The Next T.O.?

What is it about wide receivers?

Add Anquan Boldin to the list of pass catchers who are bad apples. He can go right to the top of the group that includes Terrell Owens, Chad Ocho Cinco, (or Chad Johnson, depending on the year or jersey lettering), Randy Moss and others.

After Arizona's win yesterday over Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game, a win sending his Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in team history and their first title game in 61 years, Boldin did not celebrate with his teammates. Instead, he was seen ducking out of University of Phoenix Stadium early, evidently angry about his limited role in the Cardinals offense Sunday. This is the same Boldin whose status was uncertain for the game after he strained his hamstring in wild card weekend and didn't play in the Divisional Round.

For a guy looking to find his way out of Arizona at the end of the season, he's making a strong case to be traded after the Super Bowl.

Like the other bad apple wide receivers in the NFL, Boldin shares some common characteristics. He's selfish, he overrates his value to his team's success, and he makes it very difficult for other teams to want to put up with his antics.

He was seen yesterday yelling at Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley during the game. Boldin was apparently livid that he didn't have a bigger role in the Cardinals offense. (He had four receptions in the game for just 34 yards.) But Boldin wasn't the receiver with the hot hand, and Haley was using Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston more exclusively because unlike Boldin, both are healthy.

Both Haley and Boldin are downplaying the incident, saying that emotions were running high at the heat of the moment. And Boldin claims today that he's all about the team and wants whatever's best for the Cards' success. But when it's the heat of the moment, isn't that when the truth comes out?

And how do you defend deserting your teammates during the celebration for the biggest triumph for his football team in six decades?

Boldin is suffering from the same thing most big named wide receivers suffer from at some point in their careers. He's learning that he's not critical to his team succeeding on the offensive side of the ball. When he's used, he can be a great asset. But the Cardinals didn't need him to advance to the NFC Championship, and they didn't really need him to win it either. He's learned that he's easliy replaceable. While Boldin used to be the top option for the Arizona passing game, Larry Fitzgerald has stolen his thunder and has received all the accolades and headlines.

Sound appealing football fans? You want this guy on your team? Another big-egoed receiver with wounded pride?

The Cardinals are just the newest team to prove that having a big named wide receiver can help you (a.k.a. Larry Fitzgerald), but they're not always crucial to a team's success (Anquan Boldin).

There's no question Fitzgerald has been phenomenal in this incredible playoff run for Arizona, but a good quarterback and a well executed offense can push a team over the hump regardless of the names running routes each play.

Wide receivers have to learn to share the football, and that they're part of a team. Never has their been a wide receiver who by himself had lead a team to Super Bowl victories. Boldin is just the next big-egoed wideout that has had to learn that the hard way.

So if the Cardinals win the Super Bowl, his teammates shouldn't let him celebrate, no matter what his role in the game. He walked out on them. He doesn't deserve the glory.

It's Easy To Be Valuable

Just as it's difficult to be a valuable member of your team, it's equally difficult to be incredibly useless.

By useless, of course, I'm not referring to that long snapper on your team, or some 8th string kicker. No, I'm talking about a player that is either supposed to be good, was good, or the team was counting on to be good, but, for whatever reason other than horrific injury, simply didn't not perform. At all.

Peyton Manning won the league's MVP on Friday, an award most fans are well aware of.

However, there's another award that comes out around this time, an award few know about. It's the league's LVP, or Least Valuable Player. Who it is that votes on this award isn't known (though it's suspected disgruntled fantasy football players have some pull), but, for the first time ever, I'm going to release not only the winner (or, loser) of the award, but the rest of the players that got serious consideration as well.

6. LaDainain Tomlinson
Almost despite LT, the Chargers made the playoffs, which makes his useless-ness all the more upsetting. If LaDainian Tomlinson, once the league's premier back, was awful and the Chargers were 3-13, it would make those old-school fans of Tomlinson feel as if he still had "it". Sure, he's had his injuries to deal with, namely a nagging turf toe, and now a groin injury. 2008 was, without doubt, the worst season of his eight year career: career lows in yards and ypg, and the lowest TD total since his rookie year.

5. Larry Johnson
If various public complaints about a lack of carries wasn't enough, Larry Johnson gets on this list only because he acted like a felon. Not sure where LJ was raised, but I'd imagine he wasn't taught to throw drinks in women's faces in clubs when they bother you. Just a shot in the dark. Then, when he actually did play, he wasn't even close to good. At first glance, a 4.5 ypc isn't bad at all, right? Wrong. If you take out the two 60+ yard runs he had, that lofty average comes down to a more representative 3.9. That's not to mention, he had four games where he had under 40 yards.

4. Chad Johnson
Now, in fairness, Chad Javon Ocho Cinco's season is partly to blame on not having any semblance of a running game or quarterback all season. Injuries don't help either, but, it's just too hard not to want to put Ochenta y Cinco on a list like this. By far, his worst season since his rookie year. Johnson, miraculously, managed to go the entire season without a single game with even 90 yards receiving.

3. Jason Campbell
The former Auburn QB started the season like a Meatloafed bat-out-of-hell, avoiding throwing a pick in the first half of the season. Second half? Not so strong, for young Mr. Campbell. And, his team, unfortunately, felt it, big time. After leading his team to a 6-2 record without a single INT, his second half featured 6 picks, and his team fell to an eventual even 8-8.

2. David Garrard/Derek Anderson
I've never understood what people liked about the Jaguars or David Garrard, so his place on this list doesn't shock me one bit. Outside of a typically dynamic RB duo in MJD and the ancient one Freddie Taylor, this team doesn't have much in the way of skill players on the offensive side of the ball. Of course, there is Matt Jones, who is incredibly skilled, if you include amongst his skills breaking the law and not having a position. Garrard can run, but not incredibly well. His arm is pretty good, but not great, nor horribly accurate. Six of his career high 13 picks came in the fourth quarter of games this year.

In a tie for second was another QB, a really big one, almost as big as the amount of disappointment he left the city of Cleveland with. All six foot six inches of Derek Anderson was just awful this year. After breaking out last season, Anderson completely stunk the joint up. Sure, Braylon Edwards dropping nearly everything thrown his way didn't help much. But, it was summed up nicely when he was benched after a Week 8 loss to Baltimore. Final numbers of 9 TDs to 8 INts really have people rethinking who exactly is their franchise QB in Cleveland.

1. Reggie Bush
The player once decried as the future superstar running back of the NFL, just three short years ago, is now likely best known for dating a girl that made a sex tape than his on-field accomplishments. Reggie Bush wasn't expected to be a feature back for the Saints this year, but he was expected to play, and be effective in the role Sean Payton had carved out for him as a scat/receiving back. Instead, he showcased how incredibly soft he plays (often ducking out of the field of play to avoid contact), and how he'll likely do very little in the NFL. No one doubts his speed and agility and acceleration. Dude's off the hook in Madden. In real life though, he's been nothing but useless and a disappointment, especially when the number one pick that year, Super Mario Williams, is ripping apart offensive lines across the league. This year, three running backs (Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and DeAngelo Williams) each had better seasons (this year!) than Reggie Bush has had a career. Tough break, Saints.