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Boldin: Incident A Dead Issue

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By JACK MAGRUDER

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 23, 2009

TEMPE, Ariz. - Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin said he spent an off day this week watching "Gran Torino," Clint Eastwood's new confrontation flick. Maybe Boldin wanted to relate.

Boldin met the media Thursday for the first time since a sideline spat with offensive coordinator Todd Haley during the Cardinals' winning touchdown drive Sunday in the NFC title game against Philadelphia, although he was back on the field for the go-ahead score. After the game, Boldin did not linger to relish the moment; he was the first Cardinals player off the field, and he did a quick bolt out of the locker room.

"I was mad because they took me out of the game," Boldin admitted Thursday. "I think any competitor would have the same reaction. A game of that magnitude, how close the game was, and us potentially driving to score a touchdown ... I wanted to be in there. That's the type of guy I am."

Boldin said the situation was blown out of proportion, and is more common than many know.

"For me, it's hilarious," he said. "I don't want to dwell on it, but that's something that goes on every week in the NFL. But it's in the heat of the moment, it's a part of football, and once it's all done, it's dead on both sides."

Teammates said they understood.

"He wants the ball. He wants to be in the moment," DE Bryan Robinson said. "Maybe it is something like he could have got more touches, but whatever it is, we're in the Super Bowl right now. We know 'Q' is down for this game, so that doesn't bother us."

WELL-WISHER ... TO A DEGREE

The congratulatory calls Coach Ken Whisenhunt received this week included one from friend and former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. The two worked together in Pittsburgh from 2001-06 and Whisenhunt was Cowher's offensive coordinator the last three of those years, including the 2005 Super Bowl-winning team.

"He wished me good luck," Whisenhunt said. "He gave me some advice on how to handle it, some details on what clothes to wear at which press conference. He is such a snappy dresser."

Pause for laughter.

"I think he's happy for me, and I think he's happy for our team," Whisenhunt continued. "I have no doubt, after 15 years in that organization and what he did there, that he will pull for his team."

A GOOD MONTH

Playoff victories over Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia have given the Cardinals more postseason wins than in the previous 87 seasons of the franchise.

They won a championship game in 1947 and a first-round playoff game at Dallas in 1998. But if anything, the Cardinals are behind Coach Ken Whisenhunt's aggressive timetable.

"I'm naïve enough to think we could have a chance in the first year," said Whisenhunt, in his second season with the Cardinals. "That's the way you have to approach it."

Jack Magruder

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