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Remember this thing? The job I said that I wanted but couldn't win? It's back, and now it's time to vote for people that had better foresight than myself and found themselves in a position to actually win.

Have you ever watched one of those TV shows where from thousands of hopefuls, one star is born?
Well, Bolts from the Blue readers, here's your chance to play "starmaker" and help pick the new voice
of sports in social media!

XFINITY is looking for the next renowned sports social media star through its Ultimate Sports Social
Media Job contest. The winning candidate will serve as the new voice of XFINITY in the sports social
media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive
insights and updates with fans.

From February 9-19, you can review qualified entry videos and vote for the contestant you'd like to see
advance to the finals of the XFINITY Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest. The five entrants with
the most votes will advance to the final round of the contest where they will cover one of five premier
sporting events the weekend of March 8-11. Fans can head today to Facebook.com/XFINITY and click on
the Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest tab to vote for your favorite personality (once per day)!

Will you choose the brainiac with the encyclopedia of stats, the former jock who knows the game
inside out, or the corporate type who gets the marketing side of the business? You decide. Vote today
at Facebook.com/XFINITY!

Hoo boy, some of those candidates are downright terrible. My favorite might be Ron Kemp, who is either standing on the sun or really doesn't understand lighting. If you applied for this and can be voted for, let us know and become BFTB's official candidate!

Just over a year ago, I asked for the good readers here at Bolts From the Blue to give an approval rating on the Chargers runningback. To my surprise, Mike Tolbert ended up with the highest approval rating of any player that I did an approval rating post for. That includes Philip Rivers. A year later some things have changed.

The first thing that's changed is his contract status. Last year he was a restricted free agent, this year he'll be an unrestricted free agent. Because of the lockout teams didn't even get a chance to bid on restricted free agents last offseason, but this year Tolbert's services will be offered up to the highest bidder (barring a lucrative contract extension offered by the Chargers before March 13). So, one could interpret the poll that follows as a way to say, "Yes, I approve of the way Mike Tolbert is handing his job as a Chargers Runningback and I'd like to have him back next year."

The other thing that changed is his production. In 2010, Tolbert and fellow RB Ryan Mathews both had 5 fumbles on the season. This year he cut that down to only 2 fumbles over 175 touches vs. those 5 over 207 touches in 2010. Those touches numbers also show that he was used less. However, it resulted in 923 yards in 2011 vs. 951 the previous season, which isn't that big of a difference. DVOA-wise that came out to -0.8% for 2011 vs. -1.9% in 2011. Those negative numbers look bad, but considering that he's a backup RB, a special teams standout and the best pass backfield pass protector, it's not bad to be a little below average with the ball in his hands. Plus, sometimes that's not all his fault, it's 3rd and 10 and the only successful outcome is to get those 10 yards, he's being set up to fail more times than not.

Offensively, Tolbert is not a standout. He's solid. He does make some special teams tackles on kick coverage and he's able to do pass protection. But, when RBs that have back-to-back years with double digit touchdown numbers and almost 1,000 combined yards per season as a primary backup, they tend to expect a big raise. Can the approval rating stay as high when we consider the idea of paying Mike Tolbert a heftier wage?

Mike Tolbert

#35 / Fullback / San Diego Chargers

5-9

Weight: 243

Born: Nov 23, 1985

College: Coastal Carolina

All VOA, DVOA, YAR and DYAR statistical values are developed, calculated and reported by Football Outsiders. Their explanation can be found here.

Former Pitt kicker loses radio job after sexist harrangue - Bob Smizik
Some may rememeber Scott Kaplan as a kicker at Pitt in the late 80s and early 90s. He led three mediocre teams in scoring. Kaplan went on to talk radio and carved out a nice career, first on a fledgling national network and later as a host in San Diego with former Chargers star Bill Ray Smith.

NFL mock draft: First-round board fluctuates as Combine approaches - Russ Lande
18. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina. For the defense to improve, the Chargers must find a way to consistently pressure the quarterback. Ingram fits their scheme perfectly as an outside linebacker.

Randall's Power, Versatility Tempt Chargers - Michael Lombardo (Subscription)
San Diego has selected a defensive lineman in each of the last three drafts. That trend figures to continue, especially if the Chargers lose Antonio Garay and/or Tommie Harris in free agency. One name to watch is Kheeston Randall, the run stopper from Texas. His power and versatility could make him a key addition.

Top 50 free agents: Former top pick Williams is top player on open market - Pete Prisco
7. Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego Chargers: The Chargers want him back, but at what cost? The indication is that the team won't tag him. He turned 29 in January.

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Final Draft Order Is Set, Colts Are On The Clock - Ryan Van Bibber
The Super Bowl is won, and the season is officially, finally over. Now, we can devote even more attention to the 2012 NFL draft. Our latest 2012 NFL mock draft gets us focused on April.

Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill May Not Return To Chargers - Bill Hanstock
The San Diego Chargers are expected to make some significant moves this offseason. To that end, they may be parting ways with wide receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill.

NFL Free Agency 2012: Matt Flynn, Mario Williams Among Marquee Names Hitting The Market - Ryan Van Bibber
Right now, it sounds as though San Diego will forego giving Jackson the franchise tag a second season in a row. They are open to a deal, but have many needs to fill. Jackson's been trying to get out of San Diego for two seasons. Plenty of teams will be wooing him in March.

It's the offseason and, with most teams set with their coaching staffs, we've hit one of the lulls where news isn't breaking and probably won't be breaking for a few weeks. So, what is the NFL media to do? Break opinions!

While Vincent Jackson maintains he would like to stay in San Diego, and GM A.J. Smith is reportedly now "comfortable" exploring a long-term deal, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora isn't betting on it.

"I don't see any way he's back there," La Canfora said Tuesday on "NFL Total Access."

"The Chargers won't franchise him, they've come out and said that."

Source

I suppose I should throw my opinion out there as well. I think whether or not the San Diego Chargers sign back Jackson rests on the outcome of the Marcus McNeill (and Kris Dielman) situation If one or both of those guys are gone, it frees up some money and just about forces them to use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman. If they're both back, there's no money and the team could try and replace Jackson with a WR in the first round.

Seeing as how McNeill leaving seems downright likely at this point, and the San Diego front office is desperate to be in the playoffs in 2012, I think Jackson returns and gets that long-term, big-money contract that he wants.

Considering the Chargers have said that they will not franchise Jackson, and he'll be the most heavily sought after WR on the market, there's little chance that they could get a discount on VJ. After waiting for so long, the Chargers might find themselves bowing out of an intense bidding war even if they do decide that they'd like to offer him a long-term deal. That's the bad news. The good news is that Jackson will have a contract with someone by time the NFL Draft rolls around, allowing San Diego to plan and draft accordingly.

However, the simple fact that the Chargers have said that they will not franchise Jackson is surprising. They certainly need him in the offense (Vincent Brown is the best WR-that-can-stay-healthy behind him). It leads me to believe that both sides are confident that a deal can be reached. Fingers crossed.