Anquan Boldin Unhappy With an NFC Championship?

Forget the fact that Anquan Boldin, a career-long Arizona Cardinal is going to his first super bowl. Forget the fact that he is mentioned in the same breath with the top receivers in the NFL today, including his teammate Larry Fitzgerald. And forget the fact that he has a future hall of fame quarterback throwing to him and giving his team a chance to win a world Championship.

Forget all that, because Anquan Boldin is angry that he wasn't thrown to enough in the NFC Championship game.

Boldin, one of the few career-Cardinals on the team, was seen jawing at offensive coordinator Todd Haley after Anquan's counterpart, Larry Fitzgerald, was the only wideout on the field for nine of the game-winning drive's fourteen total plays.

After the game, while other lifelong Cardinals such as safety Adrian Wilson were out on the field, in a sea of red and white confetti, overcome with tears of joy for finally reaching the pinnacle of their careers and looking forward to the biggest game of their lives, Boldin was making his way out of the stadium.

While "We Are The Champions" was finally playing in the background for the Cardinals, one of their most important players was sulking away, too upset that he has been lost in the buzz of Fitzgerald and the Cardinal defense in this postseason.

Boldin should be happy that he even got a chance to contribute. He was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury all week, and had to sit out the week before. He was able to play against the Eagles, and had four catches for 34 yards. Not a monumental contribution, but at least he was a part of the win.

Jealousy is a chemistry-killer in NFL locker rooms. Watching Fitzgerald complete a record-setting postseason with 23 receptions for 419 yards and five touchdowns didn't help Boldin's apparent feeling that he is unappreciated in Arizona.

The trouble started last March when the Cardinals rewarded Fitzgerald with a four-year, $40 million contract extension. Although Boldin has three years and $12 million left on his contract, he asked for an extension over the summer. The Cardinals said no.

Since then, Boldin has made it clear that he doesn't want to be a Cardinal anymore. However, one would think that he'd be able to put that aside while his team has a chance to win their first title in 61 years.

Unfortunately, unless Boldin has a meeting with ownership and/or coach Ken Wisenhunt and they are able to straighten matters out, at least until the offseason, Anquan and the Cardinals will be getting a lot of questions regarding the harmony in the locker room between the two star receivers.

For a young team, that is not the kind of publicity that will help them win the game. Anquan needs to swallow his pride and be a team player, if only for two more weeks.