Packers Coach McCarthy still feels the pain

In his weekly (and now, last for the season) on-air interview this morning with 620wtmj radio in Milwaukee (the Packers flagship radio station), Packers head coach Mike McCarthy admits to still being haunted by the last series of last weekend's overtime loss to the Cardinals. The final play literally brought him to his knees on the sideline...just as it did many of us.

Missing that first pass to WR Greg Jennings was really the critical play in that series. McCarthy said that they had the play they wanted and everybody on the sideline knew they had it. But QB Aaron Rodgers had to step up a bit into the pocket before the throw and just didn't put enough air under it. Missed shot.

To McCarthy's credit, he is not on the bash-the-refs bandwagon that most fans -- and many sports pundits across the country -- are. He said earlier this week that he was really more upset by the helmet-to-helmet action one play earlier that also didn't get called as a penalty; instead, as you'll remember, LG Daryn Colledge was called for holdiing on that play...amazing still. McCarthy said that's happened to Rodgers several times this season and it hasn't been called. Compare that clear shot with the one where the Packers' defender was pushed into Arizona QB Kurt Warner by an offensive lineman and was called for roughing. Just like in basketball, some players get the calls and others don't.

You can still hear the disappointment in McCarthy's voice as he talks about the game and what might have been, what should have been. And you can hear it all for yourself here in 620wtmj's podcast.

Playoffs? Playoffs?!

McCarthy said he most likely won't even watch this weekend's divisional playoff games. Can't blame him.

Although as a fan, who are you going to root for in the Cowboys-ViQueens game? Granted, these are two teams Packer fans love to hate. We'd really like both of them to lose, wouldn't we? Can that happen? No? Dang! OK...well, considering that a former Packers QB made it a deliberate point to wear that funky 'Queens' purple as a last shot at the Super Bowl, that means we need to root for...the Cowboys! I know, I know. Don't like them either. But Dallas QB Tony Romo is a Wisconsin lad...Burlington, Wisconsin, to be exact. So, there's the homer connection. Thus, gotta pull for the 'boys this weekend. Don't want to. But have to.

As for the Cards vs. the Saints...do we really care? Not really. Flip a coin. Ditto the AFC games. Who's playing anyway? Oh, except we'd really like to see the Jets lose because of their classless coach Rex Ryan's comments about the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award going to Charles Woodson instead of his guy, Derrelle Revis. There's being supportive of one's own team members and then there's being a bonehead. Son Rex didn't fall too far from father Buddy's tree apparently. 620wtmj radio's Bill Michaels had a great article about Ryan's comments. Check it out here.

A word about Haiti
There's not really much that we can say about the situation that has developed in Haiti. Please consider supporting relief efforts through whatever organization you feel comfortable with. Please note that at the top of the righthand column we have included instructions on how to contribute $10 directly to the American Red Cross efforts by texting "Haiti" to 90999 on your mobile phone (it will be added directly to your phone bill...so far, millions of dollars have been raised this way). You will also find clickable banners to both the UN World Food Programme and the Mercy Corps which are also providing direct relief to Haiti. By texting "Friends" to 90999 you can donate $5 to the World Food Programme's Haiti relief efforts. Please consider making a gift of at least $10 or more to these or other organizations. Or think how much coin you might drop on a football game weekend -- whether at home or even more so, at the game itself! -- and donate that instead to the relief efforts. If you wouldn't miss it for that, you aren't going to miss it now. It's a good thing to do.