San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh responds to critics – NFL News
A few weeks ago when San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh attempted to clarify the team’s stance on quarterback Peyton Manning when he became a free agent this offseason, many critics claimed that Harbaugh should not have issued the clarification
and said that there was a different purpose behind issuing the comments.
Harbaugh’s remarks, which were rather unsolicited, asserted that 49ers had only evaluated Manning following his release by Indianapolis Colts and that the team was not pursuing him.
Manning indeed came in contact with the 49ers but he eventually opted to join the Denver Broncos.
As far as Harbaugh is concern, he was just trying to make the facts right by issuing those remarks.
In the first place, the critics say, there was no need of mentioning that 49ers had not shown interest in Manning.
Harbaugh seems a bit annoyed with the criticism and in a recent interview with Mike Sando of ESPN.com the head coach hit out at his critics and doubters.
Asserting that he had felt a desire to set the record straight, Harbaugh said of the criticism:
"That you can concisely, exactly say it how you see it and believe it, and then somebody can call you a liar, that would make me wonder about the shadiness of that person. You know, the seediness, the diabolical world that somebody would live in that would
think that another man would come right to his face and lie to him.”
He added:
"I don't understand the world where somebody would lie themselves or be lied to, to that extent, where they could commit character assassination on somebody else that is telling the truth."
Some observers also claim that since 49ers were unable to attract Manning, Harbaugh’s statement intended to express faith and confidence in Alex Smith who is going to be the starting quarterback in the upcoming season.
Smith led the team to winning the National Football Conference (NFC) West title last season and ended a very long drought by taking the team into the playoffs.
Whatever the real case is Harbaugh keeps on claiming that he wanted to ‘set the record straight’ while the critics keep on rejecting his stance.
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