According to ESPN Insider Adam Schefter (INSIDER! INSIDER!) Jim Harbaugh has narrowed his decision down to two destinations, the Raiders or the Wolverines.
“Insider” might be the most meaningless, bastardized word in today’s media culture. Since everyone is an “insider” when it comes to Jim Harbaugh, and his imminent break-up with the San Francisco 49ers, here’s the insideiest, insider insights that we’ve been able to insight on insiderday.
First, enjoy this Jim Harbaugh graphic:
FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer reports on San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s future:
“It’s going to come down fast. After their last game, we’re looking at 24 or 48 hours. They’re going to end that relationship. By the way, the University of Michigan did officially reach out to the 49ers and the 49ers brought it to Jim Harbaugh’s attention. He said, ‘Right now, I just don’t know what I want to do.’ He’s still looking at his options and one of those options is a team we haven’t really connected him to so far and that could be the Chicago Bears. We know about the Raiders, we’ve heard about the Dolphins and the Jets, but keep an eye on the Bears.”
Terry Bradshaw offers advice to Harbaugh on the heels of Glazer’s report: “Jim, you’ve got a $48 million contract laying out there for you from the University of Michigan, your old alma mater. Take it and run with it!”
Friday night, ESPN talking head Marcellus Wiley attempted to “get his Schefter on” (his words, not mine) and said the Harbaugh had already signed a deal with Michigan. Wiley said he had two sources on this; before later sort of retracting all of it.
Maybe a verbal/handshake deal has been reached between the two parties, but obviously, it’s illegal as all hell for Harbaugh to take a new job right now while he still has another year left on his deal with Frisco.
Then of course, were the preliminary reports that the Oakland Raiders, not Michigan, are the favorites to land Jim Harbaugh. Basically, schools and teams give every scoop they can to somebody with a broadcast rights partnership. And every rights holder designates a really fast talking guy who wears really nice suits as their “INSIDER” to report such things.
Adam Schefter = Ian Rapoport = Jay Glazer. So although they are actually breaking actual news first, it’s done in a hammy, show business manner.
Remember, the media business is show business. It’s not journalism. Let’s credit Rapoport/Schefter/Glazer for all the stories that they got right, and got first ahead of everyone else. However, all three of these gentlemen (Jason La Canfora would be the CBS version of this guy, NBC doesn’t seem to have someone playing this role as of yet) are also actors at the same time.
They’re playing the exact same role on their respective reality shows. They still get a lot right; most of the time. However, even your precious INSIDERS!!!!!! can still be wrong. Yes, even those that work for a rights-holder in bed with the league. It does happen.
These “insider” guys are doing real journalism. It’s just that all the TV networks have made it such a cliche/the presentation quite cheesy.
In the words of Tom Thibodeau: “do. your. job.”
Only Jim Harbaugh himself knows right now. He’s the only true INSIDER on this one.
Oh and don’t forget the Jim Harbaugh to the Bears narrative.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2