Monday Morning Hangover

No, this isn't a reference to how I'm feeling today based on alcohol consumption, but rather some quick thoughts on Conference Championship Week and other random, semi-interesting thoughts.

- While it doesn't look good for Jay Cutler after the entire sporting world bashed him for not playing through the pain, I'm gonna wait until the trainers reveal what the damage is/was.  A lot of people have speculated that if it were serious (torn ligaments), the training staff wouldn't have let him walk around or be on the exercise bike.  Makes sense.  But before we castrate a player, lets wait and see what the official news.  Maybe he realistically couldnt play.  But if it comes out that he could play and just was dinged up, you can pretty much kiss Cutler getting any respect ever goodbye. 

On a side note, this is what is so infuriating with today's sports scene and society in general.  Rather than confirm then report, people report first or react first with no evidence and then hope to back it up.  Makes it difficult to ascertain the correct facts and provide a complete, accurate picture.  The days of reporting news is gone and in it's place is reporting any rumor with no substantiated info.

*Steps off soap box*

- Congrats to Donald Penn on his Pro Bowl honors.  Whether it's as an alternate or not, he is going to the Pro Bowl.  Glad he got into this season and was able to provide the offense with some stability. 

It would be nice if half the league didn't make the Pro Bowl now.  Between starters and then all those starters opting out and ushering in replacements, it seems the honor has been watered down.  Kind of like going to an NCAA Bowl game.  It's not really an honor when over 50% of the schools go.

- I tweeted this (you can follow me @BucWildGuyon Twitter)  a little bit ago, but unless you count the Pro Bowl, we have one game of NFL football left.  After that, it may be 6 months, it may be a year before the next NFL action.  The wait is generally bad enough in the offseason, but with this lockout/strike/CBA deal still outstanding, we don't know what we are waiting for. 

The players in the 2011 NFL draft will be left hanging if no new deal is done.  Get drafted in April and have your rights secured for a league that may be on work stoppage.  Ugh.

- I'm not a Rex Ryan fan, but two straight AFC Championship games with an average QB is pretty phenomenal. 

- Green Bay opened up as 2.5 point favorites.  They're playing great, but I find it tough to bet against Pittsburgh. 

- We were 6 points away, or a Jets faster start away from having two #6 seeds playing for the Lombardi Trophy.  So much for home field advantage. 

- Whether you like it or not, had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the playoffs, we had a good chance at doing what the Packers did.  Not saying we would've done the same thing, but you have to look at the road Green Bay took (@ Philly, @ Atlanta, @ Chicago) and wonder how the Bucs would've done.

Happy Monday to BucsNation.  The countdown to the Super Bowl starts today.