Who’s got it better than the Harbaughs? Not many. As Week 12 of the NFL inches closer, arguably the most interesting matchup will see Jim Harbaugh and his brother John Harbaugh lock horns. The last time the brotherly duo faced off on the gridiron was in Super Bowl XLVII, which was filled with emotion for all the right reasons.
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In the SportsCenter Special featuring the Harbaugh family, the Super Bowl moment when Jim and John shook hands after the game was bound to come up. John had emerged as the winner, and the younger brother was surely feeling all the worst emotions in the world.
They say a Super Bowl loss stings more than anything, as history will eventually forget about the runner-ups. While John didn’t feel such strong emotions at the moment, he stated in the Special that he was “crushed” for Jim. And when the time came to shake his younger brother’s hand, he knew inside that he couldn’t be as happy as he would be beating another team or coach.
“Normally, in a Super Bowl, the confetti comes down, you put your face on, and shake the hands of the coach. But now, I’m going to shake the hands of my brother. You’re going to be as happy as your unhappiest kid,” John said.
Jim, however, didn’t like the word “crushed” when his brother said it. “Well, don’t be. Don’t be crushed,” he promptly said.
The Chargers head coach was proud and somewhat happy that his brother had won the Lombardi. It would have been the same for John if Jim had won it. The amount of love and respect they have for each other is proof of that.
And most importantly, Jim couldn’t be “crushed” after the game. He had his father for comfort after the game. This, however, has its own story, with a controversy that Jim finally addressed in the special.
Did Jack Harbaugh sneak out and party with his winning son?
NFL insider Adam Schefter brought this interesting story up. It went something like this: Jack tried to console Jim after the loss and assured him that he would go with Jim to the hotel afterward. But Jack apparently fell asleep instead.
“That’s not true,” John immediately said after it was brought up. The Ravens head coach also turned to his brother and asked him if he had seen their father celebrate later that night at the after-party.
Jim finally revealed his side of the story, or at least how he remembered it. He said that after the game, Jack was indeed consoling him in the locker room. Papa Harbaugh then told Jim that he was going back to the hotel to get some shut-eye.
“The conversation right after the game in the locker room with my dad was like, ‘You know, I can only be as happy as my least happiest son. I just feel for you, and I’m just going to go the hotel room and go to sleep.'”
But Jim soon found out otherwise. After going to his room, the then-49ers head coach couldn’t sleep; he kept thinking about the big game. So, he decided to turn on the TV and see how his brother was celebrating. To his surprise, he found his father there.
“I turn on the television… There’s my brother, I love him, I’m proud of him. He earned that. Good for him. Then, he (John) passes the trophy to my dad, and my dad’s going up there (gesturing with the trophy of celebration)”
John, however, was convinced that it was a dream that his younger brother had. Jim mentioned seeing an overpass time and time again on the TV, which John didn’t remember having at the party.
Even Jack said the same. “Hell no, I wasn’t there. He made the story up,” he remarked.
While it can’t be said who is hiding what in this story, Jim sure seemed convincing. What do you think? Did Jack actually sneak out to celebrate? Let us know in the comments.
