It's Time For The Old Jim Harbaugh To Return
The version of Jim Harbaugh that Michigan fans have been treated to over the last four years isn't the same version that Michigan fans came to love during his first two years. Harbaugh burst on the scene in Ann Arbor in much the same way he arrived at both Stanford and San Francisco - as a fiery sideline personality whose emotions would often spill over in spectacular fashion. These days, Harbaugh appears far more calm and reserved - a difference that hasn't gone unnoticed among the fan base.
The noticeable difference in Harbaugh's sideline demeanor has caused many to question which version of Harbaugh will return to the sidelines in 2021. Knowing full well that his job and legacy are both in jeapordy, fans are eager to see Harbaugh return to the man that Michigan hired back in 2015 - regardless of the cost.
It was October 8th, 1995 when Harbaugh first heard someone refer to him as “Captain Comeback”. Trailing the Miami Dolphins 24-3 at the half, Harbaugh engineered a stunning second half comeback – throwing for 3 touchdowns to lead to Indianapolis Colts to a 27-24 victory. When asked about the nickname (one previously reserved for Hall of Fame QB Roger Staubach) Harbaugh responded, “I liked it. Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t anybody? Who wouldn’t?”
From that moment on, the nickname stuck and became part of Jim Harbaugh's MO. It didn’t matter what the circumstances were or what the scoreboard said, everyone that competed with (and against) Jim Harbaugh knew that he was going to fight you until the clock read 0:00 – and quite possibly beyond that.
Zack Crockett, a former full-back for the Indianapolis Colts, saw the competitive nature of Harbaugh first hand:
“Jim was getting knocked out and he’s staggering on the field almost like in a boxing match,” said Crockett. “When you see a guy that lays it on the line like Jim did, you as a player, you have no excuse. None. You just go out and say, ‘I’m gonna give my all just like he did.’”
That, in a nutshell, was Jim Harbaugh – the ultimate competitor. The California kid from Palo Alto had built his entire football career on competitiveness and toughness, something that carried over into his early coaching career.
It was rumored that Jim Harbaugh once gave a pregame speech to his 2007 team at Stanford, during which he told the players that he wanted to play so badly that he wanted their blood on him if they bled during the game. The Stanford players took this as little more than hyperbole. However, when right tackle Chris Marinelli ran off the field during the game and showed Harbaugh his arm (which had been cut during the drive), the Stanford players found out just how serious Jim Harbaugh was.
Harbaugh a man of his word, the ultimate competitor, did exactly what he said he was going to do. He (Harbaugh) rubbed his hand across Marinelli’s arm, then spread the blood all over his own face like war paint.
“(Harbaugh is) standing on the sideline with the offensive line, really jacked up, screaming, yelling, jumping around with blood smeared on his face,” said Chase Beeler, one of the team’s offensive linemen.
To be sure, Jim Harbaugh is not everyone’s cup of tea. His demanding personality and quirkiness can wear on people - something Harbaugh acknowledged during an HBO special with Andrea Kremer shortly after taking over at Michigan. Kremer had asked Harbaugh if he has trouble working with others given his previous track record of "four years and out", to which Harbaugh responded, “It must be true, because I’d wear out my welcome. People just don’t want to be around you after a while.”
Jim Harbaugh might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s Michigans cup of tea – at least, he was.
Whether it's wiping a player’s blood on his face, wearing cleats on the team plane, or the mid-field handshake with Jim Schwartz heard round-the-world, there was never any question that Jim Harbaugh was driven by an internally deep-rooted competitiveness that would often boil over in the heat of the moment - and that was exactly what fans wanted in Ann Arbor.
There are rumors as to why Harbaugh seems different these days – suggestions that he was asked to tone down his sideline antics by the powers that be in Ann Arbor, the suggestion that the 2016 Ohio State game broke his spirit, or the suggestion that he’s simply lost his edge after years of coming up short at Michigan.
The bottom line is this: Harbaugh can still achieve everything he set out to achieve when he first arrived in Ann Arbor six years ago. Beating Ohio State, winning the conference championship, and landing in the College Football Playoff with Michigan is still possible. Harbaugh can do still do what he came here to do.
However, in order for Harbaugh to lead Michigan over the hump, Michigan needs the old Jim Harbaugh back. They need the blood smearing, cleat wearing, sideline jacket ripping, ultimate competitor back on their sideline. That is the guy Michigan hired, that is the guy that Michigan fans will defend to the end, and that is the guy who can get this program back to the promised land.
