Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Jim Schwartz’s exuberant post-game fist pump became a symbol of the Detroit Lions during their five-game win steak to start the season, but Schwartz showed a different side of his emotion in his team’s first loss today.

Schwartz chased 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh off the field after he said Harbaugh “shoved (him) out of the way” during their post-game handshake following San Francisco’s 25-19 victory over the Lions at Ford Field.

Check it out after the jump…

Harbaugh, who played at Michigan, took blame for the altercation – which escalated with players shoving on their way into the tunnel.

“I was just really revved up,” Harbaugh said. “It was totally on me. I just shook his hand too hard. It was a kind of strong, slap kind of handshake. It’s like what I’ve done with (linebacker Blake) Costanzo and a few of the other guys. That was on me. It was a little too hard of a handshake.”

Schwartz explained the exchange this way: “Went to congratulate Coach Harbaugh and got shoved out of the way and then didn’t expect an obscenity at that point so it was a surprise to me at the end of the game.”

Who did the shoving and shouting?

“I’ll just leave it right there,” Schwartz said. “I’m sure it’s on video.”

Video showed Harbaugh jumping up and down in excitement as the Lions’ final play ended with a fumbled lateral 70 yards from the end zone. He shook Schwartz’s hand hard with his right hand and slapped him on the back with his left and appeared to shout, “Whoo,” as he walked away.

Schwartz turned and appeared to say something to Harbaugh, then chased the first-year coach about 25 yards to the back of the end zone with players from both teams separating them.

Harbaugh, who played one season with the Baltimore Ravens when Schwartz was an assistant there in 1998, said he apologized to Schwartz in the tunnel after the game, and Schwartz said he didn’t expect that reaction from Harbaugh.

“Like I said, I didn’t expect (it) after the game,” he said. “Went to shake an opponent’s coach’s hand and obiously you win a game like that you’re excited and things like that, but I think there’s a protocol that goes with this league.”

(STORY CONTINUES…)
WRITTEN BY BY DAVE BIRKETT/DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
& FULL STORY HERE