsmanship they think the post-game handshake should be abolished.
posted by rcade at 08:50 AM on October 18, 2011
I'm sure a lot of coaches hate the handshake, but post-game on the field is typically such an energized, free-form moment. If you took that orchestrated attempt at civility and order out of the mix, the chances might increase that some (more) post-game swarms would degenerate into rumbles.
The thing about Harbaugh that I find irksome is not so much his initial conduct - he's a driven, competitive guy caught up in gameday situations. It's more his tendency afterward to come off wondering which part of his being an asshole someone might find problematic.
I still think that Harbaugh leaving Stanford constitutes messing with God's plan. It was so...satisfying having Harbaugh snugly nestled in the same conference with Kiffin and Neuheisel. And what the heck, might as well throw Dennis Erickson in there too.
posted by beaverboard at 09:30 AM on October 18, 2011
Harbaugh seems like another Brad Childress in the making. He'll be fine as long as they're winning, but after that the owners will suddenly realize they've never liked that asshole. Remember when he punched Jim Kelly for remarks he made as a broadcaster?
I heard some of Harbaugh's postgame talk to players this morning, though, and it was fun to hear how much the Niners have bought into it.
posted by rcade at 09:36 AM on October 18, 2011
Schwartz reacted to Harbaugh's immaturity with his own childishness. The guy who stays cool is always respected; that's what adults do. Schwartz' actions may motivate his players and fans, and that may be all it takes in football, but leadership it ain't. He lost his temper after he allowed this boorish child Harbaugh to get the better of him. It goes without saying that Harbaugh acted like a punk. Schwartz, when tested, proved himself no better.
posted by Hugh Janus at 09:48 AM on October 18, 2011
My money is on Schwartz in that battle. He looked like he was going to kill Harbaugh.
I don't know what to make of Tampa Bay. One week they are getting destroyed by the 49ers, the next week they are beating New Orleans. I can't figure out if they are good or not.
The Eagles still tried to lose that game. If you have a QB going in for a play or two that hasn't played for quite some time, why throw at your own game line. They couldn't have called a running play? Luckily for the Eagles, Grossman reverted to the real Grossman.