Anquan Boldin, Super Crybaby
Most players would be pretty happy be win a NFC Championship – especially if they played for a perennial also-ran like Arizona.
But the San Francisco Chronicle tells us about a most unhappy Gridbird:
Anquan Boldin and his much-discussed strained left hamstring appeared on the Cardinals’ active roster for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. Then Arizona’s Pro Bowl receiver disappeared as fast as he could after his team’s 32-25 victory over the Eagles . . .
Wearing a lime-green shirt, Boldin tried to bolt for the stadium exit before a small group of media caught him. Someone asked if reaching the Super Bowl eases what has happened between him and the franchise.
“That’s not an issue,” Boldin said. “Like I told you guys at the beginning of the season, my main goal was to do this. I’ve come through with all of my promises. I fought. I gave my heart to this organization. It’s paying off.”
Does he want to stay in Arizona?
“Next question.”
Naturally, inquiring minds wanted to know why Boldin blew up on the sidelines during the waning minutes of Sunday’s game.
“I was not given any explanation why I was taken out,” Boldin told ESPN’s “NFL Live” Monday. “Like any competitor I wanted to know why.”
Does he have issues with Gridbirds offensive coordinator Todd Haley?
“Not a problem at all,” Boldin said. “I’m committed to this team … one goal in mind . . . to win the Super Bowl. That’s why I came back early from the facial injury. You don’t get this opportunity all the time.”
SPICING UP MIKE TOMLIN’s NEWS CONFERENCES
The Steelers coach is famously deadpan, which is why Pittsburgh has so much fun with him.
TIGER BEING TIGER
The new president takes over today amid a bit of fanfare in Washington D.C. Among the stars celebrating change is Tiger Woods, the rehabbing golfer.
This reminds Tipsheet of this classic video:
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while Steve Spagnuolo rounds up volunteers willing to help coach a 2-14 team:
- Can somebody let ESPN know that Jason Garrett was never Billy Devaney’s top choice to coach the Rams?
- Why does everything at the World Wide Leader have to start and finish with the Dallas Cowboys?
- Weren’t the Blues just a little overdue to catch a big break at the end of a hockey game? Could this be a precursor for a better second half?
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
DJ Gallo, ESPN.com: “Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor will likely get the assignment on Larry Fitzgerald. If that doesn’t work, Taylor will likely get help from a linebacker or a safety. If that doesn’t work, an additional defensive back will help. If that doesn’t work, maybe even another defensive back. And if all else fails, they’ll jump him from behind on the sidelines with a huge Terrible Towel and then have Steely McBeam go beat on him with his steel beam or glow stick.”
Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel: “Saw a poster for upcoming movie The Minis. It stars Dennis Rodman playing basketball with a lot of little people. Let me mark that on my calendar.”
Elliott Harris, Chicago Sun-Times: “The word is Cubs manager Lou Piniella apparently is going to spend part of his offseason reading works by esteemed coach/authors John Wooden and Phil Jackson to help the team in the postseason. So now when the announcers say the Cubs skipper is going by the book, nobody is going to be sure exactly which one.”
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “MLB OKd 106 exemptions last season for players to use banned ADD drugs. The exemptions paid off, as hardly any of the players ever trotted out to the wrong position.”
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Quarterback Tim Tebow said he’d be back for his senior season just days after the Gators won the national championship. They haven’t been this happy in Gainesville since that half-off sale on beer keg.”
Dan Daly, Washington Times: “Sorry, but I’m puzzled by Sam Bradford’s decision to return to Oklahoma for another season after throwing 50 touchdown passes and winning the Heisman Trophy. Isn’t that a little like hitting .400 at Rochester and refusing a September call-up?”
Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoTribune.com: “I can’t see much risk to the White Sox’s signing Bartolo Colon. If he and his wonky back are healthy, he’s a better No. 4 than most teams have. If not, if he’s as unreliable as Javier Vazquez, at least he won’t pitch as much as Vazquez. The worst that happens is the Sox need a bigger hot tub and an industrial-strength gurney.”
MEGAPHONE
“I blacked out. I woke up when they were taking my facemask off. I opened my eyes and I was talking. The next thing I knew I woke up in some room and they were taking me to the ambulance.”
Ravens running back Willis McGahee, on absorbing that monstrous helmet-to-helmet hit Sunday.
WORDS TO LIVE BY
“There are three stages of life: youth, middle age and ‘Boy, you’re looking great.’ I think ‘Boy, you’re looking great’ means people probably thought you were dead, but you’re still here. When I was young, I never heard that phrase. Now that I’m old, all I hear is, ‘Boy, you’re looking great.’”
St. John’s (Minn.) football coach John Gagliardi, while accepting the Stagg Award at the American Football Coaches Association convention.
ELSEWHERE ON STLTODAY.COM
Here was my quick take on Spagnuolo, who made a good first impression at his news conference. Our Monday live chat drew mostly approving responses from Rams fans. Over at the Hockey Guy blog, I gave the Blues an attaboy for their unlikely victory at Boston. Also, we celebrated the return of Claude Lemieux and Brendan Shanahan. The NHL is a better place.
Why does everything at the World Wide Leader have to start and finish with the Dallas Cowboys?
It doesn’t when there is news from the Red Sawks.
I don’t know whether to be as excited and awed by the Blues victory against Boston, or disgusted. On the one hand the officials made a couple of absolutely horrible calls late in the third, real screw jobs from all the reports and comments that I have read. The Blues manage to come back from that and tie the game in the last second, and then win it in SO. Great team builder from that point of view. On the other hand, we AGAIN had a late lead against a good team and blew it. Even it the penalty calls were bogus you still have to shut them down, and we didn’t do it. Up 2-1 and a few minutes later down 4-2 that late in the third is bad no matter how you look at it, and we were basically lucky that puck hopped up for Backes to swat it in and tie the game. This team has lots of talent, but needs to learn how to play all 60 minutes and finish what they start…
I stopped listening to what ESPN had to say a long time ago.
Players drafted from Florida State are awfully high-maintenance.
Don’t let ESPN bother you too much. Just keep in mind that they always aim for a combination of critical mass and lowest common denominator. A timeless formula for ratings success in America.
Tim - couldn’t have said it any better myself. Why, even in a good win, do we constantly blow 3rd period leads? Why is Andy Murray NOT on the hot seat? How much worse do we have to finish that last place every year. 3 years ago, they said that this was the year… we’re not even close.
This team lost the lead, b/c a loser is a loser.
Anquan Boldin is a allpro super star wideout that wanted to play. Mr Gordon, you are writing and talking like a fool with this headline. The man had facial bones (nasal/eye) broken in several places just 3 weeks ago and he played with the pain. He attempted to play last week with a pull hamstrain. Maybe you never had these type of injuries, in a physical sport like football he was a sitting duck. They (Big Red) used him for 3 solid quarters as a decoy last Sunday. Then why wouldn’t you believe that when it came down to crunch time he wouldn’t want to play, being the ultimate professional he is. Todd Hadley should have explained to him why he wasn’t out there, Anquan earned that much respect from his play in the game. Don’t make Anquan a villian when he isn’t, you should be writing a article about his courage and the need for the Rams to trade for him! What’s the receiver’s name that the Rams got from the Titan who has played a down, maybe 1 within the last 2 years? There plenty of others you can write negative articles about other than this man.
We need to be patient with the Blues.For once they are doing it the right way,building with youth.I think Murray has them on the right track. This is the hardest working Blues team I can remember in years. They would be atleast a .500 team if their goaltending was better and probably in the playoff hunt if all their veterans were not hurt.They finally have stability in the front office and behind the bench. They are not that far away.
Why did comments close in the 1/21 tipsheet?
CARDNALS RUN WIND SPRINTS UNTILL SOMEONE THROWS UP. THATS WHAT MY HIGH SCHOOL COACH DID EVERY DAY THEN POWERLIFTING AFTER WIND SPRINTS 5 REPS 40SETS. NOW THAT IS A PRACRICE