Terry Foster: Welcome To Harbaughmania
By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh is not only making Michigan State and Ohio State nervous, he is making the powerful SEC squirm.
And that's a good thing if you are a Michigan fan with high hopes and national championship dreams.
He pushes the envelope more than any coach outside of the SEC. With the block M as his guide Harbaugh is thinking outside the box and turning blue into the SEC North, just as Ohio State is a SEC team playing inside the Big Ten.
He is on the family and friends hiring plan to lure recruits. He is just as likely to pack a pair of pajamas to visit a recruit as he is a Michigan T-shirt. He climbs trees and takes off his shirt. Welcome to Harbaughmania.
The guys is always on television or social media. In short we are looking at the Donald Trump of college football. And everybody does not like this.
He is an attention whore and I mean it in the nicest way. That is how you differentiate and push the brand. He is doing the right thing even though many do not like it.
Here is what Harbaugh realizes. You can no longer say "Go blue" and lure recruits. His job is more difficult than Bo Schembechler because OSU and MSU will remain strong. You must work and push your program. And he has shoved his program in front of people's faces.
He held satellite campuses through out the Midwest and Southeast. And now Harbaugh really wants to shove it in the SEC's face by holding four practices at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Harbaugh will tell you he wants his guys to enjoy the beach, putt-putt golf and male bonding. There is no doubt that will happen. But Michigan will also be on a campus that features some of the top high school players in the nation.
That drew the ire of the SEC who is going to petition the NCAA to prevent programs from training during spring break. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he is concerned about student-athletes training during spring break when they should be resting and I suppose drinking lots of beers with half naked coeds.
Right. OK Buddy. I am not buying that one. When was the last time he was concerned about the well being of Michigan football players?
He does not want Michigan parading in front of important southern recruits. And Harbaugh is in this for more reasons than watching the men have a great time. He wants to parade his team in front of these recruits although this is a quiet period and he cannot talk to potential recruits.
The man keeps on pushing it and burning bridges at every turn. My guess is he doesn't care because he flips the bird to anyone that questions him on twitter. And neither do most Michigan fans.
(Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com)