What if we find out *FOR SURE* that Ross is helping Michigan get Harbaugh

I think all you guys have to do is look at the fact Harbaugh took less money than was reported (so he could build a strong staff) and all of his comments today during the press conference, and in interviews and I think that says all you need to know. This is what Jim Harbaugh wanted. University of Michigan. Not Miami. Apparently he wanted the Michigan job before even going to San Fran but the AD at the time scrubbed that. Can we stop with this now?

 

reports on foxsports radio are that oakland offered harbaugh crazy amounts of money and he turned it down as well. i think like you said he wanted to go back to michigan where he answers to nobody and he alone has all the power to make choices. i have no doubt down the road he will still want to comeback to the NFL to get that ring.

 

Perhaps but Ross doesn't sign his paycheck and Harbaugh has far more control now than Ross would have ever allowed him to have with the Dolphins.

 

Which is the exact reason likely that he was never interested in coming here.

If his issues in SF were power struggles with the GM, he has none of that in college. The decisions are all his. The talent selection through recruiting is all his. Everything is within his power there. The way things went today at that press conference, if he wanted the Wolverines to wear pink and purple this season instead of maize and blue, they'd probably have let him do that as well.

I simply believe, we were never a destination for him. Whether Ross asked or not, to me is irrelevant, and something we likely won't know, but I assume he would have since he tried getting him before.

 

He doesn't sign his paycheck, but he provides most of the money to his paycheck.


If he didn't want to work for Ross, he wouldn't have gone to Michigan.

Far more control goes with the nature of college football than the nature of professional sports. Even if Ross would give him all the control to the GM(which I believe is stupid) it would still be less control than college.

 

If Ross sees himself as a representative and supporter of the University of Michigan first and an NFL owner & money-maker second, I can totally understand that.

It may have put fans of the Miami Dolphins in a losing situation, but I have a very high level of respect for educational institutions and I don't fault a person for choosing to support their Alma Mater in times of trouble.

Maybe it's disappointing that such a weird coincidence happens where our owner is also Michigan's biggest supporter but I think we have to let that go and accept it.

From Ross' perspective, his Alma Mater got the best HC available and Ross himself was able to stand up in support of Philbin, Lazor and Tannehill at the same time. If I was sitting his chair, I would be patting myself on the back for having killed two birds with one stone.

Then again I don't have a problem saying that because I was never a fan of the Dolphins recruiting Harbaugh nor can I say that Stephen Ross has ever made a move that I can't wrap my head around.

 

This is what makes the most sense to me. If Harbaugh were not interested in the Michigan job, I think Ross would have gone all out to get him. I don't think he wanted to be the guy who ruined Michigan's bid. So, it might not be some nefarious plan, but Ross' position didn't help the team at all.

 

Don't forget all the hope he killed along with those birds.

I say that not because he didn't go after Harbaugh, but because he endorsed the present situation as a good one.

 

I wasn't aware Harbaugh was taking a job with the universities school of business. I thought he went there to be the head football coach. I have no doubt the school has plenty of supporters who donate large sums of money to Michigan.

I don't think the fact Ross is a large financial contributor to the university mattered to Harbaugh one bit when he made the decision to be the head coach of the football team. I think his statement that this was always his dream job was the reason he decided to return to college coaching.

He certainly could have stayed in the NFL and made more money and probably received the power to hire the GM for any team wanting to hire him.

I just hope for Harbaugh's sake and the fans, Ross stays as far away from the football team as possible at Michigan. We already know has much he can screw up an NFL franchise. God forbid how much damage he would do if he now decided to get involved with the football team at Michigan. Harbaugh should ask him to just stay in New York on game days.

 

There is way too much being made of Ross' affiliation with UM... Yes, he's a huge supporter of the program. Yes, he likely would have been interested in Harbaugh for Miami. However, it was pretty obvious by the way things ended up that Harbaugh was not interested in the NFL. This is his dream job for himself (being an alum) and for his family (or at least his perception of how his kids and family could have the kind of relationship with the school as he did). This was what he wanted several years ago, in fact... I think it's not worth blaming Ross for this one...this is about what Harbaugh wanted, not what Ross wanted to get out of it...

 

You're probably right. I didn't watch Harbaugh's press conference but it seems that what you're saying is what came across.

My only point was that I wouldn't necessarily blame a billionaire owner if he valued a few things more highly than others.

I can totally see the Dolphins HC situation not being the absolute #1 thing in the world to Stephen Ross now that Tannehill finally looks like a franchise QB.

I can get that.

 

Be serious. We all know the boosters are the ones with the real power at schools.

 

So your saying that if Ross wasn't a booster at Michigan, Harbaugh wouldn't be their coach at this time. To that I say hogwash.
Ross or no Ross, Harbaugh would still be the head coach at Michigan at this time.

 

I think that's pretty obvious. I'm not sure why people haven't accepted that yet.

 

I don't have any issue with Ross regarding Harbaugh, IF we found out that Harbaugh wanted to coach the Dolphins and he steered him away then thats an issue but i don't think that was the reality. If the Michigan job wasn't open i think we would have had a real shot at Harbaugh but i do think the lure of that job was just too much to pass on considering the money. Harbaugh can go there, turn the program around and then cherry pick a great nfl job when he's ready to come back, it was a no brainer to me.

 

No, I am saying if Ross was a problem for Harbaugh, he wouldn't be head coach at Michigan at this time.

 

I don't believe that for one moment, but I respect your opinion. So we will just have to agree to disagree on this particular issue.

Have a great New Year.

 

If Harbaugh was dead set on returning to college or at least not Miami, what is the harm? I'd rather he go coach the Wolverines than the Oakland Raiders.

I highly doubt Ross would help Harbaugh with Michigan if the Dolphins were a realistic possibility. After all, the Dolphins make Ross money. Michigan does not.