and you could get Suggs to perform consistently, we’d probably be 10-1. But all things considered, we’ll take it — and thank you again for your tireless efforts in making our football team one we’re proud to support on Sundays.
I could write tomes here about all of the good things and fun we’ve had with the Ravens since you took over. I’m a fan and a big supporter of yours. And it’s no secret about my feelings and relationship with your predecessor – I’m a Brian Billick guy and I opined that I wouldn’t have fired him. I’ve also opined – publicly and privately – that Steve Bisciotti did himself and the club and city a great turn by hiring you because you’ve clearly gotten the best out of this group of players.
And as much as you have one of the three best general manager/scouting staffs in the sport over the last 15 years, you also have 15 Pro Bowlers, two Hall of Famers and a real NFL quarterback to work with to make you look pretty smart. And the one consistent praise about you is how well you’ve assembled your staff here and how freaking good they are and how accountable they are and how hard they work.
But there’s no one sensible or educated about football who doesn’t say: “That John Harbaugh is doing a HELLUVA job!”
You’re an underdog, a fighter, a scrapper, a hard-worker, a tireless, intensely competitive man. There’s no one in this city that doesn’t respect you or doesn’t know your previous life story as Jim Harbaugh’s brother. And I know from first-hand experience that you hate to be called a “special teams coach” even though that should taken as a compliment because it means you did it the hard way, which has summarily been the story of my entire 42 years on the planet. I’m a ham and egger from Dundalk, raised in a blue collar household with a steelworker father. Dude, I’m on your team!
And before this gets ugly – and by the end of this blog perhaps you won’t speak to me again but I’ll take my chances that you’re a bigger guy than that and you’ll take this missive in the spirit it’s intended — you should know how much respect I have for you and your work ethic and your results and your incredible passion for your players and for winning.
So, if we’re giving out report cards and the only two true measurement columns are “results” and “wins” – you get a straight A. Period.
Now, let me also say that your reputation is souring in some parts of town and in some areas of your own building despite these incredible results on the field. John, you’re losing some people along the journey
