Once again sports media outlets like ESPN are trying to turn rumor and speculation into premature fact. Jim Harbaugh's agent no doubt has allowed leaks about an offer from Michigan, and the 8 million dollar a year asking price to be floated out there in the national media for leverage as a negotiating tool when other teams, College and NFL come calling. A brilliant move in all fairness for Mr. Harbaugh's future earnings. Nick Sabin did the same thing last year, allowing talk about the Texas opening and the asking price to leverage himself at Alabama with an extension and raise when anyone who knows football knew he had no intention of leaving Alabama, especially with the talent returning to make another run at a national title, which he is currently on the brink of.

Jim Harbaugh is a hot commodity and no doubt will coach his last game for the San Francisco 49ers this upcoming weekend, but how good is he really? What I see is a guy who has failed at his current job, and is about to walk away from his employer after failing to meet expectations, and get a massive raise for it. I am sure anyone reading this would love to have that program going on, mess up at work, fight with management, quit or get fired and then double your salary at the next job.

What is the fascination with him is the question I ask myself.

He is gruff, evasive and quite frankly on the outside not all that spectacular in terms of being a public darling or entertaining guy. As a matter of fact he seems to be a guy who is full of himself and really outside of an NFC Championship under his belt, does not a a resume to back up getting paid 8 million dollars a year to coach anyone. As I look at the 49ers each and every week as a professional handicapper, I look at man on man talent, and I see a team with a Championship pedigree here with talent all over the place and yet they have fallen dramatically short. San Fran has been one of the bigger disappointments in the NFL this year along with Chicago and New Orleans. Bear in mind that the lions share of players and talent on this team were in the Super Bowl two years ago. In that Super Bowl against Baltimore who was coached by his brother, Jim Harbaugh's team was beaten and he was outcoached.

Jim Harbaugh was an intense and gritty player in the NFL at QB, and won numerous games with a sheer "will to win at costs" mentality and I have no question any team would love to have a QB like him today, no argument there. But as a coach he has let the 49ers slip into obscurity with a championship pedigree in talent on the field. The 49ers are wallowing in mediocrity when in fact they should be in the midst of a playoff run with Harbaugh leading the charge with sword in one hand and a torch in the other, and yet week after week they fall short, do not play up to potential, and blow leads and grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Ladies and gentlemen that is lack of coaching and leadership. Collin Kapernick has regressed into a sub standard quarterback and has lost all confidence, and yet his coach is suppose to be a QB coaching guru. Is this the head coach everyone is falling over to get, one who has let the talent laden San Francisco 49ers call it quits after this Sunday with no post season appearance? San Fran has 1 division win, and are third in their division and have a losing record. My bad, I need to leave and get my salary doubled now.

The old saying goes, be careful what you ask for because you just might get it comes to mind. I understand Michigan needs to counter what Urban Meyer has done at Ohio State, use star power to get recruits, but is Jim Harbaugh really the answer in the grand scheme of things at Michigan? In my opinion he has fallen short on the big stage and let a very talented team fall from grace and now gets rewarded for that in name only, and not by his deeds, especially this year.

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