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

Ben from Hilo, HI
Which game had a greater and more lasting impact on college football, the 2006 Rose Bowl or the 2007 Fiesta Bowl?
It was the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. It began the fall. Google "The  Night College Football Went To Hell." It's a great read.

Lane from Orlando, FL
Which team do you think is overrated and heading for a fall?
I think it's the Rams. They ate up too much cap space too quickly, their star running back has a knee injury that might be threatening his career, their quarterback may be overrated, I think the coach is kind of weird, and the stigma of coming off a Super Bowl loss has ruined many a team.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
How did you decide to live where you live considering your possible emergent health need?
None of us are getting out of this alive.

Geert from Old Windsor (wherever that is)
The NFL is not punishing Tyreek Hill. Why does this league perpetually fail to remove men of bad character?
Because it's not a game for the well-adjusted. That's not an attempt at humor. It's the truth.

Nate from Minneapolis, MN
Who is the most important player on the Packers defense right now?
With all due respect to Jaire Alexander, who I believe is the best player on the Packers defense, the most important player on the Packers defense will be the pass-rusher that plays up to the investment that was made in acquiring him.

Caleb from Lakeview, MN
Vic, how did Pete Rozelle convince owners of large-market teams to do an even-revenue split? It's amazing he was able to pull that off.
Pete oozed intelligence and engendered confidence. He persuaded the owners to believe in his leaguethink approach, and the key owner was Wellington Mara. Without Mara agreeing to pool the revenue, the Packers franchise likely wouldn't be in Green Bay today. Before Rozelle negotiated the leaguewide TV deal with CBS in 1962, teams negotiated their own TV rights. For example, the Steelers and Colts had a combined TV deal. Back then, all home games were blacked out. So, if the Steelers were playing at home, we saw the Colts. If the Colts were at home, Baltimore saw the Steelers. The LA Rams had a deal with Admiral TV. In the book "The League," author David Harris paints a scene following negotiation of the '62 CBS deal in which Dan Rooney tells Rams owner Dan Reeves not to bring his TV cameras when he comes to Pittsburgh to play. It was all new stuff, and not all of the owners liked it, but when Mara agreed to it, everybody else had to do the same.

Robert from Rotterdam, The Netherlands
I've been enjoying the 25 seasons, 25 games feature on your old home turf, jaguars.com. Out of the 25-most memorable games in Jaguars history, eight are against the Steelers. Since you moved from covering the Steelers to covering the Jaguars, what was it like for you to experience a new franchise developing such a rivalry with one of the most storied franchises in the NFL?
It was wonderful. The games between the two teams in 1997 represent the only single-season, two-game series I ever covered in which each game ended on a touchdown. When the league was realigning the divisions in 2002, I tried to persuade Wayne Weaver to pursue moving into the AFC North with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore. Dan Rooney told me he was in favor of it; he liked the idea of Jacksonville being to the AFC North what Miami was to the AFC East. Unfortunately, Wayne Huizenga was filling Weaver's head with baloney about moving into the AFC East with the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots, and Weaver wanted badly to be with the big-market teams. I knew it wasn't going to happen because those three teams and the Bills had a blood oath from their days in the AFL. That's exactly what happened and, when realignment was finalized, the AFC South became a dumping ground for leftovers. I think it hurt the Jaguars.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
I can't watch the news anymore. I feel like I'm having a children's book read to me.
Last week, a judge in Louisiana ruled a damage suit against the NFL involving the controversial no-call in last season's NFC title game may proceed. I've grown tired of the Saints. I hope they tank this year.

Braden from Milwaukee, WI
I'll try to ask the question in a better way, since it's been so long since we've had such change in Green Bay. Should we anticipate the Packers to make a deep playoff push? Or does change need time to be competitive in the NFL?
You won't stop, will you? Braden, the Packers have nearly spent themselves into the red. I have no expectations because I don't play that game, however, given what the Packers spent over the last fiscal year, I have to believe anything but a playoff berth will be a huge disappointment. Maybe my first answer to you wasn't so ridiculous. That's all. No more of this!

Joshua from Modesto, CA
With training camp opening up soon, what storylines are you excited to follow?
There's no avoiding the audible controversy. It'll be the No. 1 story of training camp. Reporters will be providing percentages of the number of times Aaron Rodgers changes the play in practice. Pro Football Talk made it their No. 6 storyline in the league, which means it's a national story. PFT believes Rodgers will win. If he does, I think it could damage the team's perception of their new coach. Matt LaFleur is in a tough spot. How he handles this situation, and it may have already gotten out of control, could define his first season as coach. Other storylines? I think the Packers' No. 1 storyline should be their plan for using the three pass rushers they invested so much in acquiring.

Michael from Jackson, MI
Vic, do you have any memories or thoughts of Desmond Howard? I was watching highlights from the Packers' 1996 season and wish the organization had a better relationship with him.
He was a member of the inaugural Jaguars in 1995. They played in that year's Hall of Fame Game, in which Howard returned a punt for a touchdown, which was the first touchdown scored by a Jaguars player in any game. He wasn't real popular in the locker room and not especially good with media, so it really surprised me when he joined the media for the college TV hype. Tom Coughlin featured Howard in the playbook and Howard scored the winning touchdown in the Jaguars' first-ever regular season win, but his playing time and contributions declined. Expectations for him were too high. I vaguely remember some kind of flap about him leaving the team (briefly) to join the "Million Man March" in Washington. It became obvious his days in Jacksonville were numbered.

Colin from Lansdale, PA
Is College Gameday the best thing college football has going for it?
It might be. College football is all hype.

Elizabeth from Sylvania, OH
Vic, I understand your point, of course, that the future of a franchise is just as important as the present. However, do you really think it's only the fans that have a win-now mentality?
A good franchise is layered. The coach and the players concern themselves with winning now, while the GM and/or president and owner see the future of the franchise in the decisions they make. Mark Murphy has constantly referred to his responsibility for stewardship of the franchise.

Mikey from Tallahassee, FL
Do you have any stories about Mike Maser? I only learned about him as news of his passing posted last week. Sounds like he was a heck of a coach, and very successful during his career.
I got a text message early last Monday morning Mike had passed. He'll always be one of my favorites. He was an old-school offensive line coach: False start in practice, you sit out a play. He once said to me, "How good do I have to be? I coach Tony Boselli." Well, Mike was good enough to coach in the league for a long time. He also coached some pretty good lines at the Carolina Panthers. Mike loved drive blocking, but was forced to embrace the zone blocking concept that became all the rage. Good coaches adapt.

Jon from Omaha, NE
Vic, you and I are on death row for being two awesome dudes. We are allowed to watch one football game before we die. I allow you to choose. Which game would you pick and is it a game you have seen before?
I wanna be in the Astrodome on Dec. 3, 1978, again, and I wanna hear those "Love Ya Blue" pom poms swishing to the beat of that tinny, silly song. I wanna see Earl Campbell break the line of scrimmage and Donnie Shell crash into Campbell's ribs, again, except this time Campbell's ribs don't break and one of the most physical games I've ever seen goes down to the wire. I've never felt more energy in a stadium than I did that day. I can still see Jack Lambert stretched out along the sideline at the end of the game, exhausted. It was a beautiful football game. It was the kind of game about which I could write forever.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
I saw a feature by NFL Films on the late Bill Brown of the Vikings and it was terrific. What sort of impact did NFL Films have on the promotion of the league?
Ed Sabol had as much to do with creating Vince Lombardi's image as Lombardi's players did.

Dan from Stockbridge, WI
What was it like experiencing the Apollo program as it unfolded? I feel like we could benefit from something similar in this generation.
The nuns would provide us with updates, going back to the Mercury and Gemini days, and we'd say a prayer for the astronaut's or astronauts' safe return. It was terrific drama. Every kid was in love with the race for the moon. When I lived in Jacksonville, the local TV stations would show launches in the bottom corner of the TV screen. We'd run out into the front yard and watch for the ball of light race past in the sky and listen for the roar. All those years later, I got the same tingle I did as a kid. My generation is the space race generation. We've come a long way since Captain Video.

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

Ty from Milwaukee, WI
I love your column. Can you tell us more about when you found out you had colon cancer?
It was after covering a Redskins-Jaguars game in 2002. I ate a lot of popcorn in the press box and began having abdominal pains in the evening. I thought I might be having an appendicitis attack and pushed down hard on my right side. That's when I felt the hard ball that would be diagnosed as a tumor. Colon cancer is largely asymptomatic and everyone, especially those with colon cancer in their family history, should undergo a colonoscopy as they get older. It might've saved Vince Lombardi's life. Popcorn and a colonoscopy saved mine.

Josh from Madison, WI
What can college football do to re-establish its relevance? It's so top heavy. The vast majority of the season seems like a formality, outside of a few key contests to determine which of the handful of heavyweights is left out of the playoffs.
How about a draft? I bet that would work. Of course, college football would have to acquire some kind of legal protection or it couldn't happen; an agreement with a players union would do it. Maybe college football needs a player's union more than its players need a union. Recruiting is the problem. It's the reason for the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The cheating is outrageous.

Braden from Milwaukee, WI
So, you've notoriously given (bleep) to Packers fans for having a Super Bowl or bust mentality, saying it's unfair and leaves a fan disappointed. I come saying I'm excited to watch the team with no expectations and essentially ask what should I expect/ look for from a team that hasn't had a new head coach/staff and GM in over a decade. You come back with a smart (bleep) answer that it's Super Bowl or bust. I'm all for sarcastic and smart (bleep) comments to stupid questions. I guess I didn't feel my question fell in that category. Thanks for taking me as seriously as I take you.
I apologize, Braden. Vic to Braden: If you're excited to watch a team with no expectations, why have any?

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, how long is a new head coach given to prove himself by the fans?
If the fans are dissatisfied after year three, he must be fired.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
Bag of poop? I like that.
I was just trying to capture the spirit of the thing.

Chris from Winston-Salem, NC
What’s your take on the current Florida/Georgia rivalry? It is said Smart is a great recruiter but a so-so coach, and Mullen is a so-so recruiter but a great developer of talent and play-caller. Thoughts?
Georgia is competing for a national title. Florida will lose at South Carolina this year.

John from Jacksonville Beach, FL
What are your thoughts on Neil O’Donnell? He played pretty well at times in his career. I miss quarterbacks like him; not everyone has to throw for 5,000 yards.
I think Neil made a mistake going to the Jets. The Steelers were perfect for him. Run the ball, convert third down, manage the game and play to the strength of a very good defense. Kordell Stewart would've made Neil even more effective because Stewart would've helped convert third down. I spoke to Neil a few times while covering games in Nashville, where his career ended. I always liked him. He was smart and tough.

Adam from Chicago, IL
I was taking a look at the Packers cap this year and was appalled to see Za'darius Smith with the second-highest cap hit of the entire team. This is what Packers fans wanted?
Fans want to win and they want to win now. They don't care much about the cap and they care even less about the franchise's bottom line. If fans were allowed to run the team, it would be capped out and in debt within a few years, and losing. A pro football franchise doesn't run on emotion.

Ben from Hilo, HI
Vic, my boss is in town this week for the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament. Any recommendations for him if he gets some time away from the tournament?
Other than enjoy the beach, the natural beauty or play golf, I can't offer a suggestion. We have neither a hotel nor a traffic light. There's one road in and the same road out. There are no fast food joints and our most popular restaurant has his and hers outhouses. I love this place.

Jason from Austin, TX
Vic, I imagine most of the time the reporter approaches a player and asks him to do a one-on-one interview. How often does a coach or player approach the reporter so they can clear the air or set a tone?
It happens. I can remember being in the locker room and getting the look that said "I have something to tell you." I've had coaches take me aside and educate me. That kind of stuff happened a lot less often late in my career and that's when I realized the game had changed for me. Chuck Noll didn't like a game with a graduating class every year and I didn't like a game that was separating the media from the players and coaches more every year.

Justin from Delray Beach, FL
Two clubs at a time or the same two clubs?
Always different clubs. Yesterday, it was driver and four iron. Our driving range is on the honor system; five dollars a bucket, just slide the money through the pay slot.

Brandon from St. Paul, MN
I couldn't help but notice there weren't any Packers in your list of go-to guys. Why is that?
Ted Thompson discouraged his players from getting too close to the media. I think it's that way in most franchises now; the media is feared. I was raised on the five o'clock club and the PR mantra "write anything you want, just spell the name right." I'm blessed to have covered the game when I did. A piece of paper with the players' names and their dormitory room numbers was taped to the press room wall, and reporters were encouraged to seek player interviews as they wished. Between the morning and afternoon practices, I'd begin knocking on doors. If I did that today, I'd be escorted out of the dorm by security.

Nick from Owego, NY
Who is/was the most punishing runner you've seen.
It's Earl Campbell. I watched "A Football Life" show featuring Earl on Tuesday. That was the game and the guys I loved.

John from Topeka, KS
Vic, I was wondering what it was like pumping gas in the temperatures there, but then I figured the better question is how much fuel do you actually use anymore? I bet the mileage in the kayak is pretty good.
The last time I filled up was on June 25, which was the last time I was off the island. Need to buy a pair of underwear? Go to Amazon and they'll hang it on your door knob. Last week, I was at the driving range when an emergency vehicle arrived and asked me to stop hitting balls for a while because a helicopter was coming to pick up someone. I couldn't help but think back a few years when I was the guy getting the ride. I have helicopter insurance now, so I have that going for me, which is nice.

John from Garnet Valley, PA
The passing of Jim Bouton led me to reflect on watershed insider sports books like Ball Four. Do you think there was a football equivalent. Instant Replay, perhaps? Thoughts on About Three Bricks Shy of a Load?
Yeah, Instant Replay, Paper Lion, Even Big Guys Cry. Three Bricks was special because Roy Blount is an especially good writer. Football doesn't make for great movies, but I think it's the best sport for writing.

Dave from Savage, MN
Still the coolest thing ever. Where were you?
Are you referring to the evening of July 20, 1969? I was playing a baseball game. I got home just in time to see the moon landing. It's the greatest sense of pride I have ever felt for my country. War doesn't do it for me. One of the history-type channels has been airing shows commemorating the moon landing. They've brought back great memories and a tear to my eye. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" are great words, much better than the words dominating the news this week.

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

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what basic questions did you ask an athlete during an interview?
The questions were tailored to the circumstances and the environment. If I was in a one-on-one situation, especially if it was with a go-to guy such as Joe Greene or Fred Taylor, I'd just simply ask for their thoughts. When a player volunteers information, that's subject matter on which he's probably willing to expound. In a media crowd following a game, however, you might not be able to take that kind of slow approach. You have to be ready to ask questions that pertain to specific events. What happened on the touchdown pass or interception? Why weren't you able to run the ball? That type of question. I always preferred the more relaxed one-on-one interviews with my go-to guys; they always yielded the best information. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Joe and Fred, and Lambert, Ham, Bradshaw and O'Donnell, and Boselli, McCardell, Searcy and Jones-Drew, and all of the go-to guys who made my job easier.

John from Garnet Valley, PA
I got to know Bud Grant a bit long after he retired. He impressed me as a decent, humble man. Even though he’s in the Hall of Fame, I don’t think he ever got his due. Same with Marv Levy. Just win, baby, right?
I think both men are respected and revered for what they accomplished in football. Ironically, you're talking about two men who each lost four Super Bowls and spent time in the CFL. Grant spent a big chunk of his career, his formative years, in Canada. I don't think his NFL counterparts knew him as well as they did coaches with whom they coached and coached against on their way up the ladder. Grant's ladder was in the CFL and I think that cast him as a bit of an outsider. Maybe that's what you're sensing.

Brett from Marietta, GA
The CBA is already starting its creep up the news cycle ladder. Money notwithstanding, what do you see as the 800-pound gorilla in the room during this go round?
I don't think there is an 800-pound gorilla in these negotiations. They won't be without some back and forth, but I don't foresee a lockout or anything approaching a work stoppage. The No. 1 issue will be the players' percentage of the revenue. The players accepted a decline in percentage in 2011 in exchange for several game-softening issues that, in effect, gave the players control of the game. I suspect this time around the players will try to get back some of the percentage of revenue they surrendered in the last deal. The money issue can never be ignored. It's professional football. It's about the money, and when they say it's not about the money, that's when it's really about the money. An 18-game season and those kinds of things are bargaining chips. Money is the issue.

Steve from Nashotah, WI
It was reported the Packers broke (just above) even for the fiscal year. Perhaps it was to be expected, given Rodgers' extension and the aggressive free agency signings. Do other teams often cut into their profit so significantly? Given the Packers’ unique ownership structure and history, is this of any significance?
Other teams do the same. Yes, football is a unique business and the Packers are a unique franchise, but be that as it may, I know of no business that enjoys a near 100 percent decline in year-over-year net profit. I have to believe this is of special concern for the Packers this year, especially given their investment in Titletown.

Will from Oakland, CA
Vic, I think I've unlocked something: Thinking back on his press comments, Coach McCarthy would regularly say the offense needed to run the ball more. He would leave it there vs. saying "I'm calling more runs but the QB keeps changing the play." Knowing the QB and the ex-coach as you do, how close is this to true? Thanks for your continued insightful, deft work!
I think I've also unlocked something: Packers fans are dangerously obsessed with play-calling. They got so sideways on the play-calling issue in 2015 they forced Mike McCarthy to strip Tom Clements of the play-calling duties in midseason, taking back the chores to the cheers of the fans who would eventually delight in McCarthy's dismissal because he called "bad" plays. When the story broke Aaron Rodgers routinely changed McCarthy's plays, the fan base went into play-calling meltdown, and Matt LaFleur is now having to deal with the Rodgers changing plays controversy. Vic to Coach LaFleur: Let it be known to one and all, including your quarterback, you're the coach of this team and it will run your plays, and the subject is not open to debate. LaFleur must move the Packers away from this mania for play-calling or he'll suffer the same fate as McCarthy.

Ken from Derby City, KY
Vic, you have to tell us John Madden's answer to the “Coach, who touched it first?” question, if it’s the only question you answer! OK?
It was 42 years ago. I can't remember the exact words, but they involved conspiracy theories, a helicopter and an Irish curse.

Ian from Texas
You said you thought the Packers did not need to lock up Rodgers last year and should have waited to see how he responded to his injury. Had they taken that advice and given how he played last year, what do you think they would be doing now.? Offering him the same, better or worse deal?
It would probably be similar to what he has, although the Packers would certainly be in a better bargaining position, given Rodgers' stats from last season. He was No. 13 in the league in passer rating and his touchdown passes were down considerably from the big years in his career. I doubt the Packers would play hardball with him -- the Favre debacle is still fresh on the franchise's mind -- but another franchise might. All of that, however, is beside the point I was trying to make when I said, "What's the rush?" My point involved using a year of what was left on his previous contract to evaluate his recovery from the collarbone injury, and to delay spending money the team didn't have to spend. Having seen the books, so to speak, and now understanding what Rodgers' contract did to the team's bottom line, do you understand why the money always feels better in your pocket than it does in somebody else's pocket. That money would've been invested, and the market's been good in 2019. Do you think the Packers got a discount on Rodgers' contract because they got it done early? I don't.

Steven from Doctors Inlet, FL
The Jaguars website is doing a series on the most memorable 25 games. Our section is where Morten Andersen missed a chip-shot field goal and put us in the playoffs in 1996. I know you referenced Rison getting cut was the catalyst to our playoff run, but the emotion after that kick was deafening. What are your memories of that game?
I remember "Ironhead" Heyward having a big game, and I remember the Falcons using the bubble screen pass play over and over. As for the kick, I was standing just to the right of the goal posts (facing Andersen). I expected to hear a thump and see a ball tumbling tightly end over end rise above the line of scrimmage and into the net behind me. I never heard a thump. I instantly knew something was wrong, and then I saw what I would've described as a bag of poop (if my editor had permitted me) wobbling toward me. Pete Prisco and I turned and looked at each other. One of us said, "He missed it." I walked to the interview room and began doing my job. All these years later, I think the moment means more to me now than it did then.

Mike from Wheeling, IL
Vic, long ago players used to come to camp and play themselves into shape. With training camp looming, how about a story of a guy who came to camp out of shape?
Ernie "Fats" Holmes, the second-best defensive tackle I ever covered, made a habit of coming into camp overweight. Coach Noll would put Holmes on a diet, and I can still see Holmes sitting over a huge bowl of salad at lunch. He appeared to be dedicated to weight loss, except he wasn't losing weight. One day, while being interviewed by a reporter, Holmes reached under his bed and pulled out a cooler, from which he took a package of hot dogs and began eating them as though they were carrot sticks. "You didn't see this," he said to the reporter.

Braden from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, I took some time off after the disastrous Packers season. I'm ready to dive into football season. I seem to be in the minority on this but I'm excited to watch football with no expectations from the Packers this year. For over a decade it's been a Super Bowl or bust mentality. This led many fans to be disappointed at the end of the year. Please grab your crystal ball and tell me, what will the 2019 Green Bay Packers look like?
This is the year, baby. There is absolutely no reason this team shouldn't go all the way. Anything less than a Super Bowl title will be a terrible disappointment. It begins in Chicago. That's a must-win game.

John from Green Bay, WI
Vic, I was glad to see the recent question about Gale Sayers, as I have recently been considering asking my own question about him. I'm too young to have watched Sayers play. Are there any players from the last 10 years or so you would compare to Sayers as far as skill set or style of play?
Running back, no, but Antonio Brown, yes. Returning punts and running after the catch, Brown reminds me of Sayers. Brown has that same combination of explosiveness and fearlessness.

Scott from Hamlin, NY
Did Manning call a game plan? Did he really change plays that much or was he given options by the coach and picked the one that looked like it would work?
Peyton Manning and Tom Moore might be the best quarterback/offensive coordinator combination in NFL history. Moore gave Manning a game plan and the freedom to execute it, and Moore never had to worry about how it was done. I remember one particular game, when the Jaguars had Stroud and Henderson up front and the Jaguars threw a defense at the Colts that invited the run and loaded up against the pass. The Colts won the game when they committed to giving the ball to Edgerrin James. Fans talk about offenses needing to avoid being predictable, but the Manning Colts had the most predictable and productive tight red zone offense in the league. They ran two plays. They ran trap and they ran trap pass, and nobody could stop them. Manning didn't call plays, he called a game plan.

Ben from Chicago, IL
If the Packers had lost an additional game last year, which would have improved their draft position, which player would they have run to the podium to announce as their pick?
Devin Bush, maybe?

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Belichick is a master of creating unexpected game plans. Is halftime too late to change a game plan?
I don't think of Coach Belichick as a master of surprise game plans. I think of Belichick as a master of fitting players into specific roles in his game plans. As for changing a game plan, Coach Noll said: "Leaving the game plan is a sign of panic, and panic is not in our game plan."

Steve from Wauwatosa, WI
Vic, is it too hot to golf down there in the southlands?
I'll tell you how hot it is: I like to hit balls at the range. I take two clubs and a wet towel with me to drape over the grip of the one lying on the ground. If I didn't do that, the grip would burn up in the sun.

​Benjamin from Jacksonville, FL
Why are repeat matchups in the postseason exciting for the NFL, but considered boring in college football?
I've come to expect Alabama will win the SEC, Ohio State will win the Big Ten, Clemson will win the ACC and Oklahoma will win the Big 12. I don't enjoy seeing the same thing happen again and again. I could say the same of the Patriots in the AFC East, and maybe that's why I consider the AFC East the most boring division in the NFL. College football has to find a way to promote a more even playing field. The blowouts, especially, are killing college football.

"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.

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

Jason from Austin, TX
Is the Hall of Fame going to need a Hall of Fame?
We have a place where we separate Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown from the not so famous. Our heart is that place. It knows the difference between elected and immortal.

Michael from Sanford, FL
Vic, I was eight when the Jags played their first game, meaning I've been a Jags fan as long as I've known what football was. However, I don't have clear memories of specific players. Can you please share your thoughts on Kevin Hardy? How good was he? What were his strengths, weaknesses and can you think of a modern player whose style you could compare him to?
Kevin could rush a little and cover and tackle a lot. He was more Sean Lee than Khalil Mack, as comparisons go. Dom Capers helped Kevin become a Pro Bowler in 1999, and Kevin was on his way to a long and productive career when a knee injury required him to undergo microfracture surgery. His career declined from that point and he was out of football a few years later.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Seriously. We're talking about women's soccer. Anything more than a curtsy is an abomination.
OK.

Justin from Canton, NC
Vic, more moms and dads these days need to let their boys get hurt, get mad, get physical, find out who they really are. One of the most humbling things is getting your bell rung or knocked on your back. How do you know if you'll get up if you never experience it?
A lot of boys feel a need to experience a "Red Badge of Courage" moment. A father instinctively understands that, but I'm not sure a mother can. Her instinct is overwhelmingly to protect.

Scott from Sauk City, WI
Vic, I really almost never disagree with anything you write because it's always thought-provoking and positively impactful, but I'm very confused with why you wouldn't want a mother to weigh in on her son's decision to play football. I love the sport of football as much as anybody else in the world. Fall Sundays are my favorite Sundays, because of the NFL. I can't imagine living in a country where injury and the fear of injury take away this sport, but I also believe if I had a son who wanted to play football, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I excluded my wife from the conversation. She carried that baby for nine months and shares a bond with that child I can't even comprehend. Making an informed decision about football should be a family decision. Then, again, I never played the sport. I was never a big, athletic kid. I was a musician. I played an instrument, so I didn't have to play a game where I might get hurt. I'm also a self-proclaimed "mama's boy" whose mother raised him while his father was constantly on the road for work. My mom made me who I am; her opinion always meant the world to me.
Playing football isn't for everyone.

Andrew from Madison, WI
Did you ever see Gale Sayers play? I've only seen film, and he's fast and all that, but he also seems to be psychic or have 360-degree vision or something.
I was at Pitt Stadium, sitting next to my father, when Sayers returned the opening kickoff of the 1967 season for a touchdown; he ran right toward me. I think of him as the greatest combination running back/kick returner in pro football history.

Jamie from Brooklyn, NY
I have a different view on the roles of parents in a child's life (to me, a family decision is a family decision). But even if I would allow the idea playing football is a father/son matter, if that child eventually suffers brain trauma and becomes cognitively impaired, whose job will it be to take care of him? If the parenting decision to play football is 100 percent the father's, should the after-injury care be the responsibility of the father?
Don't you think this question is a little nuts?

Greg from Danbury, CT
The fact your coach spoke to your dad instead of your mom says more about your coach than your mom's "proper role," social mores of the day notwithstanding. I withhold judgement on your dad out of respect, but mostly because I'm not privy to his conversations with your mom in what was best for young Vic. I love your column and I respect you, Vic. Gotta say, though, you whiffed on this one.
I have no doubt my mother and father discussed the subject, and her opinion was valued and weighed. What you're missing is my mother allowed my father to be the voice of the family on this matter, out of respect for his "proper role" and the father/son bond. It was the right thing to do, social mores of the day notwithstanding.

Darren from Australia
"If you've lived well, the past is a great place to visit." Did you know as you were living you were living well? If so, how did you know in the present moment?
When you're watching a football game and you're being paid to do it, you know you're living well.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
I've heard radio talking heads complain about the location of the Hall of Fame. Do you ever see it moving from the birthplace of football?
Southwestern Pa. is the birthplace of professional football. It means more to us because we invented the game. As for Canton, it's a good place for the Hall of Fame, but the location of the facility is terrible. It's pushed up against an interstate highway and jammed in between a high school and a housing plan. There is absolutely nothing charming about the Pro Football Hall of Fame facility. It was created on the cheap and, frankly, it's one of the few mistakes from Pete Rozelle's time as commissioner. It lacked vision.

Justin from Madison, WI
Context can be crucial when judging behavior. Take a few minutes to look into the long history of disrespect, mistreatment and unfair compensation of U.S. women's soccer players and I think you'll better understand why they play with such a huge chip on their shoulders. It only furthers the point a celebration far more innocuous than you see on any given Sunday is getting more press and attention than the fact U.S. women are going to, yet, another World Cup final.
OK.

​David from Washington, DC
Not a question, just a quote I liked from Cliff Christl's recent story on Fuzzy Thurston: “He’s not quite as good a pulling guard as Jerry Kramer,” Lombardi said of Thurston, “but he’s a good short-trap blocker and he’s got enough quickness, size, strength and determination so that, when he and Jerry come swinging around that corner together like a pair of matched Percherons, you can see the defensive man’s eyeballs pop.”
That's absolutely beautiful. It warms me to think of coaches describing the power and grace of run blocking, as they did in the Lombardi days, when they spoke of "coming off the ball as one" and "getting under your man." That kind of talk is gone and it saddens me. The blocking sled is gone and, so with it, something as basic to the art of blocking as leg drive. Line play in today's game is almost solely about size. Get out in front of the ball and lead the runner downfield has been replaced by wall up and slide. Nobody talks anymore about moving the line of scrimmage. Nobody can convert short yardage regularly because nobody can drive block, despite being allowed to use their hands to move their man. I love reading Cliff's Lombardi quotes and stories when they pertain specifically to technical football and the evaluation of personnel. Lombardi was a football genius. I don't think he gets enough credit for his technical expertise. Cliff brings Lombardi and the Lombardi era to life better than any writer in Packers literary history.

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

Matt from Hazelhurst, WI
Vic, what do you think of Green Bay's "Family Night" tradition?
I think it's a good way to launch a new season. It's fun, it's affordable and it's carefree. It gets the juices flowing. I think every franchise needs something to restart its engine. During the Noll years in Pittsburgh, it was the Oklahoma drill.

Tanner from Reidsville, WI
I read an article stating the Hall of Fame is thinking of letting 20 people in for 2020. One of their reasonings is some people on the all-decade teams are still not in the HOF. Do you think everyone one on the all-decade teams should be in the HOF?
The main reason for inducting more players into the Hall of Fame is it'll bring more fans to the Hall of Fame. The NFL's philosophy for increasing the popularity of the Hall of Fame is different from mine. The NFL believes in growing the Hall of Fame by putting people in; I believe it'll soon reach the point of saturation and eventually irrelevance if it doesn't begin keeping people out. In my opinion, it's going to become the Pro Bowl. To answer your question more directly, the Hall of Fame isn't about decades, it's about all time.

Steve from Hudson, WI
My team's uniforms are really ugly. Can you do something to fix that?
You can't possibly be talking about the Packers. Their uniforms are historically distinct and, therefore, beautiful. I think of the stripes on those sleeves as Lombardi stripes. They're more meaningful than they are decorative.

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
How might the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s decision to have an expanded class for the centennial NFL season affect Fred Taylor’s chances of someday being a Hall of Famer? Could clearing some of the current logjam bring him more into the conversation further down the line? What do you think it does for Tony Boselli’s chances of finally getting elected?
I think one of the two, not both, is going to make it in. I think Tony has the best chance because for a short period of time he was the best player in the league at his position. Fred's problem is he played a position at which success is measured statistically, and he's going to lose that battle to players such as Frank Gore, and there are a lot of them and more are on the way. By the way, Edgerrin James is an all-decade player not in the Hall of Fame. As it stands, Fred might be the most underrated player in the history of football. I mentioned legendary Steelers running backs coach Dick Hoak in my previous column. There's no voice on the running back position I respect more than Hoak's and he thought Taylor was sensational.

Cliff from Washington, DC
Vic, what's the best book you've read recently?
I recently finished "Gettysburg," by Stephen Sears. It's the best history on Gettysburg and the Lee strategy for peace I've ever read. It's given me an understanding of the how and why I never previously had, especially how Lee was able to flee Gettysburg through the mountains. Now I've begun Sears' "Chancellorsville," which is an even more celebrated work.

Dave from Wisconsin
Has the league ever considered state income tax rates and cost of living in the salary cap calculation? A million dollars in New York or California is a lot less than $1 million in Texas or Florida.
I don't know of an attempt to even the tax-rate, cost-of-living field, but I can tell you it's a big deal in free agency. If a team in Florida is competing for a free agent with a team from a seven percent tax state, the team in Florida is getting a seven percent advantage.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
What's the fastest time you've clocked in your kayak?
It's not about speed, it's about tide. I kayak on my tidal creek to and from a place where the creek meets the sea. It's called Jeremy Inlet. I usually schedule the trip so it begins and ends while the tide is coming in. On a day of a strong northeast wind, I'll have to paddle my ears off going out, but that'll allow me to sit back in the kayak and enjoy the sights and sounds as I drift home. Those are the best days. The calm and the quiet allow me to hear something as faint as fiddler crabs scurrying up the banks of pluff mud. This is a time of reflection in my life. If you've lived well, the past is a great place to visit. The kayak takes me there.

Gladdys from Rolling Meadows, IL
Vic, in Monday's column you stated "voidables should be forbidden." Could you elaborate on that?
A four-year contract that voids after two years is, in my opinion, a two-year contract and should be capped as such. The players would have to agree to a change in the CBA for voidables to be disallowed.

John from Jacksonville Beach, FL
How good could Tavian Banks have been? What a pick by Coughlin.
He was on his way to becoming a star. Banks is an example of why a team should take its foot off the gas when it has a big lead.

Patrick from Ashland, WI
I encouraged my son to play football because as a high school baseball coach I have seen how much it has benefited athletes across all sports. Now, he is a triple option starting quarterback as a junior and I've tried to explain to my wife (not from an athletic family) how many shots he is gonna take and she better be ready. He is all in and a great leader. Her worries have her mad at me. Probably a normal question but any paranormal advice?
I get this kind of question often. So when did mothers become such a strong voice in these matters? When I needed a parent to sign my football participation form, I went to my father, not to my mother. When I broke my leg and permission was in doubt the following year, the coach came to my house to talk to my father; I don't remember my mother being present. This is a father and son matter, and that's a bond a mother should respect and promote.

Rob from Muskego, WI
If the Packers offense this year puts up significantly better numbers than last year, is there a way to spot whether it was player improvement vs. scheming to fit the players' talents better?
They're the same thing. When a coach schemes personnel, he uses his players according to how his plays will best utilize his players' talents. Aaron Jones is an example. Mike McCarthy used Jones effectively. Unfortunately, we'll never know what plans McCarthy had for expanding Jones' role. Let's see what Matt LaFleur does with Jones. It might give us an indication of LaFleur's effectiveness in scheming personnel. Scheme schemes? Those kinds of coaches don't last long.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
How did the Steelers scheme for the running game and line play in the '70's come about? I remember their linemen had different attributes than most in the league and they ran a lot of traps.
Chuck Noll was a messenger guard on Paul Brown's Cleveland teams, and Chuck was a big believer in pulling and trapping. He liked offensive linemen who could move and tended to draft that type of player, which meant drafting undersized guys. It wasn't until late in Chuck's career he drafted an offensive lineman in the first round. He would draft a player such as Gerry Mullins, an undersized tight end at USC, and make him a guard. Mike Webster was an undersized center. Larry Brown moved from tight end to tackle. Carlton Haselrig was converted from nose tackle to guard. Chuck was a genius when it came to offensive line play, and a big part of his genius was spotting a prospect's ability to succeed in his system. Haselrig might be the best example. He didn't play college football; he was a wrestler. I don't think the game passed Chuck by, I just think he saw it was changing in ways he didn't like. He made a point of saying he didn't want to coach a game that had a "graduating class," which was his way of describing free agency. He was a teacher and he didn't want to teach other teams' players. Also, I think he would've hated zone blocking.

Levy from Milwaukee, WI
In your opinion, is LeRoy Butler worthy of Hall of Fame consideration?
I guess we're going to find out, right?

Kirsten from Madison, WI
How often do you think a QB should be allowed to change the play a coach has called?
In my opinion, it should be limited to those times when the look a quarterback gets at the line of scrimmage is all wrong for the play that's been called. Otherwise, the quarterback should run what the coach has called because the coach isn't calling plays, he's calling a game plan.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What do you think about the women's soccer team player acting as though she was sipping tea?
I think it's distasteful behavior, especially since it was on an international stage.

​Mike from North Hudson, WI
What does the Fourth of July mean to you?
It means I can write this column with freedom of speech. We live in a wonderful place. This is a meaningful holiday. All Americans share in its meaning.

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

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, in the conventional 3-4, what's the difference in function and ideal body type between the defensive end and the nose tackle? I have an image in my mind of three two-gapping, 300-pound monsters, but I suspect I may have that wrong.
In a two-gapping 3-4, all three down linemen were probably defensive tackles in college football; they're all run-stuffers. The difference between the nose tackle and the two ends is the ends are more mobile. The ends can move and the nose tackle is immovable.

John from Topeka, KS
Vic, I read the following statement: "Bottom line, if Cousins can deliver like he did for the Redskins back in 2015 behind a re-worked offensive line, this team is a Super Bowl contender. If he can’t, a tricky future awaits the franchise." In looking at the Vikings' bottom line, they have a tricky future regardless of whether they can contend for a Super Bowl or not. Do teams and fans, like Denver recently, really feel one-and-done runs are worthwhile?
Wayne Weaver said "the Super Bowl is a powerful opiate." That's one of the reasons I think the Super Bowl is a bad goal; it's addictive and distorts our judgment.

Ryan from Bend, OR
Vic, I’ve been reading about the cap. It mostly makes sense, but dead money or dead cap has me befuddled. Can you lay it out simply?
What's so difficult to understand? You can cut the player but you can't cut what you paid him. It's like dining at a restaurant: When you stop eating, you start paying. How long can you eat?

Pat from Seneca, SC
If you had the power, how would you change the acceptable structure for player contracts? For example, if you could prevent teams from pushing dead money into future years, would you do it, or do you like the fact teams have the option to place themselves on the salary cap train track?
I think voidables should be forbidden. I'm really surprised the league hasn't shut them down. They are completely disingenuous and their sole purpose is for circumventing the spirit and the rules of the salary cap. Otherwise, I think the cap works and is fair to all. To those teams that don't mind paying the bill and seeing the franchise go dark, I say keep eating.

Jeff from Dorr, MI
Why is it the Detroit Lions have had very little success when they seemingly have drafted near the top over the years? Poor management?
Yes. There's absolutely no excuse for not putting a championship-caliber team on the field in what is a great football town, and on the heels of moving into a new stadium that was awarded a Super Bowl. With the draft position the Lions have enjoyed, a good franchise would've assembled a dominant team.

Braedon from Vestal, NY
I’m a huge Aaron Rodgers fan so I was wondering, if he were to finish his career with just the one Super Bowl (I hope not!), would he make it onto your list of top five regular season QBs?
No because he's generally played well in the postseason. He has a 99.4 passer rating and two of the games in which he statistically underperformed were games in which the Packers defense collapsed: at Seattle in the 2014 NFC title game and at Arizona in the '15 postseason. There's nothing glaring in Rodgers' postseason performance. Brett Favre threw 30 postseason interceptions; that's what I would call glaring.

Dave from Savage, MN
Were you ever approached to write a football book?
Following the Jaguars' run to the AFC title game in 1996, I was approached by a couple of representatives from a publishing company to write a book about the Jaguars' Cinderella season. After a lot of chit chat, I asked them how much they were going to pay me to write the book. They went into a long explanation about who gets the money in the book-writing business: the distributors. For example, the book store has to get a little something for the effort, if you know what I mean, for displaying the book on a shelf at eye level. OK, but how much does Vic get, I asked? Answer: Not much, unless the book sells more than 10,000 copies. I thanked them for lunch. Folks, there isn't going to be a book. This retirement version of "Ask Vic" is the "book" and it's for your enjoyment, just as I enjoy writing it for you. It's perfect. You don't have to buy it, and I don't have to pay a bookstore for displaying it at eye level.

Mark from Ventura, CA
I'm gonna work on ignoring complainers and be new today! Change is hard but this summer is dedicated to these ideas. Thanks for the words.
I was in my kayak on Saturday when I heard the unmistakable sound of a dolphin blowing out air. I turned to the right and there it was, just 10 feet from my kayak. It's always a thrill to see something so intimidating in the calm of the creek. I felt a surge of fulfillment the rest of the day. I'm going to try to hold onto that feeling. It's so much better than want.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, I think you're confusing the career longevity concerns for Jalen Ramsey with Myles Jack? It was Jack who slid to the second round for knee concerns. Also, is there a better corner in the league than Jalen right now? If he keeps up his current pace for another 4-5 years, he could be on track to be a Hall of Famer, in my opinion. I don't get the sense the Jaguars think he's as big of a distraction as outsiders do. Thoughts?
Ramsey underwent microfracture surgery in high school. Yes, he might be the best corner in the league right now, but microfracture surgery is a daunting procedure that usually portends a shortened career. I think the Jaguars have to consider that fact in whatever plans they make for retaining Ramsey.

Ed from Des Plaines, IL
I listened to an interview with Joe Namath. I was born in 1964 and only remember the end of his career with the Rams. Did you have the opportunity to see him play in his prime? Did you ever have a chance to meet and talk with the man? I didn't know until the other day he was from Western Pennsylvania. Is there something in the water?
Yes, I saw him play. My lasting memory of Namath is from when he played high school football. Where I grew up, a team had to finish the season undefeated and untied to win the league title. If there was no such team, there was no champion that year. Namath's team was the only undefeated, untied team that season, so it won the league title without having to play a championship game. All these years later, it still bothers me.

Mike from Columbus, GA
Each time a replay looks at several angles, especially for breaking the plane, I am reminded of a picture I saw at a dog track. If you stand to the left, dog No. 1 is the winner. If you stand to the right, dog No. 3 is the winner. The actual winner is dog No. 2, if you are standing on the line. Replay will never have the perfect angle, especially on pass interference.
Replay is good for the game but bad for us.

​Todd from Prairie du Chien, WI
What assistant coach you've worked with most impressed you as a guy who best communicated with players and how did he go about his day's work?
Dick Hoak is the best position coach I covered, and it's because he never wanted to be anything but what he was. He spent his entire career as the Steelers' running backs coach. He turned down a head job in the USFL and declined an offensive coordinator position in the NFL. His players never had to deal with the distraction that accompanies a position coach's upward mobility. He was their guy and it created calm at their position. On the day Frank Pollard was playing his final game, after Chuck Noll had taken Pollard out of the game to the appreciative cheers of the crowd, Hoak alerted Noll to the fact Pollard only needed a few more yards to move up the list of all-time Steelers rushing leaders. Noll put Pollard back in the game. Hoak is the player Pollard passed on the rushing list.