Here's what I think is at the crux of the decision. The most important thing in ross' football world is harbaugh going to Michigan. In terms of football, he cares more about that than anything else. He realizes if he fires philbin than he's gotta deal with lots of things he doesn't want to deal with. As the owner, he has to put up the front that he's going after the best candidate possible and that would have to be harbaugh. Now if our coaching job is open and harbaugh is tempted by it or even worse wants it, than ross has to get him right? Well, if there's no job opening than there's no job for harbaugh to want and therefore no issues ross has deal with. Imagine the public scrutiny Ross would face if harbaugh put it out there he would love to coach in miami and Ross goes in another direction.
It's been reported that Ross has known for a while that he was gonna stick with philbin. So, he only waited until now to tell everyone cause if he did it after a loss the last couple of weeks he'd look like a clown. He's known for weeks that he's keeping philbin because he's known for weeks he's been trying to get harbaugh to Michigan. It was all premeditated and Ross was looking for the best time to tell the public where he would look the least foolish. He brings up some fabricated story of continuity and blah blah blah. That's why he seemed so elated after the win and why he went to the locker room and was quick to talk to reporters. Not because he was happy we got a meaningless win, it was because he had his out. He needed that win to announce he's keeping philbin and he was terrified we weren't going to get it. He also needed to announce philbin's staying during the season while harbaugh is still coaching the niners. He had to commit to philbin before harbaugh parted ways with the niners to avoid all the attention he would get if harbaugh was let go and philbin's future was undecided. That's why he needed this win so bad. Harbaugh might of been let go a few hours after san Fran's last game.
If Ross was really trying to objectively evaluate philbin's performance and make a rational decision on his coaching future than his decision wouldn't of been predetermined weeks ago and all indications along with the timing of announcing his decision show that he's known for a while that he was keeping philbin. I think Ross mentioned before the season that he expected the playoffs thus season. Well he probably didn't expect harbaugh to be available either.
So he gets harbaugh to Michigan this year and he can always fire philbin next year when harbaugh is already signed and locked up at Michigan.
Lastly, if I'm right than Ross isn't merely a poor owner, he's the worst in all of sports. It's one thing to be a meddling owner or an owner that sign terrible contracts and make stupid decisions but it's an entirely different story to be an owner that deliberately hinders his own team in order to benefit another.
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