Ravens upset with CBS for airing Harbaugh’s comments about Steelers

After the Baltimore Ravens' 21-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Coach John Harbaugh wanted to talk some trash about AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers, but he didn't want anyone but his team to hear it.

Too bad. I can only imagine how that went. Maybe something like: "Hey, you know that team that crushed us just last week? Well, they just got stomped by a team that hasn't won in two months! Losers! Oh, um, wait a minute ... what does that say about us?"

Well, it turns out we don't have to imagine it at all. Even though Harbaugh claims to have given CBS strict orders not to air his comments, the network did so anyway.

And here they are: "That team beat us last week, and then went and got their [butts] kicked this week."

Pretty much the same as my version ... at least the first part. I really don't know the context of Harbaugh's comment -- he could have been simply making a point that anything can happen any given week in the NFL.

But one thing is certain: He didn't want the comments to make it on the air. After they did, Ravens senior vice president Kevin Byrne had some harsh words for the network in a statement.

“The comments made by John Harbaugh in the locker room following today's victory over the Titans were meant for Ravens players and coaches only,” Byrne said. “The TV crew that was in the locker room was told by Coach Harbaugh that it could not broadcast what he was about to say.

“When Coach Harbaugh finished talking about various things happening around the NFL and in the AFC North, he told the crew that it could now use what he was going to say. Inexplicably, CBS-TV then aired comments coach Harbaugh specifically said were not to leave the locker room.

“CBS-TV immediately pulled the video and apologized to the Ravens.”

A CBS spokesperson confirmed the network's mistake and issued a subsequent apology in an email to the Associated Press:

"We broadcast a clip during our postgame show that should not have aired. We immediately pulled it down and called the Baltimore Ravens to apologize.”

The Ravens and Steelers split their regular-season games and won't meet again this year unless it's in the playoffs.

Twitter: @chewkiii