Jim Harbaugh Fight: Blame Should Be on Lions Coach for Embarrassing Altercation

There is plenty of blame to go around for the postgame skirmish between San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh and Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz, but that being said, Schwartz needs to shoulder most of that blame.

There's something to be said for turning the other cheek and walking away from confrontation, but that's apparently not in Schwartz' head coaching arsenal just yet.

To be fair, it's not all his fault. It is rather clear that Harbaugh was acting inappropriate for that exact moment—the coaches handshake.

All Harbaugh needed to do was get his jollies in on the sideline with his team, and then collect himself for literally a minute to go shake his opponent's hand.

The fault is Harbaugh's for instigating the altercation, but the blame has to go on Schwartz for handling the situation how he did.

It's an old bit in sports, but it has proven to be true: It's never the guy who throws the punch, but the guy who retaliates who gets in trouble.

All Schwartz had to do was walk away, but he chose to push the issue, and the result was a rather embarrassing moment for himself, his team and the city of Detroit.

I understand that fans are going to get all riled up the coach "stood up for his team" or that he "displays that fight and fire that all the champions have," but is that really the case?

Have you ever seen Bill Belichick chasing another another coach toward the tunnel wanting to go all fisticuffs on him because their midfield exchange wasn't as respectful as he would have liked?

Composure is the name of the game for a head coach, and Schwartz proved today that it is something he still has to learn.

The problem is, a team's personality usually takes after the head coach.

We've already seen it this year. The Lions get all fired up and it usually results in some form of penalty, especially on defense.

The Lions are well on their way to being contenders in the NFL, but they have to learn to approach everything in that way.

It's not just about winning on the field; it's about winning the battle of wit, mind and composure.

You not only need to be smarter, but sometimes you have to be classier.

Adversity is part of the NFL, and this was the Lions first true matchup with it in a very long time.

They need to learn how to handle adversity like a champion if they want to be champions.

It all starts at the top.