Harbaugh’s Porcelain Throne Being Attacked for the Wrong Reasons

By Bart Doan  |   Monday, August 31, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

Stanford Cardinal
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If the economy really is bad, someone forgot to tell Jim Harbaugh. Though under the former NFL star quarterback, Stanford football has been in the news a lot more of late, this time it's probably not for a reason he'll be tacking on the office corkboard to share with pride. The Stanford community as well as many more are outraged by the news that amidst layoffs and even the possibility of dropping men's fencing, Harbaugh successfully demanded a private restroom that was worth around somewhere between $50-80,000 depending on who you ask this offseason.

As easy as it would be to chide the greediness of this situation, there really isn't much of a counter argument here despite so many willing to blast Harbaugh for it. Yes, it seems a little petulant of the head coach to talk about what a "drag" it is to walk an unholy two flights of stairs to use the shower and down a hall to simply use the restroom, but the reason it's a non issue is as simple as dollars and cents. John Arrillaga, Stanford's billionaire benefactor was the man who forked over the change for these personal facilities. If it's not an issue to him, why should it be to anyone else?

Sure, Stanford has cut over 20 positions over the past year in the althetic department. Sure, the aforementioned men's fencing program might be under the knife of elimination. The fact of the matter is, excessive or not, Arrillaga has the right to spend his money how he wants. No one tells you how to spend your money. Why rain on Arrillaga for choosing to over-pamper a coach who Stanford must be weary of losing every single offseason?

Harbaugh's reasoning was terrible on the issue. He makes his players run bleachers at 6 am and do up-downs after losses until they probably can't see 5 feet in front of them from fatigue yet he can't go up some stairs and down the hall to exercise the facilities? Seems a bit weak for a former NFL player and really any football coach across America. Pete Carroll might not have a private bathroom. Neither does Urban Meyer. They use the same porcelain throne as the lacrosse team. Maybe blame Harbaugh for wanting it, but certainly don't blame him for getting it.

Football is the major cash cow sport at every university that has it. It might cost the most to keep up, but it brings in the most attention and money to back up its costs. On top of that, Stanford football hasn't exactly been lying dormant for a few years, waiting for someone to re-take the reins back to the top of the college football world. It's never been there. Harbaugh is a hot commodity at a school with major academic recruiting restrictions that he wouldn't need to face at the NFL or even in about 95% of head coaching positions at the collegiate level if he decided to pack up the office...bathroom accessories and all...and bolt town.

Arrillaga probably likes seeing his Cardinal improving every year. He probably loved seeing them stun USC two years ago. Could he save Stanford's fencing program and bring back a few more jobs? Probably, but he'd be having to pay someone's salary that obviously isn't bringing down the athletic department if he or she is not employed. While that's a harsh way of looking at it, but the money was only coming to Stanford for this luxury, not for anything else. Harbaugh, for a football coach, seems a bit crass with this demand, but the issue isn't that Coach Jim wanted it. It's more that he found someone who saw things the same way he did to begin with.
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About Bart Doan

Bart has been with Realfootball365.com for about six months and thoroughly enjoys writing for the site. He has been featured for his writings on college football in The Sporting News, The Indianapolis Star, Sports Illustrated, and on CBS Sportsline.com. When he's not drowning himself in the ...
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