I don't find him an apologist via his postings on the subject, just someone circumspect about what may have happened. Circumstantial evidence, even a mountain of it, won't precipitate punishment against Michigan's program. That video of Harbaugh "talking" to Stalions at last year's MSU game, for example: he's talking toward Stalions. An assistant standing between them (wearing a headset) seems to me to be the more likely target of his verbiage. Occam's razor. Goodness, I hate to associate myself with anything originating in Missouri; however, Show Me.
It won't surprise me if Harbaugh knew of Stalions' entrepreneurial activity but it also won't if he intelligently insulated himself from the guy. Any dude (he's not even an alum of the school) who lives in his own car in San Diego, instead of an apartment, so he can save money to travel to every UM game, and allegedly writes a 5-600-page manifesto about the mission and future of the program, is a true zealot and eager cannon fodder, and would no doubt take a bullet for Harbaugh and the program. However, I've dealt with the media often enough in my career (and observed them as a consumer for long enough) to be highly skeptical of what I read at the outset of these sorts of salacious stories, and for a long while after. Sports Web sites are clickbait magnets. I'm awaiting the smoking gun. Meanwhile, apparently UM is proceeding with a Harbaugh contract extension, contrary to what the WSJ printed earlier in the week. That holds more weight with me than anything I've seen so far if in fact it is true.
The wheels of justice grind slowly. I'll wager that they'll grind too slowly to keep UM from the playoff games this season because way too much $$ is at stake for the conference and networks. Sadly, it's the same driver that led the ref to look the other way on that hold off the line on Michigan's final drive against us last November, which put them in easy FG range for the nation's best PK. It's unjust and corrupt but seems to be the reality of the sitch. The BT and big time college sports are, after all, Chinatown, Jake.
If anyone in the executive coaching chain at Michigan knew of what Stalions was doing I hope it comes to light and the program gets hammered hard. I remain skeptical that it will happen, let alone that it will happen this month or next. Hope I'm wrong.
I'm pinning my hopes on OSU (and/or Penn State) beating Michigan and keeping them out of the playoff. Having seen all three of those teams play several times this season, however, I'm not holding my breath.
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