By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The story goes that three NFL head coaches were talking at dinner one night at the annual league meetings in New Orleans in March. They were Jim Schwartz of Detroit, John Harbaugh of Baltimore and his younger brother, Jim, of San Francisco.
The topic was the impending NFL owners lockout and the effect it might have on the 2011 season. Schwartz opined that the league shutdown would kill hopes of any of the eight rookie head coaches having a good season. Jim Harbaugh listened to Schwartz and didn't say a word. The look on his face said, "Watch me." 
That was part of the back story to the now-famous handshake Harbaugh gave Schwartz after his 49ers handed the Lions their first loss of the season two weeks ago, 25-19.
"Showed you."
The win improved the 49ers to 5-1 -- second-best record in the NFL. The Browns play Harbaugh's resurgent team Sunday in Candlestick Park.
Harbaugh's overly scrutinized handshake with Schwartz, which was more like a "get out of my way" shove in the back, played into Harbaugh's tough-guy image in the Bay Area. His predecessor as 49ers coach, Mike Singletary, was one of the toughest NFL players of his era, but he didn't win nearly enough to achieve the popularity Harbaugh has in his six games on the job.
Harbaugh had more going for him, too. Local fans had watched Harbaugh build nearby Stanford University into a national BCS championship contender in four years after inheriting an 0-11 program. Also, Harbaugh was recruited as Stanford's coach by 49ers icon Bill Walsh, who was consulting for the university at which he also formerly coached right up until the time he died from cancer.
So when Harbaugh resisted reportedly more money offered by Miami Dolphins owner Steven Ross -- and the chance to return as a hero to his alma mater, the University of Michigan -- long-suffering 49ers fans instantly fell in love. Harbaugh has given them reason to hope the team can return to league prominence after an eight-year playoff drought.
The 49ers are the lone quality team in the NFC West, which has for some time been regarded as the weakest division in the NFL. This year, the division has the second-worst record in out-of-division games -- 6-15. Four wins belong to the 49ers.
They have opened a three-game lead in the NFC West by playing the same physical style that Harbaugh fashioned at Stanford. Though Harbaugh espouses the Walsh-inspired West Coast offense, his brand emphasizes the tough running of Frank Gore, low-risk passing primarily to two tight ends and a swarming, 3-4 defense that suffocates opponents' running games.
Though quarterback Alex Smith has the highest passer rating of his seven-year career -- by far -- Harbaugh has him throwing and thinking less.
And yes, Harbaugh did hire an offensive coordinator. He's Greg Roman, the same man who helped develop Stanford's Andrew Luck into the next great NFL quarterback prospect. Roman, incidentally, calls the offensive plays for the 49ers.
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/10/a_fiery_leader_inspires_a_resu.html
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