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October 13, 2012

Harbaugh fired up after Smith criticism

The Associated Press Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is taking on another coach.

Less than a year after an on-field confrontation with Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz over a postgame handshake, Harbaugh is miffed with New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Harbaugh accused Gilbride on Friday of making outrageous and incendiary comments about All-Pro defensive end Justin Smith in an effort to influence officials prior to Sunday’s game between the teams that met in the NFC title game in January.

Harbaugh made his remarks in response to Gilbride’s answer to a question Thursday about what makes the 49ers’ front line so hard to block on passing plays. The long-time Giants coordinator started off by saying the linemen have ability and great, quick players who are tough.

What angered Harbaugh is what followed.

“Smith is a beast on the inside, he’s strong, he does as good a job of grabbing a hold of offensive linemen and allowing those twists to take place. He never gets called for it so he gets away with murder,” Gilbride said. “That, in conjunction with the ability level they have, makes them as formidable as anybody we go against, and we go against some pretty good ones in Dallas’ and Philadelphia’s. They’re as good as anybody up front.”

Harbaugh kicked off his news conference Friday with a statement in response.

“Kevin Gilbride’s outrageous, irrational statement regarding Justin Smith’s play is, first, an absurd analogy,” Harbaugh said. “Second, it is an incendiary comment targeting one of the truly exemplary players in this league. It’s obvious that the Giants coaching staff’s sole purpose is to use their high visibility to both criticize and influence officiating.”

Smith had no reaction to Gilbride’s allegation that he was getting away with holding.

“Hey, better than getting caught with it,” he said. “I mean, I really don’t know what he’s talking about, to be honest with you. But if he’s trying to talk himself, get some bulletin board stuff, good for him. Whatever they need to do. It doesn’t bother me. I’m going to have him look him up and see who it is.”

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