{"id":2648,"date":"2013-01-28T21:06:25","date_gmt":"2013-01-29T02:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tireball.com\/nfl\/?p=2648"},"modified":"2013-01-28T22:05:21","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T03:05:21","slug":"the-reason-behind-jim-harbaughs-sharpie-necklace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tireball.com\/nfl\/2013\/01\/28\/the-reason-behind-jim-harbaughs-sharpie-necklace\/","title":{"rendered":"The reason behind Jim Harbaugh’s sharpie necklace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jimharbaugh\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jim Harbaugh has worn a red sharpie around his neck for the last two years. But, first things first.<\/p>\n

“I take offense at you calling it a necklace. It’s a whistle,” Harbaugh said<\/a> on Monday. “A coach should go to practice with a whistle and I just clip a pen on it. It’s really not complicated at all.”<\/p>\n

Now that we got that covered the next logical question would be the reason Harbaugh seems fixated on wearing it every week.<\/p>\n

\"tomlandry\"Harbaugh is a creature of habit. His khaki pants, black sweatshirt and black hat have become a fixture on the sidelines for the 49ers. Clearly Harbaugh’s attire is not on the level of Tom Landry and his hat. However it does rival Bill Belichick’s hoodie and Jon Gruden’s visor.<\/p>\n

“He sticks to his fashion pretty well,” cornerback Tarell Brown said. “We tease him about it sometimes, but that’s how Coach is. He’s straight to the ‘T’ and that’s the way we like it.”<\/p>\n

If you think the sharpie and same outfit every week is odd you only know half of the story.<\/p>\n

Harbaugh often wears a blue-collared shirt underneath the black sweatshirt to represent his blue-collar mentality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One thing is for sure, being in the Super Bowl is better than being yelled at by Mike Ditka.<\/p>\n