Scoreboard comment 'unfortunate,' Harbaugh says

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It was clear at Friday?s press conference that Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn?t happy with Randy Brown, the team?s kicking consultant, who generated headlines across the Internet earlier this week by raising doubts, albeit jokingly, about the New England Patriots? possible intentions in the final seconds of the AFC Championship Game last Sunday.

?I just think it was unfortunate,? Harbaugh said of Brown?s comments.

Much has been made of the fact that Gillette Stadium?s Jumbotron board showed the incorrect down throughout the Ravens? final series, leading some to speculate there was sideline confusion that may have impacted Billy Cundiff?s ill-fated 32-yard field goal attempt.

In an interview on a Philadelphia radio station several days after the game, Brown tacitly raised doubts about the intentions of the Patriots, who controlled the scoreboard.

?I don?t think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?? Brown said.
That was a reference to a 2007 incident known as ?Spygate,? in which the Patriots were caught filming the New York Jets? defensive coaches? signals from a sideline location ? a violation of league rules that led to New England coach Bill Belichick being fined a half-million dollars.

Brown?s comments about the Patriots ?were unfortunate comments for sure,? Harbaugh said Friday. ?I?ve known Randy for a long time. Randy is a very good person. If you listen to the interview, you get a very clear indication that it was in jest. He?s known those guys for a long time. He?s a Philly guy, he?s been on that radio station a bunch, and they were going back and forth, and there was a lot of laughing going on.

?It wasn?t meant in a serious way, but it doesn?t come out that way in print. Randy should understand that, and he feels really bad about it right now. We in no way at all think that (the Patriots were up to something), and we?ve said that already.?

Harbaugh conceded it was possibly the scoreboard mistake may have confused Cundiff.

?I never looked at the scoreboard, personally. I never do,? Harbaugh said. ?The scoreboard is not what we use to calculate where we?re at down-and-distance-wise. We knew where we were at. Cam called the plays accordingly, and we called the field goal team on the field, and the field goal team headed out. Sometimes the kicker is in back, he?s on his own, he?s at the net, and they get themselves in that place to kick a field goal. He might be looking at the scoreboard ? but he?s also in communication with Randy. Those guys knew, or should have known, what the down and distance was.?

In any case, there was no excuse for missing the field goal, Harbaugh said.

?That?s what Billy said. He?s got to make that kick, no matter what,? Harbaugh said. ?So no matter what happened with that, yeah the scoreboard was behind, but it didn?t affect us in any way, what we were doing. That kick should get made.?

Source: http://www.csnbaltimore.com/01/27/12/Harbaugh-Scoreboard-comment-unfortunate/landing.html?blockID=639854&feedID=6876

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