The NFL has weighed in on the infamous “Handshake Gate” – the near-brawl that resulted from two fiery coaches and an overly enthusiastic post-game handshake.
When the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the previously unbeaten Detroit Lions on Sunday, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh bounded to the center of the field and shook hands with Lions coach Jim Schwartz, pounding him on the back.
Schwartz took offense at the greeting and proceeded to chase Harbaugh down the field and grab and push him. A pushing incident started, which was quickly separated, and Harbaugh explained away the incident as Schwartz taking offense at his exuberance, “I do get emotional, I do get fired up. A lot. I not going to apologize for that. If that offends you or anybody else, so be it.”
NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday via Twitter: “On Detroit-SF coach incident, fortunately, there was no fighting and thus no basis for a fine… However, both coaches told Ray Anderson today that their post-game conduct was wrong and will not happen again.”
“We believe their response is the correct one and that their post-game conduct going forward will be more appropriate.”
Ultimately, that is the best response at this point, as technically there were no rules broken.
While it is exciting to see fiery coaches like Harbaugh and Schwartz doing their thing and motivating their players, they do set the tones for their teams. If the coaches are ready to fight, players will likely be ready to fight next weekend. It would be better if the coaches can demonstrate some of the restraint that they preach constantly to their players.
