Jim Harbaugh-Jim Schwartz Fight: How Should Roger Goodell React to Skirmish?

Everyone saw it. And everyone should have seen it coming. Jim Harbaugh skipped from the sidelines to field, untucking his shirt and leaping through the air, doing his best Brandi Chastain impersonation.

Of course, when Chastain did it, she'd just won the 1999 Women's World Cup after converting the winning penalty. Harbaugh had just beaten a team two seasons removed from going 0-16. In the sixth week of the season. 

That's why, when Harbaugh sprightly danced toward Jim Schwartz and heartily shook his hand and slapped him on the back, Schwartz offered his opinion in a less-than-civil way (see the video here). You don't have to be an experienced lip reader to make out the two words he chose.

Schwartz wasn't wrong for being angry. He wasn't wrong for refusing to enjoy that display of arrogance. Show me a coach who can do a midfield jig with the guy who just beat him, and I'll show you an unemployed coach. And he really wasn't wrong for voicing his displeasure with strong language.

But extending Harbaugh's precious time as the center of attention by chasing him down and rekindling the argument was probably unnecessary. It got the two teams involved, which could have led to injury or suspension, and it played right into Harbaugh's hands.

The bottom line is that the Detroit Lions lost, and the winning coach wanted to rub it in by antagonizing the losing coach. And he did. No matter how much Lions' fans would love to see Schwartz get a parking lot shot at Harbaugh, it would have been better to see him laugh at Harbaugh's schoolgirl glee and tuck that memory away for the playoffs. After all, it's only Week 6, and Schwartz could've come out on top by realizing that and doing nothing else other than feel sorry for the fool celebrating so enthusiastically so early.

And that's exactly what Roger Goodell should do. Nothing. Football's an emotional, passionate game. People get hit, players get ticked, guys get in each other's faces after big plays and jaw the same way Schwartz and Harbaugh did.

And what happens? A man wearing stripes throws his yellow handkerchief gently into the air and blows a whistle. One team backs up 15 yards, and the game goes on.

Why should the punishment in this instance be so drastically different? These guys are coaches, sure, but they're part of the game. And although the game was over, there was no contact from Schwartz, at least nothing as substantial as Harbaugh's "Gee aren't we good, other coach?" slap on the back.

And Harbaugh can't really be punished for being a jerk, can he? The NFL's full of jerks, but they don't get fined every time they prove it by shaking hands or patting backs too exuberantly. 

The situation was exciting because Harbaugh's had run-ins with coaches before. He famously exchanged barbs with Pete Carroll when both coaches in the college ranks, and he's never shied from confrontation. Apparently, neither has Schwartz.

Two grown men got into a verbal argument just seconds after 300-pound behemoths finished slamming each other into the ground for three hours. 

What's the big deal?