Jim Harbaugh Really Needs to Stay Off the Field

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has made a habit of engaging in cartoonish buffoonery on the sidelines, seemingly complaining about literally every single call that goes against his team.

In the 49ers' 23-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, Harbaugh took it to the next level, running onto the field and engaging a referee regarding a disputed call.

The call in question was eventually reversed via replay, and Vernon Davis was rightfully awarded a touchdown, but not before Harbaugh picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his nonsense. The penalty didn't really hurt the 49ers, as it was accessed on the kickoff, but was still pretty silly. If you know the play is going to be reviewed, is it really necessary to sprint on the field, gesturing wildly at the scoreboard replay? It was amusing and ironic that the highly volatile Anquan Boldin became the voice of reason, attempting to stifle the tantrum.

Perhaps Harbaugh was feeling nostalgic for his own playing days.

Hey Jim, remember this gem?

Honestly, between Boldin’s endless trash talking and his coach’s tiresome histrionics, 49ers games have become rather distracting. Players complaining about calls have become an all too familiar sight in professional sports but particularly in the NFL. Receivers seem to insist they are being held or interfered with on just about every play, and personal foul penalties are typically cause for much consternation, as well, although with good reason in many cases.

The 49ers appear to be cultivating this us-against-the-world mentality, and every perceived bad call just feeds the narrative further. They play with rather large chips on their shoulders, following the example of their high-strung head coach, and are a very good football team. Harbaugh has certainly been successful with his theatrics, as the 49ers will be making their third consecutive trip to the NFC Championship Game.

The man clearly knows what he's doing, but the sideline routine may be growing a bit stale. I'm sure 49er fans dig the act, but the rest of us would prefer a more subdued approach.

Remember Mike Tomlin. Has that cautionary tale taught us nothing?

At the very least, try to stay off the field.

You are making a scene.