Air, fuel, spark; who are they?

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, who, in your opinion, has the highest expectations of teams? Is it the fans, the front office/coaching staff, or the owners?
It's the fans and it's because they have nothing else to do but find reasons to be excited. The front office and coaching staff have to deal daily with the problems of assembling and guiding a roster of men with diverse personalities and from varying backgrounds. Owners have to pay the bills. I've long been asked what my emotions were when the team I was covering won or lost a game. I didn't have time for emotions; I had a story to write.

Greg from Hillman, MN
You've stated before a lawnmower needs air, spark and fuel to run. As they relate to football, who are those three people for the Packers currently?
Coaches are the air, players are the fuel and the quarterback is the spark.

Enrique from New York, NY
I feel like Marcus Stroud and John Henderson don't get enough love. I remember them being amazing to watch and I feel like they are never discussed in this column. Were they truly as dominant as I remember, or am I just looking back with nostalgia?
They have been discussed in this column, and with reverence. They were a dominant pair of defensive tackles, but their time at the top was brief, from the second half of the 2003 season through 2007. I'll say this: At one point during that run, they reminded me of Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
What team intrigues you the most going into the season?
I think the Browns are the easy answer to that question for a lot of people. Last year, it was the 49ers, but they lost Jimmy Garoppolo early in the season.

Ken from Derby City, KY
Love your column. So why don’t they use blocking sleds anymore? It’s not like they cause concussions or something.
They don't use sleds because nobody drive blocks anymore. It's all stand up and grab; drive blocking is about shoulders and hips. I don't get it either. You'd think today's linemen could learn to drive block well enough to at least convert third and one, but every team in the league is getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage in short yardage. I can remember Jack Del Rio having a sled parked in the middle of the practice field for his linemen to see as they came out for practice following an especially weak performance in a preseason game. That's the last I can remember seeing a blocking sled.

Eric from St. Paul, MN
Do you think our daughters should also get the opportunity to get knocked down on the football field and see that they are strong enough to get up?
Sure.

Michael from Oklahoma City, OK
What are your thoughts on When Pride Still Mattered?
I was reading it when I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I couldn't help but think I was being sent a message.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
May I make one point about the celebration issue? Regardless of the other reasons to dislike these celebrations ... I can't understand why people get so worked up in support of something a fifth-grader could think up.
At what point dignity?

Bill from Phillips, WI
As the new season gets a bit closer, I was wondering what Mike McCarthy is doing and what you think he may want to do in the future. He seems too young and passionate about football to just fade away.
He won't fade away. He's just resting in preparation for his next job. Do you hear a horn?

Caleb from Mequon, WI
With regards to the question about Rodgers’ attitude, I cannot agree more. It sounds as though he has a serious problem with authority and has the history to back that up. What do you think will happen if the season doesn’t go well? Did we keep the wrong man?
What do you think the reaction would've been had the Packers traded Aaron Rodgers and retained Mike McCarthy as coach? What chance of success would McCarthy have had against that backlash? If it was one or the other, the Packers did the right thing. What will happen if the season doesn't go well? That's when the worm would turn.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
Vic, in the media interviews, what was the most poignant question you ever asked John Madden?
I don't know I ever asked him anything that would qualify as being poignant, but I remember participating in a conference call when Madden was the coach of the Raiders, and the question to him was, "Coach, who touched it first?" His answer was so entertaining it made me a fan of his for life.

Wayne from Beavercreek, OH
Vic, you've made a point to emphasize the difference between calling plays and calling a game plan. Do you think there are any quarterbacks who could call a game plan while playing during a game?
Bradshaw did it. I have no doubt Starr did it. Those championship quarterbacks were handed game plans by their coaches and understood it was their responsibility to execute the plan. The notion a quarterback has the right to change or even mock that plan is ridiculous. Change a play, yes, but not the plan.

Nick from Goose Lake, IA
What do you remember about the Jaguars vs. Browns "Bottlegate" in 2001?
Clink!

​Justin from Athens, GA
Fifty-two days left until the start of college football. Give us your favorites, a long shot and a thought on expanding the playoffs, please.
Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma; same old stuff. Lots of hype and blowouts. Texas could surprise. I favor expanding the playoffs to eight teams, but we'd probably end up seeing matchups we'd already seen during the season and in the conference title games.