John Harbaugh was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 18 years. He learned to navigate the Baltimore sports media world pretty well over that time.
Now the head coach of the New York Giants, Harbaugh knows he’s stepping it up a notch on that front, dealing with the New York media in all its forms and functions.
All due respect to Baltimore, but New York is a different animal in terms of media scope and intensity. And if you’re not ready, it’s the kind of ecosystem that will chew you up and spit you out. Harbaugh spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, but that’s different from being the head coach in terms of media access and accountability.
The 63-year-old Super Bowl champion told The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor that he’s ready for them, so they better be ready for him.
“I’ve had 18 years in Baltimore and 10 in Philly to prepare for the New York media, so I should be ready for it,” Harbaugh told O’Connor, who wrote a feature for The Athletic on Harbaugh’s first 30 days with the Giants. “At this stage of my life, I’m going to try to be honest and give them as real an answer as I can. And if they want to hold it against me, as I tell my players, anything you say can or will be held against you by the public and the media. But that’s okay. If I give an honest answer and someone’s upset with that, then I don’t care as long as it’s true. It’s like, what doesn’t kill me doesn’t bother me. I’m going to say what I think is respectful and honest and hopefully real.
“Sometimes you don’t have an answer to a question. Either I don’t know or I don’t want my opponent to know. I don’t mind you knowing, but I prefer that the Eagles don’t know the answer to that question.”
The Giants have been struggling for the better part of the last decade, and fans and local media are desperate to see the once-proud franchise return to form. The onus will be on Harbaugh to make that happen, and the spotlight that comes with it is very bright.