Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football: ESPN analyst calls Jim Harbaugh a 'fraud', sides with Bret Bielema

Once again, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is seeking attention by going after Jim Harbaugh in wake of latest sign-stealing report.

Chris Breiler

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ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is back to his old routine, once again taking aim at Jim Harbaugh as the sign-stealing scandal is once again the topic of conversation. It began on Tuesday when Yahoo Sports shared a report that included insight into Michigan's 130-page response to the NCAA NOA regarding the sign-stealing issue. In the report, Michigan strongly pushes back on most of the NCAA's accusations, setting up what could be a lengthy battle between the two sides.

And while all of these topics will undoubtedly be debated in the coming weeks, folks on social media have already began serving as judge, jury, and executioner. Shortly after Yahoo Sports published its report, Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema jumped into the fray by taking a personal shot at Harbaugh himself on Twitter - accusing him of running off to the NFL to avoid punishment.

"Really .... Why did you leave? Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the NFL. See you in the future and can't wait."

While it's certainly a poor look for a head coach like Bielema to publicly take shots at another head coach, it's not all that surprising. What also isn't surprising is that Bielema's shot at Harbaugh went viral on social media, with media outlets from all across the country giving it more attention. And as we all know, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is certainly no stranger to seeking attention - particularly when it involves Jim Harbaugh. On Wednesday, Finebaum saw another opportunity to do just that, siding with Bielema and referring to Harbaugh as a "fraud."

"He is right," Finebaum said indicating he agrees with Bielema. "Harbaugh is just a disingenuous fraud about all things he used to say. He didn't want to face the music. By the way, Michigan didn't really want him to stay."

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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