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Jim vs. John: Harbaughs Share Aggressive Traits, But Not Everything is Alike (970L)

Notes on my thoughts,

John Harbaugh told a story Tuesday about throwing his headset when he was an

reactions and questions as I

assistant coach at Western Michigan under his father, Jack Harbaugh. "We were getting

read:

the short end of the stick—three penalties on the game-winning drive," John said. "So I

tossed my headset down the sideline, right in front of the opposing student section and

band. I turned around and there’s my dad, right in my face. He said, 'Go pick that up.’

I’m like, `Really?’ So I got to go run down there in front of that opposing student

section and pick up that headset and take that ribbing. That was a pretty good lesson."

Jack hopes his son remembers that lesson during the Super Bowl.

Risk-taking: Both Super Bowl coaches took huge gambles this season. Jim Harbaugh

benched quarterback Alex Smith in favor of Colin Kaepernick. John Harbaugh fired

offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in December and replaced him with Jim Caldwell.

The Harbaugh brothers are their own men in many ways, Clifton Brown writes, but their

similarities also have subtle differences. Both gambles paid off, and you may see that

side of both coaches Sunday, perhaps an onside kick or some other form of trickery.

Empowering players: Both John and Jim believe in forging strong bonds with players

and allowing team leaders to take charge of the locker room. John welcomes the

leadership role that Ray Lewis takes with the Ravens, while Jim is secure enough to let

players speak their minds, as long as they keep their concerns within the team. "Coach

Harbaugh gives us a lot of freedom," said safety Donte Whitner. "He has an open door

policy. If we have any problem, family problem or personal problem we can talk to him

and he will do his best to solve it. I can’t speak for other teams. When I was in Buffalo,

it wasn’t really that way. I know here coach really takes our opinion into

consideration.’’

DIFFERENCES

Coaching strengths: John’s first thought is defense, while Jim was groomed as

offensive coach. Jim was an NFL quarterback. He instinctively sensed that Kaepernick

was ready to start for a Super Bowl contender, despite his lack of experience. John leans

more toward defense. He played defensive back in college, and coached defensive backs

in the NFL. It figures that a team with Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata

would have a head coach with a defensive background.

Sense of humor: Both coaches have one, both they are different. John smiles more and

tells more anecdotes. Jim’s humor is more cutting. Asked whether they fought as kids,

Jim said, "I’m sure we did. As to who won and who lost, I can’t remember. I have a

hard time remembering what I did last Tuesday." Asked if he worried that John could

read his mind, Jim said, "No. Worried about a lot of things, but I have not noticed that

he has any clairvoyant powers."

Here is what both brothers worry about. How the losing brother will feel after Sunday’s

game. "That’s a very interesting thing," Jim said. "Life is full of bitter disappointments.

I think we all understand this going into this game. We both want to desperately win

and be part of a championship. The great thrill of winning is there, but we understand

the other side of that.’’ What transpires will be fascinating. They John and Jim will still

be brothers late Sunday night. But only one brother will be a Super Bowl champion.

Brown, C. Jim vs. John: Harbaughs share aggressive traits, but not everything is alike. Sporting News. Available at

January 29, 2013

Jim Vs. John: Harbaughs Share Aggressive Traits, But Not Everything Is Alike (970l) - Middle School Reading Article Worksheet Page 2

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