Our old friend and former contributor Kyle “Ruthless Sports Guy” McLorg dropped an interesting tidbit during last night’s Warriors game.
Source: midway thru 2014, York walked into meeting Harbaugh was holding w/ players, & Harbaugh told Jed that the meeting was for “men only”
— Kyle McLorg (@Kyle_McLorgBASG) June 8, 2015
Certainly not the beginning of the animosity, but the source said it was a major breaking point in the Harbaugh-York relationship
— Kyle McLorg (@Kyle_McLorgBASG) June 8, 2015
Based on McLorg’s sourcing in the past, I have no doubt that this story is true in some sense. It’s uncertain whether Jim Harbaugh was referring to his players as “mighty men” and setting them apart from Jed York in that way, or if he meant to describe York as an adolescent to humiliate him in front of 50-odd people.
Based on past history, I think most of us would assume the latter. And if our assumption is correct, it would tell us that Harbaugh had no plans to coach the team after 2014, because there’s no way anyone in the history of working relationships could expect to keep a job after effectively referring to his or her millionaire boss as a child — in any setting.
Sure, it’s an amusing tale. And Harbaugh wanting the suits out of the locker room, which he seemed to consider a sanctuary of sorts for himself and his players, would fit with what we’ve seen from him before. Unless I’m imagining things, he certainly seemed to change expression after he yelled “who’s got it better than us,” turned around, and saw Trent Baalke and York after the 49ers beat the Chiefs last season.
However, “mutual” (which is second only to “class” when it comes to eyeroll-provoking words in Ninerland), certainly didn’t pertain to “respect” when it came to the relationship between these two. And it would appear that Harbaugh and the 49ers parting ways had much more to do with a mutual dislike between Harbaugh and York than a power struggle between the former head coach and current general manager.
We don’t know if there was a specific reason why Harbaugh would give York the “men only” treatment. Maybe a leak about Harbaugh’s hold on the team had come out in the hours/days prior, and Harbaugh assumed York was the source. One could easily see Harbaugh believing strongly that to be a “man,” one must say things to another man’s face instead of whispering (or texting) anonymously to reporters.
Or, perhaps it’s as simple as saying that Harbaugh is extremely rude to people he doesn’t like. As Ralph Barbieri often said, “two things can be equally true.”
The timing of this incident is also unknown. “Midway” though the season could mean October, when things still seemed to be in flux, or after the Thanksgiving Massacre. And we all knew that Harbaugh was on his way out once York sent that tweet apologizing to “#49ersfaithful” for his employees’ performance against Seattle (a point that was hammered home again when they lost in Oakland).
Here’s what we know, and probably knew all along: The relationship between York and Harbaugh was already fractured before the 2014 season began. What McLorg’s information tells us is that things seemed to get worse as their final season together progressed, which most of us already assumed.
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Jed should have told him the locker room was for classy winners only.
BOOM. HEADSHOT.
VIVA JED
SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life Pretty gay. You done mowing his lawn yet??
biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life Why must you insult gay people for no reason whatsover. Learn to say “dum b” or whatever bad word vs using a whole group of people as an insult. Time to evolve.
Excellent piece of information from Mr Ruthless Sportsguy.
Don’t know what to make of this. Can’t believe that Harbaugh would be that rude to his employer.
But then again, this only shows you how badly the relationship had deteriorated.
Too bad.
I’ve just assumed something just like this happened along the line and alienated Jed. Been very easy to imagine the scenario, and how everyone would react.
Doesn’t make me like/dislike either one more or less.
Harbaugh is a single-minded bully, who can’t be bothered to waste time with social graces. Even his friendliness comes off as hollow.
York is a petulent thin skinned baby who didn’t have the nuts to take Harbaugh on head on. I would have had so much more respect for York if he told Harbaugh to go f himself and let everyone know that he was truly fired. No guts.
Both are tools. But we’re only left with one of them so he gets the focus of my anger.
toomanydanlennons Quite so. The only moderately surprising part is that it took as long as it did for a story like this to become public.
Probably a fair bet there will be other similar stories over time. Secrets, even “mutual” negotiated confidential settlements, don’t always stay that way indefinitely.
Who does?
FootballFanatic1 biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life Don’t whine.
JohnWShreve FootballFanatic1 biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life Yes! This comment board is for men only.
Now I like Harbaugh even better. He spoke the truth to the entitled child Jed.
The mass exodus of Niners this off season is a direct result of Harbaugh leaving and the laughable leadership of York and Balke.
The Santa Clara NINERS are the joke of the NFL.
MilpitasNinerGuy First, you’ll regret calling Jed a tool when he piles up a mountain of classy Super Bowl titles. Second, you’re dead on about Harbaugh. Look at what classy, well like coaches the last two Super Bowl winners are. No one in their right mind would say that Bill Belichick or Pete Carroll are anything but the classiest, most gracious coaches regardless of whether they win or lose.
VIVA JED
Here’s what we also know: with “50 odd people” in the room at the time, not a single one of them said anything about this until months after the fact. Yeah, that’s really believable.
I don’t like owners like Jed York. They feel that just because Mommy and Daddy bought the team that they can when they get older take over a team and expect a team and it’s coach to respect him when he has no experience as an athlete. He should’ve slid in learned from eveybody earned their respect then do like Jerry Jones.
Sarcasm I hope
Jerry Jones? The guy who fired Jimmy Johnson and replaced him with Barry Switzer?
If you’re being serious, this says a lot about you–and not in a positive way.
Relationships rarely disintegrate to the level described here without both parties being at fault.
You are making the point for the owner because Barry won a super bowl with talented players. So what is your point?
You would not have that attitude if you own the team. Are you trying to tells you would let anyone disrespect you in front your kids….I think not.
You must be yet another ignorant “12th man” wannabe fan….f-ing idiots! Both NY teams play in Jersey….”Santa Clara”…you are all the biggest bunch of losers that try so hard to fit in….Seattle fans…you’re all a bunch of trash 
PatrickLanigan Not true. If one party is acting in bad faith, it’s all on them.
It takes giving respect to earn respect even if you are the owner. It’s painfully obvious that York has no respect for others. Many rich entitled kids have that lack of respect.
York could have and should have told Harbaugh to go “F” himself as a quick response and gained some respect from the “Men omly” & maybe even Coach.
FootballFanatic1 biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life The Precious Snowflake community weighs in.
Umm, he wasn’t calling York a “child”. He was calling him a “P*ssy”.
Fatbat49er inherited team that JJ assembled
Poor Jed, he so desperately wants to emulate his wildly successful Eddie DeBartolo, whom we remember always hung out in the locker room before and after games. Eddie was a chum and his chumminess worked well for the 49ers of the 80’s and 90’s, but he had to work to get that respect. He also blew gaskets whenever the 49ers lost, which eventually led to Bill Walsh’s premature retirement from the NFL.
DavidHarte
Hater, Baalke wanted Harbaugh to stay. If anything, this article underscores that the firing had little if anything to do with Trent. Even Harbaugh said, “I serve at the pleasure of the owner (not the GM, the owner). But, for a hater, I guess none of that matters. Must be miserable being you.
Giantsniner Another Felony Whiner fan shows he has class. Too bad it’s 3rd.
Pizza Mike Special Olympics are happening in LA this year and soon. Will you be performing?
FootballFanatic1 biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life I would hope has thicker skin than you seem to have. Not everyone happens to believe in your apparent “live and let live” attitude. Some people have “normals”, values and ethics that may not be agreeable to you . This is a SPORTS site. Keep it that way!!!!and this doesn’t make you “keeper of decentcy”!!!!!
@Moose Excellent point Moose. I may have been temped to fire Harbaugh on the spot.
moweejim Sure, he may be simply a DeBartolo. But he’s a DeBartolo never the less. By your statement, leak rumors or otherwise, it’s ok to disrespect the Boss.
I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with Jeb and John York in a small group. You could not find more down to earth people. I did not see one drop of ego from these people. I came away with such a great feeling about major pro sport owners. These people are not a stereotype of Al Davis or Jerry Jones. I came away with a renewed faith in the human experience. Please don’t get wrapped up in sports writers or commentators who never had this type of experience.
DavidHarte Well done David!
Pizza Mike What part of that was obvious? The part where he was disrespected?
DavidHarte I disagree with most of what you said, especially since there’s not evidence Walsh ever recommended Harbaugh to the Niners. But ultimately if you and the others are so dissatisfied, you guys can go cheer for the hawks or other instead of trolling here.
Jermaine Keyes I guess, you must not respect your bosses, since they may not have ever been a troll.
Pizza Mike OMG!, your like those Republicans,,, the retirement of Borland, Willis, and Smith are unfortunate. But their reasoning are very valid and there’s no evidence to point to Harbaugh leaving. As for Gore, Iupati, Crabs, Culliver, and the rest we simply couldn’t afford to pay them. That definitely have nothing to do with Harbaugh leaving. Go back in time, the great Bill
Walsh traded away Montana, allow Craig, Stubblefield, and even Lott and Rice to leave. Sometime it’s simply time to go.
biz112763 SuperFreakingFaithful49JedYorkPwns4Life phobic idiot.
Manny Silva It must have been an uncomfortable meeting, since his name is Jed, not Jeb
djreno13 Manny Silva Thank goodness you pointed out his typo, this is such a grave error.
Ever since York and company took over the 49ers have been in disarray! The only thing holding them together was Coach Harbaugh and now he’s gone! Look at the mess now! If anything goes right from now on, I will be surprised! York and company are threatened by a man who is soooo good at what he does and that’s why he’s gone! Money doesn’t by talent! You either have it or you don’t! Sorry, but that’s the way I feel!
Manny Silva Sounds like bunk to me! Harbaugh is a good coach, no excuse for letting him go! Ego is the cause. He knew more than they ever will and they couldn’t handle it. Bought and sold.
