San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh deferred to the courtroom protocol of TV personality Judge Judy when asked about rumors that he could replace Mack Brown as the next coach of the Texas Longhorns.
It wasn't the first time Harbaugh's been asked about the subject, but it was certainly the first time he's had such a colorful response:
"Rumors? Do you have any evidence?" Harbaugh said. "Any evidence, or what are we talkin'? Hearsay, here? Hearsay. Well in Judge Judy's court, hearsay is not admissible evidence. So I think we can all agree that an unnamed source is hearsay, would we not? ... You have my quote on that question."
Assuming the powers that be in Longhorns Country hire a high-profile coach, the trickle-down effect in the profession could be significant, particularly if the hire comes from the college ranks. Harbaugh, however, seems a far better fit for the NFL game, despite his impressive run of success at Stanford. Successful NFL coaches don't often make their way back to the college game unless their career path is forced in that direction.
"I see unnamed sources related to many of these topics. It's my point that an unnamed source is hearsay. And in the court of public opinion, why would you give any of that credibility?" Harbaugh added. "Beware of unnamed sources. They speak with forked tongue. ... (I've) watched a lot of Judge Judy."
Here's guessing Judge Judy doesn't draw the best ratings in Texas, anyway.
And so the rumor mill churns on.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
