Gene Smith Apologizes for Making Jim Harbaugh Tweet That Mean Stuff

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith commented on Michigan holding spring practice in Florida while answering questions at a soccer press conference.

“Is it creative?” he said. “Does it help from a recruiting and marketing point of view? I get that,” Smith said. “If we were jumpstarting our program I’d probably try and do that, too. But we’re not jumpstarting our program. We’re in a different place.”

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who has a Donald Trump-like ability to insert himself into the news, took the second part of the quote and used it to escalate things into one of his sick Twitter burns.

The “tattoo fiasco” references the 2011 NCAA sanctions handed down to Ohio State after players received special benefits (including tattoos) because they were on the football team.

Much like Trump, Harbaugh is going to punch back if he’s punched. We know that.

The problem is, he wasn’t punched first. Smith simply said Ohio State doesn’t need to jump-start its program. He made the factual assessment that the Buckeyes have enjoyed more success and continuity lately.

This was apparently enough to penetrate the thin skin of Harbaugh, who oddly enough seems to take great joy in agitating others, and cause him to come out swinging.

For some reason Smith has decided to apologize for his role in the dustup.

Why? Your guess is as good as mine. At no time did Smith say anything intentionally disrespectful toward Michigan. Nor has Urban Meyer, who has credited Harbaugh for his spring break creativity.

In the grand scheme of things, Twitter scrapes like this aren’t a huge deal. But Smith taking the highest road while Harbaugh keeps on trucking down the low one is indicative of the bizarre mind control the Michigan man has on us all.

He just does whatever he wants and nothing sticks. Here we have Ohio State’s athletic director “losing” this exchange in the court of public opinion because he refuses to get down in the mud.

Diabolical. Imagine what actually beating them on the field would feel like.

Anyway, there’s a lesson here and it’s that Harbaugh does not ascribe to the accepted rules of engagement. He’s a win by any means necessary guy — and that’s dangerous.