A new week of college football means another development in the Michigan Wolverines sign-stealing scandal.
During his bizarre press conference on Monday, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh commented on the adversity his team is facing heading into the final two games of the regular season.
“It’s gotta be America’s team. It’s gotta be America’s team,” Harbaugh said. “America loves a team that beats the odds, beats the adversity, overcomes what the naysayers, critics, so-called experts think. That’s my favorite kind of team.”
Michigan, 10-0 on the season and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff, is looking to cap off its third consecutive undefeated regular season, which they will have to do without Harbaugh, who began serving a three-game suspension handed down before Michigan’s 24-15 win over Penn State.
While Harbaugh’s comments mostly come off as a coach trying to keep his team motivated in the stretch run, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum did not take kindly to them.
“I found it sad and pathetic,” said Finebaum on SportsCenter. “Why? Because this isn’t America’s team. This isn’t what America’s about. Here we are, just days removed from Veteran’s Day where we honor people who are really representative of America. This team is not representative of anything other than a program accused of cheating. Cheating!
“Trying to steal signs to gain an unfair advantage. That’s not the way this country was built and that’s not what should be described as America’s team.”
Finebaum was also critical of the support that Harbaugh’s players and assistant coaches have shown for him, saying, “There’s only so much fake outrage you can display and I think we saw a year’s worth from his assistant coaches and players yesterday.”
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