San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions rubbish ‘mini controversies’ – NFL News
San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions have rubbished ‘mini controversies’ that were apparently generated at the end of their last season’s meeting, and as they prepare to face each other in Week 2 game of the 2012 season, 49ers and Lions want to focus only
on the task at hand.
In Week 6 game of the last season, Lions hosted 49ers at Ford Field. 49ers sealed the victory after coming from behind in the last few minutes of the game and this not only energised the players, but also 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who backslapped Lions
head coach Jim Schwartz after a firm handshake at the end of the game. Both coaches scuffled a bit before they were separated.
Almost one year after that incident, both teams are going to meet again, but that controversy is not going to affect their play. Both Harbaugh and Schwartz have met with each other after that incident and both seem to be in good terms.
In his recent news conference, Harbaugh made it clear that he had already buried the hatchet. The 49ers head coach said:
“Our approach with the mini controversies are really to give them the attention that they deserve, which isn't much. People who will choose to use that to promote this game, or any other game, I think are really missing the point. The game is just so much
bigger. As a rule of thumb, I have too much respect for the men who play this game, on both sides, and too much respect for the game to give it anything (more) than it deserves."
Almost the same views are shared by Schwartz, who believes that the players are not going to even remember that incident when they face each other this Sunday. He said of the incident:
"That's long in the past.”
The Lions coach added:
“When two teams take the field, that's not going to be on one player's mind."
Meanwhile, 49ers running back Frank Gore has also dismissed the notion that the last year’s incident could develop into any sort of controversy. He has asserted that the coach and the players are not worried about the incident.
This season, the game is going be played at the 49ers home field.
Tags: