Matt Leinart Should Just Grow Up Already

... So says annoyed Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley, who suggests that the Cardinals' quarterback of the present (and, "the future", allegedly) is just dancing a little bit too closely with Mr. Poonstone for his own taste. Bickley trots out every worst-case scenario Leinart should have considered (They could've driven home drunk and killed a family! They could've cried rape!) before he and his lurking 34-year-old wingman Nick Lachey house-partied with a gaggle of underage ponies.

He is a starting quarterback in the NFL and the face of an entire franchise. He should not be in the same vicinity as a beer bong, much less holding one for a young girl. The NFL is for men. Beer bongs are for drunk, stupid college kids.

Granted Bickely does have a point, and Leinart hasn't done anything thus far in his short NFL career to prove he's not destined to host celebrity golf tournaments or Hooters hula hoop contests in two years. But has Bickley considered the fact that maybe Leinart is blessed with more self-awareness than most dumber-than-dirt athletes? Perhaps, Leinart knows that his NFL lifespan will be a short, unremarkable one, and he should enjoy it to its fullest extent while he's still there.

2008 will probably be the year that all of those questions are answered. But the Cardinals' marketing department should really embrace this aspect of their quarterback and consider putting out a Buzzsaw Bong prior to the start of the new season. Everyone should enjoy the sunset.

Hey, Matt, It's Time To Grow Up [Arizona Republic] Matt Leinart Is Taking His Off-Season Film Work Quite Seriously [Deadspin] (Tip: Brooks)