Jim Harbaugh: Why Michigan football should now be considered America's team

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh acted as if everything was normal on Monday during his weekly news conference inside Towsley Museum at Schembechler Hall, where he spoke publicly for the first time since he was suspended by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti for violation of the league's sportsmanship policy, as it relates to recent sign-stealing allegations that center around former recruiting analyst Connor Stalions.

He told stories of the chickens his family bought over Easter weekend in 2020 shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He lamented how he was "dead wrong" a few years ago when called them "nervous birds," he's since amended his assessment of what are now one of his favorite animals to "low maintenance and high production."

When asked about his raspy voice, he admitted team doctors said he had some sort of virus, however he denied feeling any symptoms; instead pointing out he'd just come from a workout with assistant strength coach Sean Lockwood. He declared himself "the iron wall that viruses bash against and shatter."

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He even spoke of his love for "Judge Judy," the longtime courtroom TV show.

As for what people really wanted to talk about, U-M's ninth-year head man deferred comments about why he was suspended for Saturday's 24-15 win at then-No. 9 Penn State and the timing of it to this up-coming Friday — that's when he's due in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, as he and the university seek a temporary restraining order on the league-ordered punishment.

Michigan and Harbaugh, who will be represented by Ann-Arbor based attorneys Bruce T. Wallace, Angela L. Jackson and Oscar A. Rodriguez of Hooper Hathaway, have argued Petitti acted outside of his authority, before the NCAA investigation was completed.

If Judge Timothy P. Connors, the Michigan graduate and lecturer at U-M Law School who is assigned this case, does grant relief, Harbaugh would allowed to coach the rest of the regular season.

“I'm not going to make any comments about where things stand with the ongoing circumstances because we have a hearing Friday," Harbaugh began. "The support of President Ono, the Board of Regents, Warde Manuel is greatly appreciated, as is the tremendous support of our alumni, fan base, toward our incredible football team.

"There is already so much to be thankful for. ‘Who's got a better than us?’ Is what we like to say. 'Nooo-body.'"

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Though Harbaugh never specified where he watched Saturday's victory from, he did call it one of his "top five" at least.

It was the fourth time this season Harbaugh has watched a game from somewhere other than the sideline — he also served a university-imposed three-game suspension to open the season in relation to the NCAA's investigation into recruiting improprieties when Harbaugh was deemed to have misled investigators.

Though he has experienced this team from this vantage before, what he saw this time stood out in particular.

"How can you not see this?" he asked with a strain in his voice his voice. "These players, I mean Blake Corum with the nose bloodied, the emotion of the tam, the perseverance, the stalwartness of these guys. Watching I would have to say, this has got to be America's team.

"America loves a team that beats the odds, beats the adversity, overcomes what the naysayers and the critics, the so-called experts think. That's my favorite kind of team. Watching from that view on television it was, finally, people get to see what I see every day with these players and these coaches."

[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Perhaps that's naïve given there remains a cheating scandal encircling the program, however one area U-M has received recent public support, Pettiti's handling on the timing of the suspension.

The Big Ten's announcement came while U-M was on its team plane en-route to Penn State, on Friday afternoon on a federal holiday. The team didn't even hear directly; Harbaugh confirmed Monday he found out via social media, when someone on the plane reached over his shoulder with their phone in hand to show him the news.

“I’m going to talk Friday,” Harbaugh said when asked about the timing from the league. “I’m just looking for that opportunity. Not looking for special treatment, not looking for a popularity contest — just looking for merit of what the case is.

"Warde was pretty upset. He was on the plane too. He was pretty upset he heard through social media and not the office, the Big Ten office."

Manuel, who had canceled his scheduled trip last Tuesday as one of 13 active members of the College Football Playoff Committee to attend to matters in Ann Arbor, sent out a scorching letter against the league shortly before kickoff. It said, in part, "nobody wants to be convicted and penalized without due process of a complete investigation" which he later called a "fundamental principle of our justice" that the Big Ten chose not to follow.

"You may have removed him from our sidelines today, but Jim Harbaugh is our head football coach," Manuel wrote. "We look forward to defending Jim's right to coach our football team."

Harbaugh, who has been said at times to have a strained relationship with his AD, expressed his appreciation for Manuel's "tremendous support" on Monday. He said Manuel has been "10 toes down," alongside the president and board of regents.

For now, all Harbaugh and company can do Is prepare for Maryland as if its all systems go.

Should he not be allowed to participate, Sherrone Moore will once again serve as acting head coach. It happened once and U-M was prepared for it. Harbaugh, who has still yet to be found to have any direct connection to the sign stealing plot, is hopeful it won't happen again.

"I was a senior in high school, I had a civics class and talked about government, justice, and what I took away from that class was that you're innocent until proven guilty," Harbaugh said." That was 40 years ago, but (I'd) like that opportunity.”

Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.

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MUST LISTEN: Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh: Why Michigan football should be the new America's team