Mark Madden: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan another example that it's OK to cheat in sports

It’s OK to cheat.

Jim Harbaugh’s three-game nonsuspension from his duties as Michigan football coach is a reminder.

Harbaugh can coach at practice. He can game plan. You know he’s in communication with his staff during games he’s “suspended” from. Harbaugh’s impact is not being at all minimized. (You don’t need coaching genius to beat James Franklin and Penn State in a big game.)

This is Harbaugh’s second three-game suspension of the season. But Michigan won’t consider firing Harbaugh. He wins.

If Michigan or the Big Ten Conference get Harbaugh too mad, he’ll quit and have a job in the NFL within days. It’s impossible to punish Harbaugh.

Heck, if the Big Ten gets Michigan too upset, Michigan could bolt to the SEC. (But Michigan would never walk away from that Ohio State game.)

Whether it’s recruiting violations or stealing signs, Harbaugh has carte blanche to cheat as he pleases. He’ll likely get his current suspension overturned Friday in court.

Meantime, Harbaugh martyrs himself. He declares that Michigan is “America’s Team.” That might be true. Harbaugh got caught cheating but plays the victim. There’s something sadly American about that.

Michigan isn’t “a team that beats the odds, beats the adversity,” as Harbaugh says. They’re a team that sweeps excrement under the rug.

The situation is loudly debated during ESPN’s six-hour block of nonstop yelling and mugging weekdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Meatheads like ex-NFL lineman Jeff Saturday bray for Harbaugh to get “due process.” It’s not a criminal proceeding, Matlock. It’s only college football.

Desmond Howard openly stooges for his alma mater on ESPN because that’s what the Worldwide Leader has sadly become: a forum for cheerleading.

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz says suspending Harbaugh isn’t fair to Michigan’s players. But aren’t they beneficiaries from stealing signs?

College football analyst Paul Finebaum got it right: “(Michigan) isn’t America’s team. This isn’t what America’s about. This team is not representative of anything other than a program accused of cheating. Cheating.”

Finebaum, as a voice of reason, sounds out of place on ESPN.

Harbaugh should shut up and serve his suspension quietly, grateful that it isn’t really a suspension at all. But it’s more fun to climb up on the cross.

Harbaugh can’t be suspended from the College Football Playoff. Big Ten discipline doesn’t apply. The CFP would never.

This is all just chum for idiots.

But it’s definitely OK to cheat.

The Houston Astros cheated and didn’t have to give back their World Series rings.

The New England Patriots cheated and didn’t have to surrender any Super Bowl rings.

None of MLB’s steroid cheats had to return any salary. (Money is greater than the Hall of Fame.)

The “Hand of God” got Maradona a World Cup.

Tonya Harding took out Nancy Kerrigan’s knee and got a movie made about it. (A great movie, too. I watch “I, Tonya” every chance I get.)

The only thing that’s clearly off-limits is throwing the World Series like the Chicago White Sox did in 1919.

But that inspired a movie, too. And maybe it would be OK to do now because of all that gambling sponsorship and since nobody watches the World Series. (TV ratings for this year’s Fall Classic were in the toilet.)