49ers head into open week with Harbaugh in spotlight

Associated Press

santa clara, calif.

Jim Harbaugh’s aggressive, second-long handshake with Lions coach Jim Schwartz and accompanying back slap have talk radio all atwitter, and Twitter, too.

And, boy, were his 49ers players entertained by it all.

San Francisco’s emotional first-year coach is winning, and celebrating the team’s turnaround in his unique style — even if he rubs people the wrong way in the process. The Niners are 5-1 heading into their bye week after a 25-19 victory over the previously unbeaten Lions.

“We’re not here today to throw any salvos. There’s not going to be any salvos coming out of the West Coast,” Harbaugh said Monday.

Harbaugh spoke to NFL Executive Vice President Ray Anderson and vowed to improve his own postgame behavior. The NFL announced neither coach would be fined for their altercation at the end of the game.

Still, Harbaugh doesn’t plan to say sorry.

“Personally I can get better at the postgame handshake and we’ll attempt to do that,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t think that there’s any reason for an apology. We spoke about it after the game, and at some point we will talk in private. Apologies always seem to me like excuses.”

Harbaugh insisted before the trip back to Michigan, where he starred in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines, that he has no friends. He probably didn’t make any at Ford Field.

On Monday, the coach said he is unconcerned about whether coaches like him or not, saying, “Mostly we care about our team and what they think of our team.”

His team appreciates the loyalty and hard-nosed approach. Always.

“It’s something you don’t see every game. As a player, I was kind of pumped up about it,” left tackle Joe Staley said, chuckling. “They weren’t fighting, they were just getting after it. It’s an intense game and football is an intense sport with high emotions.

“It’s just something that happened at the end of the game. Obviously you don’t want to see a fight happen, but there was some yelling and stuff.”