The news of Jim Harbaugh’s suspension by the Big Ten on Friday has not sat well with fans of the Michigan football program or the players who currently make up its roster.
Shortly after news broke that Harbaugh was suspended for the remainder of the regular season — against No. 10 Penn State, Maryland and No. 1 Ohio State — several Michigan players simultaneously tweeted “Bet.” It was simultaneously a show of support for Harbaugh and also a statement to the rest of college football (and the Big Ten) in their confidence to win without their coach on the sidelines.
OPINION:No matter how bad it looks, Michigan football is determined to stand by Jim Harbaugh
Shortly after, a legendary Wolverines alum added his own voice to the legion of tweets: seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady. The former Michigan quarterback, who played for coach Lloyd Carr from 1995-99, subtweeted J.J. McCarthy on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter:
What does bet mean?
The term bet, as Brady and the Wolverines players are using it, doesn’t refer to the act of making a wager. Instead, it’s more of an acknowledgement of a statement or challenge that has been issued — in this case, traversing the rest of the regular season without Harbaugh on the sidelines.
REQUIRED READING:Why is Jim Harbaugh suspended? Michigan coach to miss regular season amid sign-stealing scandal
Why was Jim Harbaugh suspended?
Harbaugh was suspended as part of Michigan’s ongoing sign-stealing scandal in which former staffer Connor Stalions allegedly used a network of scouts to illicitly steal the signs of both Big Ten teams and potential College Football Playoff opponents such as Georgia and Oregon. Stallions is alleged to have bought tickets for numerous programs under his own name so his network of scouts could steal the signs of opponents.
The NCAA does not forbid sign-stealing, though it does forbid in-person scouting of teams you are not currently playing. Moreover, the alleged use of technology to steal signs is also forbidden. The NCAA investigation is ongoing, though the Big Ten and commissioner Tony Petitti had the authority to punish the program without the NCAA’s input. According to the Big Ten sportsmanship handbook, “an institution is responsible for, and therefore, may be held accountable for, the actions of its employees, coaches, studentathletes, band, spirit squads, mascot(s), general student body, and any other individual. …”
Leave a Reply