Brownie Points: Here we go again with ‘Q’

Photo: Paul Connors/UPI

It was the perfect day for Cardinals management on Sunday:

Not only did the Cardinals beat the Bears in Chicago – the place Bill Bidwill regards as the franchise’s home more than St. Louis – but they did it in grand style with as dominant a first half as they come.

And once the big lead was built – except for a few anxious moments when Matt Leinart somehow stumbled on the field – the Cards kept the Bears from sniffing another one of these miracle comebacks like the one that has haunted the team since 2006 (thanks to those Denny Green beer commercials). Even coach Ken Whisenhunt felt comfortable enough to reference the event in his postgame presser, joking that Arizona “didn’t let them off the hook this time.”

Even the negative was, in actuality, a positive.

Anquan Boldin not only got the week off - rest he needs to be even close to maximum effectiveness down the stretch, he showed his true colors – which certainly are no longer red and white – by popping off about his personal problems right in the face of a postgame victory glow.

Our man ‘Q’ had four hours to stew on the sidelines and figure out the best way to spin what was, after all the correct decision – not to put his gimpy ankle onto the iffy Solider Field turned into a cow pasture by a U2 concert two months ago. But instead of swallowing his own agenda and sharing in the victory with his teammates, Boldin decided to channel his inner diva and let any reporter than would listen that no one was “man enough” to tell him he wouldn’t be activated before the game.

That sound you heard was any remaining fans and teammates still on the Anquan Bandwagon asking to be left off at the next stop. Pretty soon it will be just Q and Deion “Pay the Man” Sanders.

We all know Boldin wants out of Arizona. We all know he wants to be paid like Larry Fitzgerald, and missing yet another game due to injuries will hurt his market value. We all know his relationship with Whisenhunt is beyond repair – it is reported that the player chose not to look at coach when the reason behind the decision was made – and watching the Cardinal offense explode for 31 in the first half while he hid under his hoodie couldn’t have been good for #81’s ego.

But here’s the deal, Anquan: The NFL trade deadline is long gone. Your team is atop the division in a league and a conference without a clear-cut favorite to dethrone them as NFC champions (Saints? I’ll pass.) You don’t even want Arizona’s money at this point, right?

So heal up your ankle, shut up your pie hole and play football.

Elsewhere:

* Wish I could elaborate, but Twitter only gives 140 characters. LJ, did U think U were still important enuff to say whatever you want? LOL.

* Speaking of guys with too much to say, Miami linebacker Joey Porter backed up a week of trash-talking about the Patriots with an invisible effort in New England Sunday.

The biggest blind-side hit of the game came from Jumbotron operator at Gillette Stadium, who found a sulking Porter on the Dolphin sidelines and thought it the perfect time to flash his up-to-date game statistics: Zero tackles. Zero assists. Zero sacks. Ouch.

* Manny Ramirez, after missing two months for a drug suspension and disappearing in September in the playoffs, exercised his option and will get another $20 million from the Dodgers next year. Only Jamie McCourt did less for more.

* After two straight losses to Navy and another season out of the BCS conversation, you’d figure Charlie Weis might be ready to accept the lion’s share of the blame for another Sound Bend debacle? Guess again.

Weis was in no mood to go down with the ship and has already started throwing players under the, umm, bow.

“As you know, after a loss, I’m not big on giving up players, ever,” Weis was quoted on a Sports Illustrated blog. “That’s not my way. But I think when they watch the tape, there’s going to be plenty of evidence. Don’t sit there and point the finger at anyone other than yourself because here’s what happened on the play.”

So your players had everything they needed gameplan and scheme-wise to beat Navy and they just blew it? Sorry, Charlie.

* Was there a more hopeless feeling for ASU fans than sitting there watching the defense do everything in its power to win – only to know, in no uncertain terms, it was all going to go for naught? I’m not saying freshman Brock Osweiler is the answer at quarterback – he was certainly a deer in the headlights during the fourth quarter of the USC game – but at 4-5 there is no reason to see senior Danny Sullivan take another snap.

* Glad to see Brandon Webb is coming back. The Diamondbacks had no choice, but if he comes back at even 80 percent and the team is able to re-acquire Lyle Overbay from Toronto (one Chris Snyder proves he’s healthy), two important pieces for next year will be in place.

* Anyone else have the Suns at 6-1 after seven games? Anyone have Grant Hill grabbing 10 boards a game and Amar’e Stoudemire attempting to play defense? Yes it’s early, but it’s also impressive.

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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Anquan Boldin, Bill Bidwill, Brandon Webb, Brock Osweiler, Charlie Weis, Chris Snyder, Danny Sullivan, Deion Sanders, Denny Green, Grant Hill, Jamie McCourt, Joey Porter, Ken Whisenhunt, Larry Fitzgerald, Larry Johnson, Lyle Overbay, Manny Ramirez, Matt Leinart