ESPN college football analyst and talk show host Paul Finebaum was not a fan of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh suggesting the Wolverines should be “America’s team.”
“I found it sad and pathetic,” Finebaum said Monday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “Why? Because this isn’t America’s team. This isn’t what America’s about. Here we are, just days removed from Veterans 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.”
Harbaugh, who was suspended for three games on Friday after the Big Ten found Michigan in violation of the conference’s sportsmanship policy for sign stealing, made headlines Monday by calling the Wolverines a team that’s beating the odds.
“It’s gotta be America’s team. This has gotta be America’s team,” Harbaugh said during his Monday news conference. “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.”
Despite Harbaugh’s absence on the sideline, No. 3 Michigan (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 10 Penn State, 24-15, on Saturday, with offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore serving as interim head coach. Harbaugh is allowed to attend practices and team activities but cannot be present on game days.
Finebaum ultimately disagreed with Harbaugh’s comments.
“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,” he said.
Finebaum has been critical of Michigan in recent weeks, saying it is not on the same level all-time as bitter rival Ohio State.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sad-pathetic-paul-finebaum-calls-014908506.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2023-11-14 01:49:08
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