BroBible
A Baltimore Ravens season that began with Super Bowl aspirations is seemingly already up in smoke after just six games, and head coach John Harbaugh isn’t making matters any better.
Harbaugh, widely considered one of the best coaches in the NFL, has just two sub-.500 records in 17 seasons coaching the Ravens. But after a 1-5 start and rising fan discontent, it feels as if he could well be running out of time in Baltimore.
In order to try to right the ship this season and potentially save his job, Harbaugh has reportedly attempted some drastic measures.
Baltimore’s biggest issues through six games have been two-fold: First, they haven’t been healthy. Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson is on the shelf with a hamstring injury and several other key contributors have missed time.
The second issue is turnovers. The Ravens rank 31st in the league with a minus-seven turnover margin. Jackson has thrown five interceptions, and the team has fumbled five times, while only securing one interception and two fumbles of their own.
Those issues are fixed by a matter of good fortune, regarding injuries, and cleaner play. But apparently, Harbaugh believes they can be fixed by players having less fun in the locker room.
According to a report from the Baltimore Sun, Harbaugh removed a number of forms of entertainment from the locker room after a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The Ravens promptly removed several recreational staples from the locker room, including the basketball hoop near Jackson’s and Flowers’ stalls,” the report states. “…the pingpong table that rookies Buchanan and Mike Green often battled on after practice, the once-popular cornhole boards, and yes, the video game consoles, often lit up with intense rounds of Super Smash Bros., that regularly drew small crowds of teammates late in the day.”
The move was reportedly intended to limit distractions. But Baltimore is 0-2 in the games since the ban on fun.
Harbaugh knows how to win. He has won routinely, including a Lombardi Trophy, for nearly two decades.
However, this is the type of move you make when you’re coaching a high school or college team, not an NFL team. These aren’t children. They don’t need their toys taken away. They simply need to play better and be healthier.
Harbaugh’s impressive track record should buy him a lot of rope when it comes to job security. But if he loses the locker room with moves like this, he’ll have nobody to blame but himself.
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