Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh exchanged cross words last week as Gilbride said the officials allow 49ers defensive end Justin Smith to get away with holding, and Harbaugh replied that it was inappropriate for Gilbride to attempt to influence the officials.
Gilbride got the last laugh.
After the Giants beat the 49ers 26-3 on Sunday, Gilbride said he got a kick out of the fact that Harbaugh made such a big deal out of his comments, saying he was glad that Harbaugh’s reaction caused a national audience to see what Gilbride had said.
“It was great,” Giblride said of Harbaugh’s reaction, via the New York Daily News. “All of a sudden, now everybody in the country saw it. It worked well.”
Gilbride said he was “shocked” that Harbaugh made such a big deal out of it, as Gilbride had actually intended to compliment Smith by talking about what a disruptive presence he is on the line.
“I have great respect for their front, and I have unbelievable respect for the guy [Smith], tremendous,” Gilbride said. “I thought it was just in a litany of compliments. . . . [A]ll of a sudden, he [Harbaugh] turned it into a negative thing.”
Now it’s time for Harbaugh to stop focusing on what the Giants were saying about the 49ers, and focus all of his attention on what the Giants did to the 49ers.