"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Greg from Eau Claire, WI
How does the Vikings adding Yannick Ngakoue impact the NFC North? Are the Vikings the number one competitor to the Packers in the division?
I think the Vikings are the favorite to win the division.

Dan from St. Peters, MO
Vic, last season, the Packers had multiple wins where they jumped out early in the first half and then held on for dear life in the second half. In an effort to keep it light, I would joke with my friends the offense ran out of scripted plays, but I wanted to get your opinion on why a team might fall into this habit.
It's the way professional football is played: Get a lead and then protect it.

Lane from Orlando, FL
Do you think Jon Rahm has the right temperament and attitude to win a lot of majors or will the mental aspect of the game always prevent him from being an all-time great?
I think he's the best player in the world. I don't get the temperament thing. I think he has just the right amount of verve to keep his game sharp. I love big-guy, short-swing power.

Lance from Phoenix, AZ
The Jags finally traded Ngakoue. I just don’t understand why they did. A second-round pick? Why not just force him to play on the tag and tag him again next year? It’s not like this organization has a good reputation or has shown any competent behavior in years.
Le'Veon Bell? The Jaguars did the right thing. Get what you can and move on. Ngakoue was a distraction.

Dave from Savage, MN
Vikings fans are pretty excited about the Ngakoue trade. The Vikes sure seem to pay a lot of high-end salaries for what has been a very good but not a dominant defense. Can you give us a scouting report on how he fits with the Vikes?
Pass-rushers fit with all teams. Ngakoue will allow Mike Zimmer to run the pressure defenses that are Zimmer's trademark. The Vikings have to get back to making defense and the running game their calling card. Kirk Cousins makes plays but he can't carry a team as Aaron Rodgers has carried the Packers.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
Are the Vikings in salary cap hell in the foreseeable future with the Ngakoue trade, especially with the cap situation uncertain for 2021?
They're headed for a cut and gut but, again, '21 will likely be a reset year. It could even be an uncapped year.

Jeff from Miami, FL
Your comment on running backs with power dictating defensive schemes raises another question. Why don't we see more two tight end/one running back formations which could also dictate a "heavy" defensive scheme but still allow for passing offense?
We do see that kind of formation, except the second tight end is often split from the formation or sent in motion across the formation. What I'm describing is likely what the Packers have in mind for Josiah Deguara.

Ross from L'Anse, MI
Had Rodgers been judged solely by and on his rookie season -- even his raw throwing ability -- wouldn’t he have been labeled a bust?
My information is Aaron Rodgers came to the Packers with a sore shoulder. The Jaguars' former GM told me a shoulder injury was the reason he dropped Rodgers on the Jaguars' board.

Kevin from Eau Claire, WI
Vic, did you see CBS Sports' list of the top 10 QBs in 2020? Rodgers is better than Stafford, Brady and Wentz, right?
That list ranks Mahomes, Jackson, Wilson, Prescott and Watson as the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Hmmm, where have I seen that before? As I've written, I would rank Rodgers at No. 6.

Nick from Aloha, OR
Are the Packers a "one player away" team? And who is the one player that could put them over the top?
No team is one player away unless they can guarantee none of the other players won't be lost to injury or experience a decline in performance. The 2008 Jaguars thought they were one player away, so they traded away picks to move up and draft the same guy twice, only to find neither player was the answer and players on whom they were counting declined significantly in performance. Final result: 5-11, new GM and headed for rebuilding.

Min Shik from Seoul, South Korea
Did you anticipate the spark of Colin four years ago to grow into what we see today?
No, but it doesn't surprise me it did.

Bill from Racine, WI
Vic, is there a historical allegory for placing a weapon in a child’s hands and driving him across state lines to commit ideological murder?
I remember a sports writer, who would become one of the giants of our industry, being dropped off at Steelers training camp by his mother, but "Hey, mom, can you take me to Kenosha to shoot some liberals?" is beyond any kind of historical comparison. "Don't forget your rifle in the trunk, son. Here are your bullets. Shoot straight."

Dave from Franklin, WI
Packers fans were screaming for McCarthy to be fired, saying his scheme was out of date. They got their wish. So now why are they screaming when the Packers are drafting to fit this new scheme?
When confronted by scheme questions, Coach Noll would say, "What you're really asking is why didn't we win?" It's been my experience a lot of fans really don't know what they want. They imagine plays that can't even be run with the personnel or the formations available to their team. In my radio show in Jacksonville, a caller went into a diatribe about the need for the Jaguars to run more play action. I got the sense the caller didn't even know what play action is, so I asked him, "What do you think play action is?" He hemmed and hawed a little bit and then described what was, in effect, a scrambling quarterback."

Braden from Milwaukee, WI
New NFL stadiums (Dallas/ LA/ Vegas/ Atlanta) look incredible. I imagine rookies walking onto the field for the first time and it gives them goosebumps. Lambeau is special to us fans because we know the history and it's our team's stadium. Do you think rookies are in awe when they step into Lambeau without knowing the history? College stadiums have become so massive; do you think there are any NFL stadiums that are just blah to players, or is being on an NFL field special enough?
When the Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, they were in awe of their new digs. Previously, they played in ancient Pitt Stadium and trained at a dilapidated county fairgrounds. All of a sudden, they felt like an up-and-coming NFL team, which they were. Atmosphere can do that for a team. In those days, not all NFL facilities were first class. The Vikings' played in what might be the worst ballpark at which I've ever covered a game. The Bills were still playing at War Memorial. There was nothing special about RFK or Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The LA Coliseum was on the verge of becoming a dump, Soldier Field was about to get a second-rate makeover and the Patriots were building a glorified high school stadium in Foxboro. Several other stadiums were just as bad, including pre-renovation Lambeau Field. I was stunned at how unimpressive Lambeau was in my first trip there. In contrast, all of today's NFL facilities are first class, from the team's headquarters to the stadium in which it plays. They're all awe inspiring.

Jordan from Waterloo, IA
I’m not sure of any legal ramifications, but if ever there was a time to leverage the team's popularity and offer shares with proceeds funding the programs Mark Murphy highlighted, this is it.
I'm not sure the SEC would approve. Let's begin by leveraging our hearts.

Isiah from Little Chute, WI
I am having a hard time with social media becoming the new judge and jury. Do I shut up and listen to the Black Lives Matter movement or do I speak up so individuals aren't sentenced to excessive punishment?
Speak, but not above the din. It's the line between measured and manic.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Do you agree, obey policemen and don't do anything in haste when they are talking to you?
Can you understand why a black man would run?

Marty from Grafton, WI
Vic, not trying to be hyper critical, just trying to find the truth. In this story I saw about Andre Keys, it stated Mike Kruczek was the QB who threw the pass to Andre. Who is right, or does it even matter? Write whatever you want, just spell the name right.
Thank you for correcting me.

Jack from Middleton, WI
When Aaron leaves the Packers, what will be missed most about team dynamics?
Stability will be missed. Since 2008, there has never been a moment of doubt as to who the Packers' starting quarterback is. He's "The Man." He's the leader, the face of the franchise. When Rodgers retires or leaves the Packers, it might be a long time before the Packers possess that kind of stability again.

Giuseppe from Chiavari, Italy
Yes, but can the franchise tag be so expensive next year no player will fear the threat of a team using it?
OK, let's do this again. Depending on what happens this season, if there is a season, next year would have to include a special one-year reset of the CBA as it pertains to the salary cap, just as there has already been a salary reset for this season, as necessitated by the special circumstances created by the pandemic.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What are your thoughts on the Packers' statement about the Jacob Blake shooting?
I've never been prouder to have been an employee of the Green Bay Packers, and happier to say Mark Murphy is my friend. Any fan who complains should be told to root for the Vikings.

Tom from Vista, CA
Vic, do you see net advantages or disadvantages for college teams that play this season?
It's risk vs. reward. The risk is life-threatening circumstances that could cast a university and the conference in which it plays in a dim light and plunge both into catastrophic legal recourse. The reward is dominating TV time and exposure to potentially new fans. I don't consider the reward to be worth the risk.

Lars from Oregon, WI
What's the best thing for fans to hear over the PA system during a frigid game?
First down! Keep the sticks moving and keep the clock ticking. In other words, run it and let's get the hell out of here.

Sean from Chicago, IL
Vic, when the Packers hired Coach LaFleur last year, I was not impressed by his hiring press conference. I thought he looked like a deer in the headlights and I was worried about the potential power struggle with Aaron Rodgers. By the end of the season, it seemed like he grew into his role, was much more confident and sure of himself, and the power struggle never came to a head. What do you think about Coach LaFleur's growth as a head coach?
His remarks about the Jacob Blake incident blew me away. They were not the remarks of a "deer in the headlights," so to speak. They were the remarks of a principled, bold and courageous man. They were the remarks of a leader. He has my respect.

Jimmy from Vero Beach, FL
Vic, I know you have great respect for general managers and personnel people. Do you believe your history, knowledge and contacts could make you a respectable GM? Could you assemble a team that is competitive?
I know the process, having learned from some of the masters of the game. I know a personnel director is only as good as his scouts, so I would begin by surrounding myself with scouts whose evaluations I could trust. My No. 1 hire would be a college scouting director, a man who knows how to cover the country with area scouts whose reputations gain them welcome access to college programs and who have networks for accumulating and verifying information. I believe firmly in responsible cap management and I would be vigilant in protecting my team's future. All of that, I believe, would allow me to construct a self-sustaining system for building a competitive roster. Would I make the right picks and moves? I don't know the answer to that question. In the final analysis, all personnel directors are at the mercy of the order and how the players fall in it.

Leo from South Bend, IN
What went wrong with Damarious Randall and the Packers?
He was a projection, a player attempting to make a position switch, in what was a weak NFL draft. In a weak draft, especially when you're picking at the bottom of the order, there's a tendency to try to catch lightning in a bottle because the safe play doesn't represent an upgrade.

Bill from Shiocton, WI
I read Jordan Love is looking terrible as a passer, especially in terms of accuracy. I know he's a rookie, but shouldn't his throwing ability be immune to a new playbook? I'm going to call him a bust right now.
OK.

Matt from Minneapolis, MN
Dillon and Jones: "Thunder and Lightning." I know we all love a catchy nickname but, in reality, what does having a "Thunder and Lightning" backfield do to a defense? What are the benefits other than it sounds neat?
It allows you to dictate to the defense. When you go big, they have to go big, too. When you go small and quick, they have to do the same. Having a running back with the size and power Dillon possesses will keep a linebacker on the field. The defense doesn't dare get light in the pants up front with Dillon in the game, or the Packers will pound. We saw that with Eddie Lacy. This is why I say you're not really running the ball if you're not running it with power. The defenders a defense uses to stop a speed back are the same defenders it uses to defend against the pass. The big back opens up the passing game. Scheme personnel, not schemes.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Tony from Waunakee, WI
What's your oldest keepsake?
I have a relic, a thing that touched a thing that touched a thing that touched Pope Pius XII. It's either that or a "Kennedy, Man for the '60's" campaign tie clasp or my Buzz Nutter autograph.

Dan from Toledo, OH
I can agree with four out of your five, but Prescott? Call me when he’s able to be better than 8-8 and can beat an Eagles team starting fourth stringers. I think you’ve fallen for a stat stuffer, Vic, and not a quarterback that gets it done in big moments.
I favor youth. Rodgers is a year older; Prescott is a year better. What if the Packers hadn't done a new contract with Rodgers and, before the draft, the Cowboys had offered the Packers Prescott in a straight-up trade for Rodgers? Do you think the Packers would've done the deal?

Greg from Hillman, MN
What are your thoughts on Kenny Clark's deal? Was it a good move or was the price too steep?
It's a good deal and it suggests to me the Packers are going to create ways to feature Clark.

Giuseppe from Chiavari, Italy
Can the franchise tag be so expensive no team would want to use it next year?
The franchise tag is like the atom bomb. You don't need to use it, just have it.

Josh from La Crosse, WI
Do you know any quarterbacks whose passes made rookie receivers' hands bleed?
Back in the '70's, the Steelers had a big, rookie receiver in camp, a guy named Andre Keys. He was a late-round draft pick who was one of the stars early in camp. Keys had huge hands and he sustained an injury to one of those hands and missed practice. Nobody thought much of it but a week later Keys was still not practicing and I asked Coach Noll what the deal was with Keys' hand injury. "He tore the webbing," Noll said. "Huh?" I said. Noll explained Keys had caught the point of the football between two fingers and the force of Terry Bradshaw's pass tore the webbing of Keys' hand halfway up to his wrist. That's the last I remember from Keys' career.

Chad from Kansas City, MO
Vic, what is the number one moment in your life? In my 30 years, it was collecting the shells from a 21-gun salute to my late uncle. Memories make us rich.
Being told I had cancer? Being told to leave campus because four students had just been shot and killed? I'll go with the most recent one: In the wee hours of a winter morning, I got into my car and drove away from Green Bay in darkness. I remember whispering to myself, "That's all."

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
I can feel the weather starting to change. The evenings are crisper and the mornings are cooler. Covid hangs in the air like a dense fog. Normally, this time of year means back to school and Packers football. This year the excitement of being on the precipice of something new has been replaced by apprehension and uncertainty. May we all reach a day when the true unbridled excitement can return.
It's getting stormier and buggier here. The attack of the love bugs is less than a month away. This year the excitement of hurricane season has been heightened by the fear of evacuating during a pandemic. Some things are even bigger than football.

Matt from La Crosse, WI
Apparently, Matt LaFleur will no longer allow media members to report which players are practicing with first team, second team, etc.. This shocked me. How does he have the authority to censor his team's coverage this way? Would he ban offenders from watching camp practices?
I think it's a fair request. Going back to the beginning stage of my career, when the NFL celebrated any kind of coverage, reporters understood they would not act as spies. In other words, reports shouldn't divulge specific strategies they witnessed at practice, such as trick plays, etc. It was acceptable to write in a post-practice report so and so ran with the first team and the offense was emphasizing a deeper commitment to the run or pass, but I think it's over the top to divulge percentages and specifics, and I think it's especially irritating for a coach to know information is being divulged as it's happening. That's more than reporting, it's spying. In the week leading up to the 1976 AFC title game, as Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier nursed injuries that would cause them to miss the game, Coach Noll installed a one-back offense. Nobody wrote it. What would today's reporters do?

John from Jefferson, WI
Vic, were you fortunate enough to recognize the best of times while you were living them?
You bet I was, right down to the five o'clock club and the freedom to knock on dormitory room doors.

Adrian from Inglewood, CA
With one less year of development for Trevor Lawrence, will he still be the No. 1 overall draft pick?
That's my expectation. He's an exceptional talent, a player of great skill and character, but he's not without flaws. He stares down receivers and he overstrides, which causes passes to sail high. Dabo Swinney made a big mistake getting into a shootout with Joe Burrow. That would weigh on my mind if I had the first pick of the draft and needed a quarterback.

Mark from New London, WI
A.J. Dillon is leading the way in the underwear league in Packers camp. What should we be looking for to find out if he has the talent to make it in the NFL?
Are his feet light enough to bounce from one hole to another.

Ron from Beaufort, SC
Choices have to be made on future UFAs. Which of these four are your priority? Bakhtiari, King, Jones and Linsley. I would go in this order: left tackle and cornerback and let the rest join the market.
That's a sensible approach, provided the Packers believe Bakhtiari can hold up physically. He's had back problems and I saw some decline in his play last year. The potential for Aaron Jones and Dillon to provide a thunder and lightning element to the Packers offense would interest me. If Jones and Dillon can do that, I'd find a way to keep Jones.

Beth from Cincinnati, OH
Can you describe the type of people the journalism profession attracts without resorting to cliches?
They tend to be people with a social conscience who know how to turn a phrase.

Doug from Union Grove, WI
How frustrating will it be and how damaged will our (fans) psyche be when the season gets canceled in mid-October?
If that happens, I would ask to what degree did attempting to play have contributed to the mindset that caused the virus to worsen? I think that would be the issue.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
Are we about to see a shift where players with the big RB body type begin playing the position again instead of LB?
The big back has never gone out of style. From Jim Brown to Franco Harris and Larry Csonka to Earl Campbell and Jerome Bettis and most recently to Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott and Le'Veon Bell, pro football has always craved big backs who could pound between the tackles and stretch out their legs in the open field. Jim Thorpe was a big back. This isn't something new to pro football, it's just something new to the Packers because Eddie Lacy's career was so short-lived. Vic to Packers fans: Welcome to the wonderful world of power football.

Blanche from Lake Geneva, WI
What receiver made the biggest year-to-year jump during your career?
Jimmy Smith went from trying to hang onto a roster spot in 1995 to being one of the stars of the league in '96.

Kenn from Milwaukee, WI
What do you think about Blake Martinez’ statement he was always cleaning up?
Martinez is a grunt. It's pretty much how Tony Pauline described him to me when Martinez was a draft prospect. He wasn't considered a playmaker; he was a tackler, a guy who cleaned up the mess left by the pass rushers. Those guys aren't difficult to find.

Calvin from Indianapolis, IN
I get punts, but wouldn’t you agree kickoffs are nonsensical to the game?
They've been legislated to the status of being little more than ceremonial. I would favor beginning the game and the second half with a kickoff, but at all other times placing the ball at the 20 and let's go.

Wes from Minneapolis, MN
What does Josiah Deguara have to do to surprise you?
Fail.

Oscar from Chicago, IL
Vic, what's the case for Tim Boyle? If Rodgers is lost to injury, the season is also likely lost; it doesn't matter who the backup is. If so, what's the case for spending an extra roster spot to keep three QBs?
Maybe the Packers see the day when Love is the starter and Boyle is the backup.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Cassidy from Carlsbad, CA
How do you feel about unwritten rules?
An unwritten rule is another way of saying "do the right thing." We know the difference between right and wrong. Even Bill Belichick knows the difference. When we take the high road, the human spirit grows.

Sean-Luc from Boston, MA
Which teams do you predict will dominate the 2021 draft, given the lack of a normal college season?
As I've written, the teams with the best connections to college coaches and scouting networks will achieve the best results in the '21 draft. I don't know who all of those teams are, but I know the Steelers are one of them.

Jack from Middleton, WI
Do you have any stories of a rookie QB earning the job over last year’s vet following the preseason?
Terry Bradshaw did it. He had a sensational rookie preseason, but he displaced Terry Hanratty, who was a rookie the previous season. Maybe the best example of a rookie putting an established vet on the bench is Dan Marino taking the job from David Woodley early in the 1983 season. Woodley had quarterbacked the Dolphins to the Super Bowl the previous season.

Sean from Arlington Heights, IL
Vic, assuming there is a season, with no preseason games and presumably closed practices, is it going to be even more of a free for all than normal when it comes to practice squad signings since teams may only have college film on a guy?
Yes. Mistakes will be made.

Randy from Billings, MT
Vic, I am not up on Ben Roethlisberger's injury but my question is more universal. When you say an injury is usually career-ending, are you factoring in only the past or including medical/rehab improvements? Many injuries in the past that were pretty much career-ending are now not so due to improved surgeries and rehab methods.
I wasn't attempting to write a medical document, Randy, I was merely acknowledging the logic that says three detached tendons in the elbow of a 37-year-old man who uses that elbow to throw a football is a threat to end or alter his career. A similar injury ended Bradshaw's.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
We enjoy your column and perspective on life in regards to sports. Could you please take us back to a time and a sporting event you were covering where, in the midst of covering the event, you looked around and realized your world around you seemed to be on the cusp of greatness?
If there was such an event, it was probably Super Bowl XIII. I was sitting in a press box full of big-name sports writers and I was watching a game being played by a field full of future Hall of Famers. It was the best of times, and I was young.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
Who's a training camp Hall of Fame player that didn't amount to anything?
Whose career wasn't the equal of his preseason fame? Steelers -- Jack Deloplaine. Jaguars -- Chad Owens. Packers -- Vic So'oto.

Robert from Terre Haute, IN
Why am I just not enthused this year? After 60-some years avidly following the Packers, this year I don’t seem to care.
No fans, no excitement.

Richard from Clearwater, MN
If your questions to Rodgers was "Can this team win now?" what answer are you seeking or could be expanded upon other than what he almost has to say, which is some variation of "Yes, I believe this team can win now"?
Rodgers is at his best answering direct questions. I always felt I connected with him on that level. It gave him a chance to answer fully, which is what I would expect from him in this situation. I would expect him to answer yes, but with what disclaimers? Where would the Packers need to improve? What are the issues? On the other hand, if he dodged the question, I'd know the answer was no.

Bob from Port St. Lucie, FL
Could you explain the Oklahoma? Why did you enjoy watching it and why is it no longer used?
It's a thump drill and I enjoyed hearing the thump. The league "outlawed" it because it's a thump drill.

Ron from Hell, MI
What sorts of things do you know about Earl Campbell and how fantastical is it to envision A.J. Dillon playing at that level?
Easy, now, easy. Is there really a road sign in Hell that says "You are now leaving Hell"?

Jim from Trapani, Sicily
Vic, you have mentioned finding contentment. Do you still have dreams or aspirations?
Sure. For three months I dreamed of a day without pain.

Ben from Crozet, VA
Vic, who do you have ahead of Rodgers and why?
Mahomes, Jackson, Watson, Wilson, Prescott. Young legs.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, if the NFL has a season in 2020, what is the big story capturing your attention? How will Brady adjust to the Bucs offense? How will Matt LaFleur and Rodgers fare during season two? How will McCarthy and the Cowboys work together?
Every team has a storyline: Is this the end for Big Ben? Is Minshew "The Man"? Can Rodgers hold off Love?

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
What can be said about NASCAR and PGA having better viewership ratings than the NBA?
I was channel surfing one night and stopped on an NBA game because something about it caught my eye. I had to watch it for a full minute to decide whether they were real players or cartoon characters, and the background was even sillier looking. In contrast, the Jim Herman/Billy Horschel drama of this past weekend was very real.

​"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Ben from Columbus, OH
Vic, could you go over the significance of the Association of American Universities as it pertains to college football again? Is there anything to the Big 10 and the PAC 12 postponing the season due to their involvement? Would this have anything to do with Nebraska wanting to go rogue since they are not a member?
The AAU is not a sports league; it's an esteemed membership based on academics. Nebraska is the only school in the Big 10 not a member of the AAU; it was a member when it joined but lost its accreditation shortly after. I never understood why the Big 10 extended an invitation to Nebraska. It didn't offer recruiting ground or a TV market. Now it's lost its AAU membership and its performance last week was an embarrassment and an insult to the conference. I think the Big 10 commissioner called Nebraska's bluff hoping they'd quit the conference. The PAC 12 is also loaded with AAU schools. What I think we're seeing in the Big 10 and PAC 12 decisions to not play football this year is evidence the academicians are still in control in those conferences.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Humans are creatures of habit. As an avid Packers fan, I’m getting used to no sports. I haven’t opened up packers.com in weeks (previously it was a daily habit). I’m also enjoying life more than ever. Will this virus break our need for sports habit?
No, but it might help put that need into a little better perspective.

Gabe from Chapel Hill, NC
What does standardization in college football mean?
It means five conferences pulling in the same direction instead of against each other. It means more meaningful scheduling, pooling of revenues and tighter scholarship restrictions so more good players are available to schools other than the powerhouse programs. It means coaches not job-jumping while still under contract. It means something closer to the NFL model. It means a more level playing field.

Brian from Sugar Land, TX
Perusing the preseason pro football magazines at the pharmacy, I took a look at some of the individual player rankings. The Packers only had one player in the top 10 of any position category, and his name was not Rodgers. The experts seem to agree Rodgers has dropped to the middle tier and likely fading. Still, Green Bay is a consensus divisional contender, likely to make the playoffs. It was a sobering trip to the news rack for a Packers fan. Of course, no one has played a game. Fair assessment from your viewpoint?
Close. I think Rodgers is still a top 10 quarterback, but not top five. I think the unique circumstances confronting this season make it impossible for any fan of any team to have a feel for what might happen, but if this was a normal season, my expectations for the Packers would be subdued. The loss in San Francisco is difficult to dismiss and, on top of that, the Packers drafted and avoided free agency in a way that suggests they're not all in. I think there's a message in that.

Bill from Olathe, KS
Vic, I bet Brett Favre's little golf outing this weekend got your blood boiling. But I bet when Obama golfed with Kaepernick you were good with it. Do you see your own double standard and hypocrisy?
Why would it bother me Favre and Trump played golf together? Bill, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Dave from Savage, MN
Do you miss it when you read notes and see clips from day one of practice?
I saw enough first days of training camp to satisfy my enthusiasm, plus, as first days of practice go, today's examples are soft and boring. Now, if they did an Oklahoma I'd probably feel differently.

Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI
If Big Ben is healthy, can the Steelers win the Super Bowl?
I think a team can come out of nowhere to win the Super Bowl this season, if there is a season. I expect play to be subpar and unpredictable, so, I wouldn't count the Steelers out, but Roethlisberger is attempting a huge comeback from a major injury that is usually career-ending or, at the least, career-changing.

Ron from Hell, MI
Is there a trick to beating Baltimore that isn't something obvious like grind down the speed of the game and tire their defense, which seems like a strategy against all teams?
Make him be a passer.

Gabor from Budapest, Hungary
Vic, long-term, record-setting contracts became team friendly lately. I think the growth of the salary cap made it possible. Will this trend change, if the salary cap drops?
Team friendly is another way of describing contracts that are high in signing bonus that can be pushed out on the cap and low in salary in the back end of the contract. There'll be nothing friendly about that contract if the player underperforms and has to be cut, or if the player reaches the high-salary years of the contract and has to be signed to an extension that converts salary to signing bonus and pushes more money out. Just remember this: You pay it, you claim it. Again, we're likely to see a reset year due to the altered revenue circumstances caused by the virus. The league and the players association will figure it out. Neither one wants to kill the golden goose.

Adam from Denver, CO
Which question would you ask Aaron right now?
Can this team win now?

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

​Doug from St. Louis, MO
Where do you think the Packers are when it comes to their roster? I haven't been impressed with their drafts and I don't understand many of the moves they make.
Jordan Love will determine where the Packers are with their roster. By the time Love is ready to play, Brian Gutekunst will have fixed what needs to be repaired. As it stands right now, the roster is in the midst of transitioning from finesse to power football. I believe 2021 will be the best year to rebuild a roster since 1974, when a training camp players strike opened the door for an avalanche of rookie talent. I think 2021 could be a turning point year for the Packers.

Patrick from St. Paul, MN
Whether Packers top brass thinks the team is in a rebuild or not, the fan base at large doesn't think so and wouldn't cotton to a Rodgers trade. Personally, I don't think they were anywhere as good as their record last year would suggest. Trading 12 right now or next offseason just might be the smartest call if the team is in a rebuild, but don't you think their record last year may have hurt the fan base's willingness at large to start that painful process?
Is this the same fan base that booed Ted Thompson for replacing Favre with Rodgers? It's a young man's game. If you don't get young, you'll get old, and then the process gets real painful.

David from Madison, WI
Aside from the cloudless sky line, is there an event or part of Jones' "From Here to Eternity" that is especially meaningful to you?
"Thunderclap in a cloudless sky" just stuck with me. An event? Isn't "From Here to Eternity" the movie that got the horse's head cut off?

Geoff from Janesville, WI
If the NFL decides to play games on Saturdays, what would their incentive be to give it back to college football after this year is over?
If the NFL values its relationship with college football, especially the cooperation it receives in sending scouts onto campuses to find new talent, it'll give back Saturdays to its rightful owner. Plus, the NFL would be asking for trouble if it tries to steal Saturday from college football. Challenges in court would likely result, and senators from states that don't house an NFL team would react with potentially painful legislation. The NFL needs a friendly relationship with college football more than it needs Saturday.

Steve from Eau Claire, WI
Well, your prediction from a few years ago may come to fruition. College football players are getting organized to start a players union; good for them, worrisome for the NCAA?
I think college football is headed for standardization. If a players union initiates the move, good for everybody, including college football.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
After looking at the projected top-of the order teams who might trade for a QB this year, it appears Jacksonville and maybe Las Vegas are the top two possibilities. Do you think these would be a fit or would you look at another team as a more likely bet?
The Colts and Titans fixed their quarterback situations? The Patriots? The 49ers are sure Jimmy Garoppolo is "The Man?" Here's one for you: The Bears? There will always be teams willing to trade for a player of Aaron Rodgers' quality.

Jack from Middleton, WI
Should one continually strive for meaning? What should one do after they've reached contentment?
Enjoy it. In the process, you'll find meaning.

Jack from Houston, TX
I chuckled at Harbaugh quoting President Theodore Roosevelt describing the "cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." What better victory is there than uniting as a country to defeat this awful virus?
Nixon used the same quote as he resigned in disgrace.

Milan from New York
The most important question facing us today is: How will cancellations of college football impact the NFL draft?
Scouts will have to evaluate talent based on word of mouth. The best scouts will be the ones who have the best relationships with college coaches and the largest network of sources.

Kurt from Sartell, MN
Why don’t the Packers want to grow old with Aaron Rodgers?
Players and coaches grow old. Teams must remain eternally young.

Bruce from Bloomington, IL
I typically stay away from social media; too much negativity. The anonymity allowed by social media lets people behave in ways they would never think of behaving in person, usually for the worst. I've read you for a long time and adopted "memories make us rich," "I have enough and I am enough" and "OK." I credit your writing for this frequently when sharing those life skills. Then, I Googled you and read a sampling of the trash that's out there on you. It's amazing you haven't had more heart issues, anxiety, depression and sadness. I'm retired, but if I were starting a profession now, or advising a young person about a profession now, I'd steer them to a job where you can just do a job you're OK with that has the smallest public footprint possible.
"His place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Steven from Racine, WI
Would you send a child to school during this? I have an eight-year-old and I’m still deciding what is best for her.
I would seek the advice of the child's pediatrician, not the advice of a sports writer.

Mike from Seattle, WA
Vic, my mom likes to sew and is good at it. She is making masks for people in Portland. They're great! No ear strain, adjustable, metal nose piece incorporated, and easy on, easy off. She has even had the USPS carriers stopping by her house to grab a mask. I'd love to get one to you as a thank you. Let me know and I'll have one sent out to you.
I am genuinely touched and flattered by your offer. I have a box full of the paper masks, so I'm going to decline your offer for now, but I'm going to wear it in my heart forever.

Matt from Birmingham, UK
The SEC says it's not about the money. It must really be about the money then. Could we see the decision of some conferences to move forward with the football season used as evidence in court the players are employees?
Critical thinking is a talent and you possess it. Great thought! You bet, it's about the money and the players will use it to make their point. Look at it this way: There are a lot of middle-of-the-road programs in the SEC, ACC and Big 12 that'll find themselves in high-profile TV games as a result of the decisions by other conferences to not play. Programs such as Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, West Virginia, etc. will benefit greatly from the exposure, as a result of the willingness to put their players at risk. How will the players benefit?

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jack from Middleton, WI
What's a book that's given some of the greatest advice you've ever been given?
I forget the name of the book and the author. It was a self-help book and I'm not big on those because they tend to be monetized versions of over-parenting, but I agreed to read this one on the advice of a loved one who found comfort in it. The advice was about seeking contentment: If you can say I have enough and I am enough, you've found it. I've applied those words to my perspective on retirement.

Barbara from Salamanca, Mexico
What's the lowest scoring game you've seen with your eyes?
I covered a 6-0 game in Houston in 1980 and a 7-3 game in Cincinnati in 1976. They are two of the most memorable games of my career. The '80 game was the end-of-the-run game for the "Steel Curtain," and the '76 game was the beautiful, Thanksgiving weekend snow game. Low scoring allows us to focus on other events.

George from Manassas, VA
You didn't really have a neck fusion and then go on your roof and ride out a hurricane a couple of years after having a heart attack, did you?
Neck fusion, yes. Ride out the storm, yes. Lash myself to the air-conditioner, no. I sat inside, it rained a little and a few palm fronds blew down. The forecast for Isaias turned it away from us, and I relied on the forecast because evacuation would've been doubly difficult in my condition. The tide schedule was the whole issue for us. Once I saw the storm would pass Edisto at or near low tide, I had no concern. It's all about the forecast, and science was right on the mark. I trust science.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
How would you think your recent neck fusion compares to the procedure Jermichael Finley needed done?
My understanding is Finley's fusion is high in the neck, and the higher the fusion, the closer it is to the brain stem and likely to end a player's career. Fusions put added stress on the levels directly above and below, and that can be a big problem later in life for someone as young as Finley. Years ago, when I underwent my first fusion, Tom Coughlin put me in touch with Tim Lewis, whose career was ended by a neck injury. Lewis told me of a new procedure he had just undergone. I remember connecting with Lewis in the conversation. We were members of the bad-neck club. We know the lingo. A neurosurgeon once asked me to describe what I feel. I said, "Doc, the best I can tell you is when I'm good a pop is bad and when I'm bad a pop is good." He said it was the best description he ever heard.

Richard from Sacramento, CA
Can you explain an H-back compared to a halfback or a tight end?
An H-back is a fullback/tight end. He's big enough to catch passes in the middle of the field and absorb a blow, but short enough to block in the middle of the line and avoid getting cut and stuck in the hole. Josiah Deguara, 6-2, 242, is the perfect H-back. His combined talents should save the Packers a roster spot.

Terry from Wausau, WI
Freedom means I am free to do whatever I want. Free to pursue my chosen career without taxation, free to not wear a seatbelt, free to poop my pants if I want, free to not wear a mask. Any other kind of freedom is loser Democrat Marxist freedom.
OK.

Ron from Beaufort, SC
I recently read teams are approaching the Packers about a trade for Aaron Rodgers. I don't see that as realistic for this season. What about 2021? Would the Packers consider it? If they did, what would the salary cap implications be? What do you think he would get them in terms of trade value? I know teams always experience change and I find myself feeling they should do it. Your thoughts?
He'd get them at least two ones. If this is rebuilding, I think it would be a smart move. His dead money would be huge but his scheduled cap hit would be even higher, which means he'd be a cap savings. In 2022, the cap savings would be huge, which makes a trade a no-brainer. Again, if this is rebuilding, why wait? It's all about where the Packers think they are with turning over their roster.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
How is SC hurricane alley different than what you experienced in Jacksonville?
Our coastline moves in an east-west direction, so we run the risk of storms running into us and making landfall if they don't continue to turn with the coastline.

Will from Julian, CA
Do you get the sense this season you are/will be writing about a seminal period in the history of the NFL?
I hope the season turns out to be as meaningless as I expect it to be because I fear the only thing meaningful this season could produce would be something bad.

Tracy from Sioux Falls, SD
I hope you found safe harbor and returned to an intact homestead.
I decided to ride it out. It was a terrible mistake. At first, I clung to the door frame as the wind buffeted me and threatened to blow me into the marsh. The rain tore at my skin; the waters rose beneath my feet. I needed to move to higher ground so I climbed through the torn screen in the screened-in porch and used my belt to lash myself to one of the air conditioners on the roof. From there I cried out, "You call this a storm? This isn't a storm! Come on, give it to me!" I was one with the air-conditioner for hours. The wind would blow and I would steel myself against it and taunt it. This was personal. This was me against Isaias, the worst-named hurricane in the history of the world. When the winds died, my clothes were torn and my body was limp from the fight, but I was the victor over a hurricane whose name nobody can pronounce. I am Vic. I am victorious!

Kevin from Stillwater, MN
I'm seeing some fans complaining about the NFL painting "End Racism" in the end zones. They try and take the high ground and say it's a worthwhile cause but say they watch football to get away, to escape. I wonder if the same argument could be used for the pink players wear for breast cancer awareness. I've never heard anyone complain about this. What's the difference?
Coach Noll said, "Whatever it takes."

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
What types of people do you think the NFL owners consult when deciding what to make their commissioner do?
Attorneys and marketing people. Sometimes they even do what's right.

John from Yakima, WA
Vic, as I think the most likely reason you are missing Monday's column, in these Covid-19 times, is a medical appointment requiring travel, I sincerely hope it is just a periodic follow up.
It was a two-level neck fusion.

Josh from Madison, WI
It looks less and less likely anything significant will happen on a field or court this year, but your site is still humming with activity. How does a retired sports writer end up with a pandemic-proof sports Q&A column?
By creating a literary community dedicated to free speech and appreciation of it.

Ian from Texas
Do you think the Packers defense saw this pandemic coming and started practicing social distancing early against the 49ers?
Tackling without touching? It's an interesting concept.

Kabir from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
I never expected a Princeton alum to join the Packers. How many Ivy Leaguers have played for Green Bay?
Chuck Mercein played at Yale. He was pretty good in that final drive.

Sean from Aubrey, TX
I just now learned about the Tulsa race riots and the only coup d'etat that took place on American soil. As someone who has always prided himself in knowing history, to say I'm a little ashamed of myself is a gross understatement. I'd blame the public school system, but I graduated from that over 15 years ago. Why did George Floyd have to die for me to wake up?
Early in American history, media coverage was regional and tended to be protective of its region. Events were not documented as accurately and thoroughly as they are today. Hurricane Katrina, a natural disaster, killed 1,833. Video of people being airlifted from the roofs of their homes is etched in our minds and recorded for history to preserve. We know everything there is to know about that event and who to blame for FEMA's poor response. In contrast, the Johnstown Flood was a man-made event criminally created by the aristocratic, who unconscionably sentenced well over 3,000 innocent people to death, but almost nobody knows about it and its circumstances. America is not without shame for what its done to blacks, native Americans and the poor. It's time to take a good, hard look at ourselves.

Bob from North Dakota
When asked about wide receivers whose blocking made their teams' running games better, you named two excellent ones in John Stallworth and Louis Lipps, but you didn't include Hines Ward? Even as a Packers fan, I was in awe of Hines' ability to erase defenders (and instill fear in them).
Ward is the greatest blocking wide receiver in football history, but I didn't cover him. I wish I had. He was my kind of football player.

Shawn from Kissimmee, FL
What is your take on Matt LaFleur during press conferences? Move up in the first round to get a QB and then he says he believes Rodgers will be in Green Bay for a long time. We know someone is full of baloney.
Some questions need to be asked even when we know the answer is likely to be baloney.

Gerrit from Portugal
I'm a lifelong Packers fan but have a vivid memory of the '96 Jags rolling into Denver and shocking the football world. I had a few adult beverages the other day and decided to watch the NFL Films version of that season. My takeaway was, "Wow, what resilience!" Have you ever covered a team that suffered so many close losses and kept coming back full steam ahead?
The answer is yes because that's what good teams do and I've covered a lot of good teams. Good teams have coaches who demand grit. Tom Coughlin was one of those coaches. His teams never quit. He was a demanding coach who always got the most out of his players. The '96 Jaguars are a shining example of his coaching acumen.

Timothy from Ocala, FL
The leader of the free world just said "It is what it is" to 150,000 American deaths. It didn't have to be this bad; he could have/should have done better. Why doesn't he care? And why can't many people see he doesn't? It is what it is.
His hair is what it is. Why is he unaccepting of that fact?

Josh from Delano, MN
Vic, what if hundreds of thousands dead is simply the price we pay to be the only truly free nation on earth?
I don't see masks or public health measures as symbols of freedom lost.