As prelude to Sunday’s opener between the 49ers and Seahawks, reporters on Wednesday asked Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll if they are bosom bodies. Before I get to the bosom-buddy part here for your edification and pleasure is the legendary postgame exchange between Carroll and Harbaugh after Stanford beat USC 55-21 in 2009 and after Harbaugh went for a two-point conversion late in the game, which failed.

Carroll: Are you all right? What’s your deal?

Harbaugh: I’m OK. What’s your deal?

It never has been determined what either man’s deal is but we will know more about the deal after Sunday’s deal-breaking game.

For starters, here is what Harbaugh said about Carroll:

Does he understand the intrigue of a Harbaugh-Carroll rematch?

Harbaugh: (He smiles.) Is there intrigue? (He laughs coyly.) We’re both locked into what we’re trying to do. Yeah, two coaches going at it. Tune in to see what the coaches are going to say to each other prior to the game and after the game. Anything that’s been said before has been pretty well documented. In the end, this is an 11-on-11 game. Is this (The Deal) really that exciting, that intriguing to find out what they’re going to talk about? What’s relevant is this game is going to be determined by players.

How do you define your relationship with Pete?

I’ve got great respect for him and the job he’s doing (blah blah blah).

How about you and him?

Good. Respectful.

Do you like him as a guy?

Yeah, I do.

Do you know him?

Somewhat. I wouldn’t say I’m friends with anybody, other head coaches in the National Football League, other than my brother. We don’t go out and socialize. I’m trying to beat him. I respect him and I like him.

Later Carroll spoke via conference call:

We don’t know each other very well. I’ve always had great respect for him as a competitor.

Asked about what they will say to each other he quips, “There will be no boom mikes” when they talk before game.

Does Carroll like Harbaugh?

I don’t know him very well. He does all the stuff great coaches do. I respect him for that.

OK, now for one more thing. As an extra added bonus here is a Seattle Times story about what Harbaugh said after his Cardinal beat the U. of Washington. In this article he says a few things about Carroll. To read the piece click here.

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