Happy New Year!!!

Wow!  

And I do mean “WOW!!!”  If you’re not a college football fan (and there’s some in my family who aren’t and I had to fight for a TV yesterday, if you can believe that) you really don’t know what you’re missing.  But if you’re reading this, I know you’re a fan and you’re probably as exhausted as I am on this first day back to the real world.  New Year’s day  (and New Year’s Eve) was simply fantastic for football watching and I really don’t think there was a bad game on anywhere…Even the Gophers tried their best to keep it close….

But, before I get too far ahead of myself, it seems like there’s something that happened in Ann Arbor in the last couple of days that I haven’t had a chance to post about yet.  Let’s see, I made a note about it somewhere….Oh yeah…..

MICHIGAN HIRES HARBAUGH!!!!

Let the rejoicing begin!  I have to admit that my doubts were extremely deep on this one ever since Michigan didn’t hire him 4 years ago.  I completely fell for and was sucked in by all the crap that every NFL talking head seemed to be spewing (Do any of those guys have an original thought or do they all just run around repeating what the other guys are saying?  I’m just asking any of the NFL fans out there).  However, at the end of the day, Hackett was the man with the swim lane plan that brought Jimmy Harbaugh home to Ann Arbor.  And it wasn’t for $8M a year (And you can bet that REALLY bums the NFL guys out) but a bargain number of $5M annually with incentives for winning everything from the B1G to a National Title.  So, boo-yah to Mr. Hackett.  My only question: 

Where have you been for the last 7 years?

As I was watching Sparty and ohio yesterday, I really regret the last 4 years, or more specifically, the hiring of Brady Hoke when I now honestly believe that Harbaugh was never really offered the job in the first place or knew enough about BranDictator that he knew he could never coach under a guy like that.   And I think I began to hate BranDictator even more than I already do for running an entire athletic department into the ground – financial “success” not withstanding.  Why Michigan EVER LET A CORPORATE CEO WITHOUT ANY athletic director experience come in and F-things up at 1000 SSS, I will never know.  But, it’s over and hopefully everyone involved can say they learned something from it. 

I digress and I’m not about to let the past get me down when the future is looking so bright.  The press conference was a delight (compared to the Brady Hoke bumbling, fumbling routine) and the Half-time speech was inspiring. 

In case you missed any of it, here’s You Tube clips of all of it:

The Presser

Harbaugh Halftime Speech

Thanks to Yost over at the M-Zone for Translating!!!!

But to all the “HATERZ” out there (and I get it:  Haterz are gonna’ Hate – it’s what I do, also), you really make me laugh.  I received a new electronic device for my birthday that allows me to troll the enemy websites and blogs more effectively and they are all incredibly humorous when you look at them objectively.   First, NO ONE thought we were going to get JH back (and there were all citing the same NFL boobs that I referenced earlier) and it would take a miracle if it did happen.  Everything from not wanting to leave California (BS) and his wife not wanting to leave the Bay Area (DOUBLE BS – Check the Angelique Chengelis interview) were cited as “Facts.” 

Now it’s happened.  I trolled one particular blog/message board that gives Harbaugh no more than 3 seasons before the siren call of the NFL lures him back after abject and humiliating failure at Michigan because, “No recruit wants to go to Michigan and play for a ‘has-been’ program.”   And they are also stating that he “Hasn’t been that successful, really, he’s just been on the right side of the odds equation, being able to land and ride Andrew Luck at Stanford, for example.”  Really?  Are you really believing that or are you just trying to ignore, in your own little noggin’, how this is not only the biggest hire (short of Saban coming back) in college football, but that good coaching DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE at the collegiate level??

I laugh only because there are lots of fans that are enraged with their current coaching situation (mostly domers) and the Sparty and suckeye fans are simply nervous…like they know they’ve poked the sleeping bear…er, WOLVERINE one too many times. 

And the “Wolverine” is waking up PISSED!

Yep, its already beginning with Harbaugh landing heralded assistants DJ Durkin (DC from Florida) and Tim Drevno (OC from the 49er’s).  I’ll take both those guys over what we had, even though Mattison was effective.  And he’s also staying on board, according to reports from recruits and mgoblog.com.  Rumors are flying that Wheatley may be coming back from the Buffalo Bills to coach running backs and Vince Marrow and Tim Morton will be TE and WR coaches, respectively.  DB coach is still kind of wide open, but you can bet it will be a guy with some DB experience, and not a guy who had never even played the position.

So, yeah, the future is looking way brighter in all Michigan fan’s eyes right now.  Granted, we’re still all realists and we all know there’s going to be bumps on the way.  Getting a functional QB at this point seems to be the biggest challenge and the first step towards getting the offense fixed.  I don’t know if there’s anything that Harbaugh can really coach up with what’s left of Morris’ psyche and Speight may still be too young.   I’m not even going to mention Bellomy except to say that he’s still on the team for now.  I see Jimmy maybe making a transfer grab for someone, but who?  Time will tell but I have a feeling that Jimmy doesn’t want to suffer fools too long at the QB position.

There’ll be way more time to talk about this in the future, so how about getting to

The Rest of the Mess – Karma’s A Bitch

I’ve written about Karma before and I honestly believe there’s a force in the universe that eventually lets every dog have its day and lets everyone who’s been wronged a chance to get even.  And if you’ve been living on the edge…well, there’s a time when Karma comes back around to bite you in the ass…and there’s nothing you can do about it.

There were some great games on yesterday, and let’s start with Wiscy beating a heavy favorite Auburn team in the Citrus Bowl.  I started watching that game in the 2^nd half pretty exclusively because it looked like Baylor was going to be handling Sparty for the rest of the afternoon.  So, I watched as Wiscy and the Tigers dueled back and forth in the 4^th quarter and then Wiscy tied the game up with single digit seconds left.  When the Badgers could only convert a Figgie in OT, I really thought it was over as Wiscy’s “D” hadn’t stopped the Tigers in the entire 2^nd half.  But they rose to the occasion, shut down the Tiger offense and the tying kick was off the upright (Remember last season when Auburn beat Bama on the missed Figgie? – Karma) and Wiscy held on to pull off a stunning SEC West upset and earn a scalp for the B1G.

Then, I flipped Sparty - Baylor back on.  I’m guessing most of you did the same and we watched as Cook did something that was so inexplicably dumb that the calls of “SOS” were coming in so fast on my phone that I couldn’t keep up. 

But I wasn’t completely ready to count Sparty out yet.  This is a team that knows how to come back, especially in Bowl Games.  And sure enough, with a Baylor miscue on what had been a long gain deep into the red zone ended up becoming a win for the defense by forcing a field goal try that was blocked.  And, if you DIDN’T See this, well, the Baylor kicker tweeted yesterday that he was alive and fine.  Just a little woozy….

  

I swear I could watch that on a continuous loop for an hour.  The last little collapse at the end is just classic!!!  It was then that I think we all knew that Sparty had a chance….

And Cook delivered!  He took the disaster and turned it into a TD!  Briles presser was classic and he looked thoroughly pissed.  This was not a coach (or a team) that respected Sparty.  Nope….In fact, Baylor got it’s “Karma” moment and now knows how TCU felt after they did the same thing to them.

The Grandaddy Of Them All came on and the first half certainly had a feel to it that the Ducks were trying to figure out a way to let the Noles back in the game.  Winston’s non-TD on 4^th down was a big deal and it felt like FSU was just waking up and getting ready to come out and do what they usually do to teams in the 2^nd half.  But then the Noles got a case of the “dropsies” and, well, the Quack Attack took over.  Famous Jameis was a victim of Karma, as there’s really no other way to explain this little fiasco…

Any idiot GM in the NFL that thinks about drafting Winston before Mariota should get canned immediately if not sooner.  But believe me, Kiper or someone will say that Winston is the better gamble….go figure.

Then, in the Sugar Bowl, I have to say that Karma ruled the evening again.  While ohio looked like they could roll the Tide, Bama was just abusing the suckeyes every miscue and putting points on the board.  But as coach Holtz says, the most important times in the game are the 5 minutes before half time and the 5 minutes right after half time.  The suckeyes capitalized in both spots scoring a TD on a trick play with a circus catch.  Then, they came out and scored again.

Domination – Karma.  Yes, Saban may have given Urban Legend heart problems and a reason to retire from Florida, but Saban looked none too happy last night in his presser. And oh how the Bama fans will howl for the next 200 and some odd days until the 2015 season begins. 

In fact, the entirety of the SEC (SEC West Bowl Record:  2-5???) should be embarrassed and ashamed!  Your best wins are from a former B1G coach (Arkansas) and a Big 12 cast off (Mizzou). 

That’s now a 5-4 B1G record with many prognosticators (and I will admit, I was not optimistic) that the B1G would have a hard time not going 0-10 in the bowls.  Iowa could make it a 6-4 record over Tennessee today, so here’s hoping!

Why do I care about the B1G?  I don’t, really.  In fact, I will admit here and now that I kind of have a hard time watching Sparty and the suckeyes win.  But, at the same time, I’m sick and tired of the B1G not getting any national respect and the SEC can go to hell….so, yeah, I guess I do care but I want the new Michigan Era to begin so the Wolverines can be in there on New Year’s Day doing some ass-kicking of their own! Yep – I think all this SEC crap can be laid to rest…the sooner the better. Of course, you have ESPN doing this right now:

Here’s another thought to consider:  If nothing changed, we would have had (probably) Bama and FSU in the National Title Game (BCS Rules) and – WAIT FOR IT….A traditional Rose Bowl Match-Up of Ohio State and Oregon….

So, yes, I hope now that EVERYONE CAN SEE that a Play-off is needed, but it kind of sucks for the Rose not to have what it would have had anyway….In a weird Karma-esque way….

Other games of note:

Domers defeat LSU:  unbelievably…Even the domer faithful had written this one off before it was played…

The State of Mississippi:  Was destroyed on New Year’s Eve.  TCU and Gerogia Tech had a field day with these two.  Freeze and Mullen are no longer “Hot Names” in the coaching world….

Florida:  Doesn’t have one happy fan base anywhere.  Florida teams 0-3 in the bowls…ditto Mississippi….and Alabama (0-2)!!!!

The Hot Seat

So many coaching changes…So few predicted by the MMQ!!!  But then again, if you were predicting any of this you talk to the spirits of your ancestors at night in your dreams or something….

Who’s where (I swear I had to look a couple of these up!):

Harbaugh – Michigan:  Without question, a Grand Slam hire.  Let’s hope this works out!

Reilly – Nebraska (You will NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO ME AND HAVE IT MAKE SENSE!!!  Bo Pelini won 9 games a year…so he was an ass….)

Chryst – Wisconsin:  Who else was Barry going to get?   He needs someone he can boss around.  Hey, I have an idea:  What about Barry Alvarez as Head Coach?

Narduzzi – Pitt:  Good move for Narduzzi as he will only be there for a couple of seasons as that seems to be the pre-requisite now at Pitt.  You can only stay two seasons or they fire you after two.

Herman – Houston: This one is a little baffling.  I figured Herman was more of an up and comer and would have held out for a slightly better head coaching gig than the hot mess that is Houston.  But what do I know?

Chizik – DC UNC:  Why is he leaving his radio gig and off and on TV gig at ESPN to be a DC???

Muschamp – DC Auburn:  This was quick…figured Will would try that ESPN thing for a awhile before doing a coordinator gig.

Andersen – Oregon State:  I kind of get this…He’s a devout Mormon and apparently the liberal leaning Madison was a difficult environment for his family….But still, leaving Wiscy to go to the tree loving upper northwest city of Corvalis?  Okay…have fun.

Should we do a Pre-Season 2015 Hot Seat Mascot List?  Why not!!!!

1.     Nick Saban – Yep, you lose to ohio and a 3^rd string QB, there’s going to be some hell to pay in what is going to become a very, very, VERY long off-season for Saban and company.

2.    Les Miles – Ditto.  The domers were a dumpster fire on defense in their last 5 games and LSU should have hung at least 50 on them.  Instead, the Hatter didn’t capitalize when he should have and now has his fan base really pissed off.

3.    Hugh Freeze – Ole Miss literally got their butts handed to them by TCU.  It was an ugly game start to finish.  He might be feeling some pressure in the off season…

4.    Brian Kelly – Yeah, he won the bowl game, but the domer faithful still can’t stand the guy.  If Kelly interviews for an NFL gig, he better hope he gets an offer.  Otherwise, they might can him.

5.    Dana Holgersen – WVU hasn’t done much since he’s been there.  That was a team that was battling for National Titles under Rich Rod.  Losing the bowl can’t help his situation.

6.    Al Golden – Miami faithful are tired of Al.  But I think he’s had the toughest job in all of college football.  I hope it doesn’t happen, but Golden getting the ax after a dismal 2015 would surprise me.

And I have update the Mascot Voting on the side Bar!!! We have a Final 4 of:

Southwest:  Samantha Hoopes

Midwest:  Anastasia Ashley

East:  Nicky Whelan

West:  Amber Heard

And the voting will be up until Next Friday.  The final 2 vote will begin at that point in time so remember to get on line and vote!!!

FMQ will report out on Monday.  And whatever is left will be bet on the National Title game in some fashion…..

Harbaugh Watch - The FMQ "Call Me Deacon Blues"

Wojo’s column on the Harbaugh offer – I agree with most if not all of it.  IT’s time….

The Harbaugh camp has said….well, they’ve said….nothing.  And most of the talking heads seem to think that Michigan’s offer is bona-fide, and that Harbaugh is going to wait and take a look at all his options come December 29^th, or the day after the regular season is over, in the NFL.

I’m a little miffed at the NFL talking heads that were on ESPN and again on the NFL network last night and stating unequivocally that, 

“No word from Harbaugh CLEARLY INDICATES that he’s staying in the NFL and he’s simply going to leverage the offer from Michigan to get a better package from someone else.  He did it 4 years ago with his offer from San Fran and he’s using Michigan again.  Harbaugh’s agent leaked the info so the other teams can get their offers together.” 

 That may not be the EXACT quote, but its close.

And while that may ALL BE ENTIRELY TRUE, I believe that Harbaugh is about to find out that the middle tier NFL GM’s and owners have all been through this enough to know that a guy can get on a roll for two or three seasons and then just flame out (see Daniel Snyder).  And a savvy GM is probably thinking just that:  Jimmy had a great defense and got the most out of Kaepernick as well.  And it’s hard to work miracles twice – it’s better to have proven people and even then, well, you can have a disaster.  Ask Peyton Manning and the Broncos about that.  And if I can find a coach with great personnel that can get me close, well, I can have that coach a lot cheaper than $8M+ it will take to land Harbaugh.  I’m sure New Orleans is tickled with the 5 wins that the $8M Coach Sean Peyton has led the team to this season.  Just sayin’….

So, the whole leverage thing might not be there in the end…unless the NFL is really where Harbaugh wants to be. 

And maybe, and I’m just spit-balling here, mind you….MAYBE Hackett leaked that offer or the UofM AD decided, “Look it’s in our best interests to go ahead and let the world know what we offered Harbaugh so we can at least find out what’s in Harbaugh’s  head and heart and if he doesn’t want to come back it won’t be for lack of trying.  And the money certainly should not be an issue.”

See where I’m going?  The leak is a win for everybody.  Hackett immediately has credibility that he’s doing what the fans want and if Jimmy says no, well, than on to plan B.  And that’s a good thing because than any anger the fans have after that, if there is anger, can be directed at Jim and not at Michigan.  Cumon’….Michigan did everything it COULD. 

And for everyone that thinks the offer is too much:  Uh, you’re wrong.  Plain and simple.     NFC Championship and Super Bowl coach.  This is a guy that if he had stayed at Stanford was going to have a shot at a National Title.  Saban type money is not only necessary, but you’re kidding yourself if you think Harbaugh would even give you a 2^nd glance for anything less.  So, I’m not ignoring your texts or tweets, but it’s not too much money. 

It’s the necessary amount if that’s what you want.   And Michigan has heard from its fans and they are tired of losing to Sparty and the Suckeyes to what appear to be superior coaching staffs.  Fix that problem and Michigan will begin to heal itself. 

The FMQ – Call me “Deacon Blues”

They got a name for the winners in the world
And I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the “Crimson Tide”
Call me “Deacon Blues”

                                    -Steely Dan

Heard that song on the way to the office this AM and its one that gets kind of stuck in your head when you hear it…But I thought, “Gee, how appropriate for the FMQ!!!”  A name when I lose….

And what a crappy season its been.  I’ve learned a few things doing this and the one thing I learned that I seem to forget is find a team(s) that is good ATS and STICK WITH THAT TEAM!!!  Oregon, Stanford (with Luck), and others have proven they are great ATS teams.  I need to remember that and not get seduced by attractive point spreads and lousy ATS teams….

Anyway, the latest bank number is as follows:

BANK:           $419

Here’s the bowl picks for anyone that still hasn’t completed a confidence pool.  I actually got an invite into one but didn’t have time to complete.  Never the less, I like to measure my predictive capability and see how I do. 

And, of course, some bets.  Might as well blow the wad, so to speak.

Utah vs Colorado State (+2.5):  Seems like CSU should be getting a lot more points here and the UTES are by far the superior team.

Take Utah and lay the 2.5 for $30

Central Michigan vs Western Kentucky (+3):   I like the Chippies in the Bahamas and I’m really looking forward to seeing a game from the Bahamas!  I hope all you Chippie grads and students are going!!!

Take Central and lay the 3 for $40

Boston College vs. Penn State (+2.5):  Penn State’s vs bowl since the darkness…and they’re getting points?  This seems like a no –brainer to me and there’s no WAY the B1G loses all 10 bowl games….

Take Penn State and the 2.5 for $50

Oklahoma vs. Clemson (+3):  No way Oklahoma is as bad as its record.  And I think Stoops is going to be “Auditioning” for whoever might be out there looking….

Take Oklahoma and lay the 3 for $30

LSU vs domers (+7):  That’s it?  That’s it for a team that’s lost the last 4 games by a combined 100+ points?  For a team that has no defense and no desire to play?

I’ll take LSU and lay the 7 for $80

Maryland vs. Stanford (-14):  Man….B1G vs. PAC….I’ve gotta believe that Randy Edsall keeps it closer than that….

Take Maryland and the 14 for $20

 FSU vs. Oregon (9.5):  Vegas has this one right…and I think Oregon wins walking away….

Take Oregon and lay the 9.5 for $40

OSU vs. BAMA (-9.5):  I hate to do this…suckeyes simply too impressive against Wiscy..and yes, Bama isn’t Wiscy, but I find it hard to believe that the Suckeyes don’t somehow keep this close…

Take ohio and the 9.5 for $20

PARLAYS!!!!

LSU-OREGON-Bama  $39 pays $250

CMU-PSU-Utah   $40 pays $260

Starting BANK:       $419

Total Bet:                  $419

BANK:                       $0

Harbaugh Officially Offered

This happened yesterday and was leaked about the same time I posted.  I wasn’t sure about all the sources, but there was a definite “increase” in Twitter traffic in the late afternoon early evening (and thank you for all the texts) and then the mother lode twitter hit when Sam Webb tweeted that Michigan has in fact offered Jim Harbaugh the Head Coach position.

Officially – it’s $49M over 6 years, or about $8M and change per season.  Saban, the highest paid college coach, is sitting at $7.2M a season, just to give you an idea that this is a “SERIOUS” offer to Jim and telling him,

“HEY!!!  WE WANT YOU BACK AND WE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR YOU!!!”

If that isn’t loud and clear to the Harbaugh camp at this point, I don’t know what is. 

So, what happens next?

The ball is definitely in Jim’s hands.  He knows and is secure in the fact that he’s got a cool $50M + (Television, radio, advertising, etc) sitting in Ann Arbor.  The bar has been set for any NFL teams that are out there thinking Jimmy would be a good fit and they should go get him.  For comparison, NFL salaries start at $8M on the high end and work their way down to the $3M range and average around $4M.  Here’s a list….(and note that Jimmy would be getting about a $3M raise from his salary in San Fran)

Michigan’s offer would therefore, theoretically, make Jim the highest paid coach ANYWHERE in the USA.

That’s significant.

If Jim turn’s down that offer, it means that he’s all done with college ball and he’s definitely staying in the NFL.  If he doesn’t respond immediately (and personally, I would have put a 48 hour time limit on this thing, which is not unusual of high level offers in any business - which I'll bet Hackett did) so I believe we should be hearing from the Harbaugh camp before noon on Friday, if not sooner.

How do we feel about this?

For certain, Hackett “gets” the business of College and NFL football way better than his predecessor could even begin to understand.  I’m really starting to like this guy.  No BS – Let’s get right to the point.  Hackett understands that Michigan Football is the driver of the entire machine and THAT NEEDS TO BE TENDED TO FIRST!!!  Building soccer stadiums and new women’s field hockey complexes is all well and good as LONG AS THE MACHINE THAT LETS YOU DO THAT IS INTACT.   And this offer is indicative that the Michigan machine is broken and needs fixing RIGHT FRIGGIN’ NOW!

So, in short, I feel great.  This is the best process and offer that Michigan has made in its last two searches.  I won’t feel so good if Harbaugh flips and says he wants to stay in the NFL.  That will certainly depress this fan and whatever happens after that (Plan “B”) will certainly be a letdown for everyone.  But I don’t want to go there until Jimmy responds.  There will be plenty to say and write about in the event that transpires.

On A Side Note – Lochmann Out

You can try to defend the fact that BranDictator resigned, but Hackett is continuing to push BranDictator people out the door…er, they keep resigning after doing and saying stupid things. 

http://mgoblog.com/content/hunter-lochmann-out

Brian covered this pretty well when Hunter Lochmann made what had to be the stupidest tweet ever by a “Director of Marketing” stating that Michigan’s relationship with its former athlete’s is “fleeting” and only for “4 years”.  I can only guess that BranDictator had drilled into Lochmann’s head that “big donor” relationships were much more important to the well-being of Michigan…when really ALL RELATIONSHIPS should be important to Michigan.   I remember thinking when I saw the re-tweet, “What an incredibly dumb thing to say.”  I can’t think of ANY athlete that spent 4 years ANYWHERE that would consider his relationship to his university fleeting.  Or any fan or student for that matter, either.  Regardless of what they “donate” to the university.

Thankfully, between the athletes re-tweeting and expressing their anger at the statement and fans in general calling for the head of Lochmann, he did a BranDictator and resigned.  I’m sure Hackett nudged him out, however. 

And Michigan has stated that they may not “replace” this position as they weren’t really sure what Lochmann was doing, anyway.  I mean, besides Kraft Macaroni displays, coca-cola ticket give aways, and hiring sky-writers to fly over East Lansing.

Good riddance and have a nice life.

Tim Kawakami Throws Ice Water On Jimmy to AA - NOT SO FAST!!!!

Tim Kawakami is a Bay Area San Fran Beat writer that has opined that there’s no way Jimmy will go to Ann Arbor.  Which got me to thinking because I’m not even sure Jimmy knows what’s going on in his head right now much less how he’s going to decide his fate for the next 5-10 years.  Let’s take Timmy’s criteria and read between the ‘ole lines and see what we get….and if there’s any real insight into what he’s writing or if he’s just some other A-hole with an opinion…..(Tim’s column in BOLD  The MMQ insight in Italics)

Let's go through some of the criteria:

Every indication is that Harbaugh wants to stay in the NFL and win a Lombardi Trophy, which is impossible to do at the University of Michigan.

Every indication?  Which indicators are those?  Are those the ones where Harbaugh can be directly quoted?  And where are those quotes?  I’m not saying this isn’t a valid observation, but I hate the “Every indication” broad-type statements.  I don’t think it’s every indication, IMHO…..

Do you think Harbaugh wants to leave the NFL after watching his brother and then Pete Carroll win the Super Bowl the past two seasons?

Yep…This one would grind my stones if I was Jimmy.  But I gotta’ believe at this point that Jimmy has seen what it takes to win a Super Bowl and may now realize that if he’s not with San Fran next season, he’s going to be a WHOLE LOT FARTHER away from the Super Bowl goal with whoever he’s with.  And that might bug him a little…..And he may also see that Carroll went both ways – (Won a National Title) after being in “The Show” and then went back to the NFL to a better opportunity to win a Super Bowl.  Who’s to say that isn’t the route Jimmy is thinking about?

Harbaugh and his family also are believed to have a strong preference to remain in the Bay Area -- which is one of the reasons he picked the 49ers in 2011, with many other options back then.

This, by far, is the most grossly over-blown reason for going to the hot mess that is Oakland Raiders football.  Yeah, the Bay area is nice…but maybe they want a change of scenery?  Again, has Harbaugh really come out and said “How much he loves the Bay Area and never wants to leave?”  Didn’t think so…..

Notably, Harbaugh has never coached anywhere outside the state of California since Al Davis gave him his first job in 2002, and Harbaugh has been in northern California for 10 of those years.

So what?  So he was a head coach at SDSU and Stanford took a bit of a flyer on him.  Then, once proven, sure – Why wouldn’t the 49er’s take a shot and why not go with what is a class organization like the Niners?   All that was simply elementary at that point and has nothing to do, whatsoever, with “Northern California” except that’s where it all happened.

Harbaugh wants to join a team with some talent, especially at quarterback, and the Raiders have Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and a lot of salary-cap space going into next offseason.

??????  Uhhhh….Tim…..I can’t believe you just typed that with a straight face.  Derek Carr is….well, I guess he’s “some talent”.  But this NFL observer isn’t ready to throw Carr into the Brady – Peyton-Brees-Rogers “Talent Pool” just yet.  I MIGHT put him in the 2^nd tier pool of Luck-Stafford – RGIII – Kaepernick – Ely M (I know, even though he has 2 rings)-and others….but not until he does something.  If I’m Jim, I’m NOT licking my chops at having a “David Carr” toy to play with.  Nope…Not buying this one AT ALL…..

Would Harbaugh be scared to join a downtrodden team that might finish 2-14 this season? Well, he took over Stanford after a 1-11 season and the 49ers after 6-10.

And Michigan was 5-7 with a LOAD of 2 deep talent coming back next season and can completely salvage if not completely turn around this recruiting class at Michigan by adding his name to the Michigan Stationery.  Harbaugh’s pull will be huge at Michigan and he knows it….And his best chance at success might be right there, right now for a National Title…

He actually likes the tough turnaround jobs -- that's exactly when his burst of wild energy and competitive mayhem works best.

Tough turn-around jobs, you say?  Let me tell you about a little school in Ann Arbor that hasn’t even sniffed at a B1G Title since 2006 and has a loyal fan base that’s ravenous for success right now…and will fully appreciate the efforts you put into building a winner.  Jimmy – Tough Turnaround Jobs ought to have a picture of Wolverines Football right next to it. 

Also, there's little doubt that Harbaugh would love to win big in the same media market as the 49ers -- and he could help get another stadium built in the Bay Area.

?????  Again – is your face on straight?  I have no idea (and I’ve been reading A LOT OF STUFF) where the statement:   “Jimmy’s interested in getting a new stadium built in the Bay Area and loves that media market” came from.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen any of that in the same sentence in any article regarding Harbaugh.  DAVIS might be very interested in getting a new stadium…but not Harbaugh.  So, besides what Kawakami wrote…which, I’ma throwing the BS flag on this one…..

Meanwhile, after his battles with Baalke soured his entire 49ers tenure, it would be immensely significant for Harbaugh to get the chance to bring in a hand-picked GM.

????  Does ANYONE think that Oakland would let Jim do that?  I don’t.  And I really don’t think Jim thinks he could get that either.  He’s not the Tuna.  The Raiders are the most dysfunctional organization in the NFL….and that’s saying something….So I doubt they’re in a big hurry to throw the reins over to what is apparently a Hot-Head coach that has authority issues and give him a blank check.  Just a hunch, here on my part….

My understanding is that the Raiders are open to that, partly because the likeliest candidate is Eagles exec Tom Gamble -- who worked with Harbaugh with the 49ers and was one of Al Davis' last close confidantes.

PFFFFTTTT!!!!!  So what?  Saying you knew Al Davis and were a close confidant is like saying I got rid of that herpes/aids thing a while back.  And if you take a little trip to the Philadelphia news, you can see that Gamble and Philly are pretty happy with each other right now and what Chip Kelly is accomplishing there.  It would take some big $$$$$ to get Gamble to leave, is what I’m saying….

Can Mark Davis afford the expected $8 million a year it would take to land Harbaugh, then also buy out Reggie McKenzie's final two years ($5-$7M?) plus add a new GM and new personnel staff?

Uhhh…Let’s see…if I add all this up, carry the 1….That’s a LOT OF DOUGH.  And if I’m looking at the “Average Cost per Win in the NFL” issued by Forbes Magazine,  you’ll find that EVEN IF YOU CAN GET THE RAIDERS TO A WINNING RECORD you’re still below the performance of the great teams like New England, Green Bay, and yes, San Fran.  And you’ll actually have a much higher combined Player Payroll and Coaches Salary and Buyouts….What’s it all worth in the end if you DON’T Win???  And is one coach worth all that?  And what if it doesn’t work?  (Of course, you can ask the same question at Michigan…I suppose)

I'm told Davis understands none of this comes cheap and that he needs a major lift from the team's performance to land the best stadium deal.

I’m sure Davis understands all this better than anyone associated with the Raiders.  That’s his JOB, dumbass….Mr. Kawakami, with all due respect…The fact that you stated you were “told” that Davis understands this implies that…well…..You’re kind of a dolt.  Stating the obvious and making it “Seem” like a reason for “Harbaugh to Oakland” makes sense is asinine.  In fact, if I’m Davis, I’m trying to figure out how I can make it all work and whether or not Harbaugh is really the best fit for the kind of money I’d have to lay out for him.  And it makes me nervous knowing that Jim can’t catch a pass, throw a pass or score a TD – and I need more guys that can do that….

As the days dwindle on his current lease in Oakland, it's looking more likely that Davis could agree to one more short-term deal with the Coliseum, at least for the 2015 season.

Two separate issues that Kawakami intertwines….Either way, the new stadium issue NEEDS to be addressed with or without Harbaugh.  And let’s face it:  the Raiders are no strangers to moving around California if necessary.  Harbaugh to Oakland reasoning is mute, or actually not applicable here…..

If Davis can land Harbaugh, the Raiders can play out 2015 as a glamour team -- and wait to see if Oakland can get anything done, while Los Angeles looms in the background possibly for 2016.

Or if the Raiders land any better coach, or a sexy draft pick or whatever….Glamour team?  Seriously?   Who is this guy writing to, who is he trying to butter up or who’s butt is he trying to shove his own head up?

Of course, Harbaugh will have other bidders, possibly including the Jets, the Bears, the Dolphins and, yes, Michigan.

Finally….Kawakami says something that makes sense.  And the Raiders already have a coach with two years left that was supposed to be pretty good when he was hired, are going to have a great draft position and possibly can trade some players for even more draft picks and be a better use of the money that they would have to dole out on Harbaugh, personnel and a new GM…..

Hey, Harbaugh might be wary of the Raiders' nebulous stadium situation.

Geeee….If I’m Jim Harbaugh and my paycheck says “$8,000,000.00” I’ll coach in that shit-house over there across the free-way…..WTF???  But if you’re saying that this is a reason Jimmy won’t go to the Raiders….whatever, I’ll take it. 

Or Mark Davis could have second thoughts about moving McKenzie out.

This…this makes some sense - FINALLY.  If there’s ANY cohesion right now in the Raider’s locker room and that can be made into something promising with next year’s draft picks…that’s the way to go.  Changing coaches constantly never gets you very far….and costs money.

Or York could make it tough because Harbaugh still has another year on his 49ers contract, which is why the 49ers are making noises about getting a good draft pick in a Harbaugh trade.

This is the 2^nd most OVERBLOWN “fact” that I’ve seen thrown around in the press…Again, if I’m a GM for an NFL team and I know you’re unhappy with Harbaugh and you come to me and tell me you’ve got an offer for him I’m thinking, “Yeah..Right!”  I’ll probably politely decline and tell you to take the offer and you’ll get caught bluffing and then you'll can him anyway.  When you can him, I can make a run at him and it costs me nothing.  This trade assertion, Mr. Kawakami, makes you look like a complete boob……

But it makes sense for the 49ers, at some point, to just do a deal so they can get their own search started.

?????  So, you’re saying that the 49ers have painted themselves into a corner and need to get moving on to whatever plan “B” is?  That’s brilliant.  All this analysis and it boils down to you saying the 49ers can go out and do what they need to do anyway….   

And it makes sense for everybody to get this done, eventually, if that's what everybody wants.

How in the world do you know what the hell everybody wants?  You have about a million moving pieces to this puzzle and you’ve concluded nothing except what you “think” to be true about Jim Harbaugh.  “He wants to stay in the NFL.”  Even though Jim’s never said that. 

Nothing this season has been reasonable, but maybe the Raiders and 49ers can start 2015 by making a reasonable deal: Harbaugh to the Raiders for a fourth-round pick.

Really?  That’s all the SAVIOR for the Raider’s franchise is worth? 

A 4^th round draft pick? 

After ALL THAT YOU JUST WROTE about him being the most logical candidate for the turn-around that Davis needs for the new stadium that he wants? 1 measly 4^th round pick?  Seriously?   How about that 4^th rounder, a bag of balls, and one Monopoly Token – from the Raider’s "Gold Edition" that they keep in the Locker Room.  Hey Lookieeeee  Heeerrree…..It’s the Race Car!!!!!!!!

Then the 49ers can hire their next guy, the Raiders move on with Harbaugh, and everything begins again.

Everything begins again.  Yep…Sounds like you have everything figured out there, Kawakami.  You’re right on top of it.  I guess my hopes can remain utterly and completely dashed at the prospect that Jim may never head back to his alma mater for $49M over 8 years and have a shot at a National Title….Yeah….you’re right.  You’re so right and that’s why you make money writing for a newspaper….So we can read and pay heed to your wonderful opinions….

Gosh…I wish I was more like you!!!!

The MMQ