We live in the generation of the Internet. YouTube videos, cat memes, hilarious GIFs, and people complaining about trivial things on Facebook and Twitter #firstworldproblems, while taking selfies of themselves on Instagram. If you've been searching the internet for as long as I have you tend to think you've seen it all. That nothing that ever comes up on Reddit will ever surprise you. Well, think again, I give you the greatest video ever. Jim Harbaugh on "Saved by the Bell"...No, not the original "Saved by the Bell" with our favorite characters Zach Morris, AC Slater, Lisa Turtle, Screech, Mr. Belding, and the girl from "Striptease", but the lesser known but still corny as all hell -- "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" that gives us mainstays Screech and Mr. Belding.
The video is embedded below. Start at 14:59 (unless you want to watch the greatness that is this episode in full) and see the most amazing cameo of cheesy 90s television of ALL-TIME!
Jim Harbaugh on Saved by the Bell
- [14:59] Jim Harbaugh IS Screech's Cousin! and Screech even says they look "like twins". I don't know much about Jim other than that I have a huge man crush on him and he's one of the greatest coaches in the league, but knowing that he is at least in "Saved by the Bell" Family with Screech is like finding out your super hot girlfriend loves watching you play video games and thinks that watching SportsCenter is a good way to spend a Tuesday night.
- [15:24] Jim Harbaughs intro. He walks into the after-school hangout "The Max", which makes me incredibly jealous. Every place I've gone to school hasn't had a super cool hangout like "The Max" where everyone goes to have a burger and a soda. If this was real life these kids would be in the parking lot of their High School smoking weed or trying to get their older sibling to buy them a six pack of Smirnoff Ice.
- [15:26] Huge applause for Jim Harbaugh (Obviously, even I'm giving him a standing ovation). The one thing that sticks out to me is that in the almost two years that Harbaugh has been Head Coach of the 49ers he's worn one thing. Seeing Harbaugh in anything other than his sideline apparel is like seing a cartoon character not wear the same outfit they always wear in every single show.
- [15:43] Harbaugh drops the killer line, "Screech is that you? I couldn't recognize you over all those muscles". An absolute classic and as you can tell from previous commercials, Harbaugh's comedic timing is immaculate.
- [15:56] Harbaugh has heard of this High School football player who looks like Soulja Boy! This has to be the highlight of this kids life especially after he did his football dance at the 2-yard line.
- [16:01] Jim Harbaugh the Coach comes out and boy is it a good look for him. He eloquently says, "You know, people think I'm a hero because I can throw a football". No Jim, YOU ARE a hero because you resurrected Alex Smith's career and brought this team out of a 9-year depression, but I digress.
- [16:32] Screech has the audacity to pull a "Jim Harbaugh" and slap Jim on the back. Harbaugh may not have liked it, but he did not break the 4th wall (The Golden Rule of Acting - Someone get this man an Oscar or at least a Daytime Emmy!).
- [16:52] Boom! Jim Harbaugh is absolutely killing it. Two classic lines in one appearance? He may have missed his calling after weird guy does an awful cheer, Harbaugh says, "Cheerleading sure has changed since my day".
- [18:56] Harbaugh triumphantly returns to save the day, this time wearing a brown blazer. It's so dapper, I want to be just like him.
- [19:15] Jim brings it home, giving us not only comedy from earlier, but a little bit of emotion to really drive home his message. “Being a hero isn’t about what you do out there on the field,” he says. “It’s about who you are in here [heart]. It’s about helping your friends, your school and your community.” I have no doubt in my mind that Jim came up with his own lines, I'm sure he could even make the great speech from "Any Given Sunday" even better.
- [19:55] I wouldn't say Jim is a guy that holds grudges, but he definitely forgives but does not forget. He gives Screech the "Handshake" and slaps him on the back ala San Francisco vs. Detroit. See Schwartz he does it to everyone, stop overreacting!
I've learned so much from this timeless video and I hope you have to. First off, Jim Harbaugh is a phenomenal actor that not only has comedic timing but really brings his message home. He also is just an aggressive handshaker and back-patter and that if you ever come in contact with him (May God allow this to happen to every single one of you) just be prepared. Finally, that no matter how long the Internet lasts -- probably until the "Matrix" or "Terminator" happens -- it just keeps on giving.
- Lance Cartelli
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