The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/653976
• Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: "New Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Har- baugh was trying to gain a competitive advantage and, in doing so, was open- ing a 'Pandora's box.' Now Arkansas coach Bret Bielema says he might drop in on Michigan's open practice … All of which is just a less whiny way of saying, 'I cannot believe Harbaugh thought of this and we didn't.' "Harbaugh is a different breed of coach for any number of reasons. But what sets him apart, and galls the SEC and everyone else, is that he sees things in 3-D while they never even realized they were in a box, let alone thought to think outside of it. "Everything Harbaugh does is calculated to provide maximum benefit to Michigan — now and in the future. "When [SEC Commissioner Greg] Sankey huffs about the Wolverines being robbed of their spring break, you can almost hear the players giggling. Not only are they trading the snow and ice of Ann Arbor for Florida's warmth and sunshine, for some it will be the only way they could afford a spring break trip. "You know, one of those quintessential college experiences that athletes almost never get to enjoy." • Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: "Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is a mod- ern-day Steve Spurrier — tweaking, needling and annoying his antagonists in the Southeastern Conference at every opportunity. It's no secret SEC commis- sioner Greg Sankey and league football coaches are upset because Harbaugh held Wolverines spring practices this week at IMG Academy in Bradenton — smack dab in the middle of SEC Country. "Sankey has even asked the NCAA to specifically block football programs from conducting spring practice during spring break — even though numer- ous other NCAA sports practice and compete during spring break (see March Madness). "Harbaugh has responded by engaging the SEC on social media. Harbaugh, like Spurrier, is obviously a fan of Asian military philosophy, circa 500 B.C. Dur- ing Spurrier's heyday at UF, he used to quote this passage from ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." "If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him."" • Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports: "If one side is going to be ridiculous, then Har- baugh can raise them. "Recruits, what recruits? Staging practices in a state with 50 kids rated four or five stars by Rivals.com, and that's just the Class of 2017? Specifically coming to IMG Academy in Bradenton, where there are two Rivals.com five-star rated prospects and 11 more dubbed four-stars who will be seniors next year? "What a coincidence. If the SEC won't say they hate this because of recruiting then why should Jim Harbaugh say he loves it because of recruiting?"