San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is known for being a pretty eccentric dude. But we never took him for the type to smear blood across his face, Braveheart-style. Looks like we spoke too soon! Per the University of Michigan's student paper, the Michigan Daily:
Jim Harbaugh wanted blood.
It was 2007, his first year as Stanford’s football coach, and during what was meant to be a motivational speech, Harbaugh told his players that he wanted to play in the game alongside them.
Okay, chill. Nothing crazy here.
He wanted this so badly that he informed his players that he wanted their blood on him if they bled during that week’s game.
Uh, wait, what?
Offensive lineman Chase Beeler and many of his teammates thought nothing of it. There was no way Harbaugh could’ve been serious. It was a maniacal request, at best. More likely, it was insane.
But in the game, right tackle Chris Marinelli ran off the field with the rest of his offense after a touchdown drive, his arm bloodied. He went straight to Harbaugh to show him.
Harbaugh looked at the blood and did exactly what he said he would. He took his hand and wiped it on Marinelli’s arm. The player’s blood was on the coach’s hands.
No. No, no, no.
Then, Harbaugh took it a step further. He smeared Marinelli’s blood all over his own face like war paint.
Surely, there are all type of restrictions barring the blood bond Harbaugh forged with Marinelli. However, even if Harbaugh did know the rules, we doubt he would've been deterred from completing the ritual. Harbaugh is a competitor. And when he says that he wants blood, he means it. No other substance could slake his thirst.
Oh, and hey, on another note, Harbaugh is a Larry David fan.
There was the time he performed an entire skit from the TV show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as a motivational speech, inserting the words “Stanford football” to make his point. Another week he memorized an entire Shakespeare soliloquy from “Henry V” about fighting and going to battle. Then there was the time he used “The Old Man and the Sea” as a metaphor for going on a journey.
Happy Festivus, Jim.
[via Deadspin]
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