Fan Pulse: Fans say ‘There’s no Q in team’

By Neal Coolong  |   Thursday, August 21, 2008  |  Comments( 9 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin's contract dispute is getting a bit messy. And fans on the Cardinals' official team forum are talking almost exclusively about the drama in the desert that is unfolding as the team looks to get back to the playoffs and win a game after more than a decade of futility.

A poll on the forum asks the question: "Will you boo Boldin at the first home game?"Fifty-one of the 75 recorded votes said no. Another thread finds one poster pointing out his concern for Boldin's negotiation tactics.

"There's no Q in 'team.'"

The Cardinals are in a tough spot after giving the statistically less accomplished Larry Fitzgerald a four-year, $40 million contract in the offseason. Thanks to the negotiation of Fitzgerald's contract when he was the third overall pick of the 2004 draft, his deal would have counted $16 million against the cap this season. The team did not have much choice in giving him an extension, then.

Over their careers, Boldin has averaged more catches per game (6.1 to 5.5) and more yards per game (80.3 to 75.7), but Fitzgerald has Boldin in yards per catch (13.8 to 13.2) and touchdowns (34 to 29) despite playing in fewer games (68 for Boldin, 60 for Fitzgerald). Boldin is scheduled to make $4 million this season, clearly far less money for very equal production.

But the issue drawing the most ire out of Cardinals fans on the forum is agent Drew Rosenhaus, and how they are perceiving his role in this situation. One enterprising poster even started a petition to "Ban Drew Rosenhaus from the NFL."

This can't be the first time this has happened, and its results will likely yield nothing (if anything, a strong minority seems to at least respect the job Rosenhaus does), but the Cardinals are looking at the possibility of Boldin simply forcing his way out of town.

That can't make Cardinals fans happy, considering either Jerheme Urban or Steve Breaston would be Boldin's likely replacement.

Replacing a guy with 413 career catches with two players who have a combined 43 grabs (Urban 35, Breaston eight) can't be a good thing.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one...
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