Will the seemingly dominant 49ers be able to fend off Freddy P. Soft? (paywall)
“Mr. Soft, as Harbaugh explained more than once during his tenure, is a fictional four-inch character that resides near a players’ ear, tells them how great he is and encourages him to take it easy.
Harbaugh routinely invoked F.P.S. from 2011-14 because his teams went 44-19-1 and often inspired what he deemed motivation-sapping praise and back slaps.
“If people are saying nice things about you,” Harbaugh once said, “kick them in the shins and get back to work.”
This week, two months after the 49ers fell victim to “honey words of praise” being “flowered” upon them — yes, that’s more Harbaugh-speak — they are facing their next showdown with Freddy P.