John Harbaugh has a reputation as a pretty straight-laced guy, who doesn't often make inflammatory comments worthy of a soundbite. That wasn't the case after his Baltimore Ravens upended the lowly Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
In the locker room after the victory, Harbaugh had some choice words for the team's last opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Eric Goldschein of Sports Grid.
Check out the video here:
"That was a tough challenge. We have a team coming off a bye. You had a team in this room off a very physical Sunday night game. You know what I'm saying? Saw what happened on the other part of that, right? Strike that from the record books, ok? Is that NFL? Are you with us or them? Make sure that doesn't get... ("Edit that sh--!") What I'm about to say doesn't get talked about, okay? That team beat us last week, okay? All right? Then they went and got their [ass] kicked this week. This team was in the same game and went and got the job done this week. That's who you are. Those who you are. Congratulations."
Maybe worse than the comments themselves was Harbaugh's realization, as he was still speaking, that what he said could be hurtful to himself and his own team in the long run.
He pointed at the camera and asked if they're "with the NFL" or "with them," then said he wanted what he said stricken from the record.
Sorry, John, that's not how this game works, apparently.
The Ravens released a statement today blasting CBS for airing the clip:
"The comments made by John Harbaugh in the locker room following today's victory over the Titans were meant for Ravens players and coaches only," said Ravens Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations, Kevin Byrne. "The CBS-TV crew that was in the locker room was told by Coach Harbaugh that it could not broadcast what he was about to say. When Coach Harbaugh finished talking about various things happening around the NFL and in the AFC North, he told the crew that it could now use what he was going to say. Inexplicably, CBS-TV then aired comments Coach Harbaugh specifically said were not to leave the locker room. CBS-TV immediately pulled the video and apologized to the Ravens."
CBS eventually apologized, but the damage had already been done.
