On Friday, Jim Harbaugh was asked about the Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks “locking up” the 49ers wide receiver with physical play Thursday night.
Harbaugh answered by suggesting the cornerbacks – Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner – were holding the Niners receivers.
Here’s exactly what Harbaugh said: “I wouldn’t use the words ‘locked up.’ There’s another word I would use. But, we’ll take that up with the officials in New York, and get their view of it. That’s the only position that we can be in.”
Monday Morning on ESPN 710 Seattle, Pete Carroll responded to Harbaugh’s comment. Here’s what Carroll said: “Wasn’t it just a couple weeks ago when they were talking about not doing things like that? The Giants, Kevin Gilbride, or something like that? You know, I thought there was something about that, you know? Where we don’t go out and express our concerns and all.
“I think this was a very normal game for us in terms of how we played, and I’m surprised he felt like the receivers were so overwhelmed. I thought our guys did a good job. There’s always gonna be some calls that you can look at. But our guys played good, solid, hard football. And, you know, Vernon Davis didn’t get the ball and their receivers didn’t do much, Randy [Moss] got one. I’m sure there’s a little frustration on their part.
“If the officials look at it, they won’t have anything to even look at. And I don’t think they even need to. It’s a regular game. Our penalties have really been going in the right direction, if you look at it… I don’t a guy should be able to speak out and go ahead and cause an investigation. It’s too easy. I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”
Monday afternoon in the 49ers media tent, a Bay Area reporter asked Harbaugh to respond to Carroll, and here’s what Harbaugh said: “Any time you ask me about officiating from the previous game, there’s a way we’ve been instructed to handle that – to not criticize the officiating and to address any concerns or anything you want clarification on or interpretation with with the officials in New York. That’s what we’ve been instructed to do.”
Q: Carroll said you thought your receivers were “overwhelmed.”
HARBAUGH: I’m not going to comment or get paraphrased and let somebody quote somebody else and then have a reaction to it. We’re from the sticks-and-stones-school approach. Calling us names isn’t going to hurt us.”
Q: Why didn’t you just say, “We’ll take it up with the league office and leave it at that”?
HARBAUGH: Actually, I did. I said, “That’s not the words I would use and we’ll take it up with the league.” I could stand up here and say, “No comment,” to just about any question, but I try not to do that. I try to be professional. I try to answer questions the best I can.
Q: Has the league responded and given you a satisfactory answer?
HARBAUGH: No, but we don’t discuss those responses. That’s part of the instructions.
I have two questions for you:
- Do you like the way Harbaugh handled this issue?
- Do you agree with Harbaugh or Carroll, and why?
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