"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jared from Rigby, SD
Vic, if Aaron Rodgers were Tom Brady, how would the situation be different?
Brady would do to Love what he did to Garoppolo. No postgame press conference whining or beautiful mystery drama, just compete and win.

Joseph from California
What, if anything, did you subscribe to in your youth that provided insights that fostered the affinity you had for your favorite teams in an era pre-dating the Internet, sports television and social media?
I subscribed to Sport magazine. It was a beautiful publication famous for its full-page-color, portrait-type pictures of sports' biggest stars. The pictures were suitable for framing, they were that good. I collected the magazines and one year I cut out several of the pictures and taped them to the wall of bleachers behind my cot at football training camp in our high school gym. It gave my area a cozy feeling and my teammates would hang out at my cot and talk about their favorite players in the pictures. As I've written, it was a less colorful world back then. Sports weren't as accessible, either. We treasured what we had.

Ben from Alameda, CA
I'm 46, played football in high school and always assumed if I had a son he would play tackle football. Twenty years ago, I even volunteered to help coach a youth flag football team. My son's three now and I don't want him anywhere near tackle football, which probably means no flag football either because it acts as a feeder program. Am I a hypocrite for still watching and spending money on the game?
So, you won't allow your son to play for fear of injury, but you'll watch others play and sustain injury for your entertainment. Sounds bad, doesn't it? Fortunately, we'll always have an ample supply of impoverished desperate enough to risk injury for financial gain. That sounds even worse.

Ben from Crozet, VA
What's your opinion on Mark Murphy and the front office in light of them breaking off extension talks with Davante Adams? The NFL's best QB and WR have now been alienated in the same offseason.
Everything needs to halt until the Rodgers situation is resolved.

Liam from United Kingdom
What does the apparent breakdown in contract talks with Davante Adams tell us about the Packers' plans and how they pertain to the Rodgers situation?
I get the sense the Packers are preparing to be new.

Brian from Columbia, MD
Would Coach Vic prefer the QB come back? Or would Coach Vic prefer to escape the shadow of his great QB to stand on his own merits with a young, unproven QB?
Heading into the postseason, I proposed blowing it up if it ended in failure. I think the Packers could've gotten a boatload of picks prior to this year's draft, but they stuck with Rodgers. Again, I'm being asked what I would do after the Packers didn't do what I said they should do and the circumstances have dramatically changed. I said "What's the rush?" and I got ripped. I said "Blow it up" and I was ridiculed. OK, I'll try again. Given the current circumstances, which is to say on the eve of training camp and with an heir-apparent quarterback who has never played a down and a roster that otherwise appears to be of championship caliber, I would hope Rodgers returns for one more shot at the Super Bowl, but I would have to have some kind of promise or assurance Rodgers' commitment is complete. That's what any sensible coach would want. How do you make it happen?

Robert from Plymouth, WI
Now Adams is disgruntled. Why does it feel like this team is on the edge of a cliff about to fall into a chasm of mediocrity?
On any team with a star quarterback, the quarterback sets the tone.

Gabe from Chapel Hill, NC
With Texas and Oklahoma reportedly set to move to the SEC, David Hale at ESPN wrote that one ACC athletic director has wondered if this is the first step towards a 32-team super conference. If that happens, would it be good for college football?
If you weed out the programs that can't compete at the highest level, it would likely reduce the number of blowouts, and that would be good for college football. Be that as it may, I have difficulty imagining the 32-best programs in college football agreeing to a format that would result in most of them losing more games than to which they are accustomed. In a super conference, the bullies would become the bullied. It has to be that way. There has to be a loser. I just don't see the Alabamas and Ohio States signing up for that kind of risk.

David from San Francisco, CA
I still haven’t heard a counter argument to this: If the best trade asset a team might give the Packers for Aaron Rodgers is a first-round draft pick, then why make the trade before the upcoming season when the best returns won’t make the Packers a better football team this year and before the Packers can even gauge the value of the returning first-round pick?
To make the pain stop?

​Josh from Severna Park, MD
With the reports about Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, I have to ask, even as a native South Carolinian and Clemson fan from birth, what is the point of college football anymore? Even now, there are only maybe 3-4 Saturdays that I am unsure of the outcome. If all these schools are only interested in chasing the almighty dollar, why wouldn’t I just choose to watch a better level of competition that chases the dollar on Sunday.
If I'm the athletic director at Florida, Georgia or Tennessee, for example, I'm asking myself, how is admitting Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC good for my school? Are we going to win more games, more titles? Oklahoma could ask itself the same. It's not going to race up and down the field on those SEC defenses. The days of soft wins are over. What is everybody's gain in this? The obvious answer is money, but that's before you factor in the coaches you'll have to fire and pay off because they won't win as often, the alumni who aren't donating as much because losing has turned them sour, and the merchandise you're not selling because losing has caused a decline in interest. Vanderbilt is the big winner in the SEC. It'll get more money for doing what it's always done, lose. One more thought: What if admitting Texas and Oklahoma causes a defection or two to, say, the ACC? What if a Florida, Georgia or Tennessee left the SEC? This conference shuffling has and will continue to damage and destabilize college football. The need for comprehensive and central leadership has never been greater.

James from Nogojiwanong, Canada
Can you imagine a lamer stunt than Rodgers' and Adams' simultaneous Instagram posts. Fundamental difference: Jordan and Pippen won championships. How much more of this super-annuated, adolescent behavior can Vic take?
I just wait for the moment I can say, "The baloney stops now," except I won't say baloney.

Bret from Mililani, HI
I’ll always appreciate everything Aaron and Davante did for the Packers, but I absolutely hate how they’re trolling the fans right now, and I just keep losing more and more respect for them. Now they’re comparing themselves to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, when Aaron only has one ring and Davante has zero. I guess this season will be their last dance as Packers and I’m OK with that. Can’t wait to see Aaron fall apart when it matters most in the NFC championship, if they even make it that far.
This is an example of why it might be best to make the pain end. My inbox is loaded with this kind of sentiment. The fans are spent. They've turned sour.

Mark from Missoula, MT
How would Vince Lombardi have dealt with player vaccinations during a pandemic? How about Chuck Noll or Tom Coughlin?
All three would've been fully vaccinated and encouraged their players to do the same. Beyond that, they would've likely stuck to league protocol and guidance.

Paul from Cumming, GA
The Cleveland Guardians, that was unexpected. What was your reaction?
I think they could've done better. I was talking to a college friend about this. He lives in Cleveland and is a lifelong fan of the team. He hates the new name. I said, "This would make no sense to anyone not of our generation, but the Cleveland Colavitos would be a cool name." Rocky Colavito was a huge fan favorite in Cleveland during the golden age of baseball. My friend loved the idea.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Bob from Marietta, GA
Your comment about PEDs and CTE made me wonder if the players union would be in favor of more rigorous testing for PEDs? On one hand, perhaps they'd feel it was invasive. If it levels the playing field and promotes better long-term health, why wouldn't the majority of players want it?
The issue, as I understand it, is the ability for users to avoid detection with designer steroids and the use of masking agents.

David from Fleetwood, PA
I must say, I enjoyed watching Jordan Spieth being in the mix down the stretch. I find his style of play entertaining. Do you think he will get back to championship form and win another major?
He has a marvelous ability to will the ball into the hole. Spieth is as good a putter as there is in the game. He makes bombs that are game-changers. Ball-striking is his weakness and I suspect it always will be. He's just not as quick, crisp and fluid through the ball as Morikawa, Rahm, Koepka and the other elite ball-strikers. Spieth tends to get the club stuck under him. I saw him stick the club into the ground three times on Sunday and he got away with it each time, thanks to his putting and recovery skills. Yes, I think Spieth will win another major, but he's not the golfer who burst onto the scene in 2015 with two major wins and a second-place finish in a third.

Adam from Wausau, WI
A wise man once said "retirement is when you stop sacrificing today for an imaginary tomorrow. When today is complete, in and of itself, you’re retired." Is this accurate?
Retirement is when you can say I have enough and I am enough.

Tiffany from Seymour, WI
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in order to make more memories?
I have enough.

Meg from Columbus, WI
How often do coaches reevaluate the speed of their players and is the potential reevaluation only done based on observation as the season is played out?
They don't routinely time the players, if that's what you're asking. They don't need to time the players. Every practice is taped and reviewed. Coaches and personnel people know immediately when a player has lost a step. In the old days, 40 times were an opening-day-of-training-camp ritual, open to the media and fans to witness. The personnel department would do the timing and the information would leak out to the media through our trusted sources. It was fun and always made for a good read. I remember a year when the Steelers' first-round pick pulled a hamstring during his timing run. He missed a big chunk of training camp with that injury. I think we kind of knew then he'd be a bust. Nowadays, coaches would never permit such an event. Everything is stealth. Once upon a time, training camp was a fun exercise in drama. Now, it's uneventful tedium.

Joseph from California
Regardless of my age, the steps I take towards the section my seat happens to be in always feel the most sure of all the ones I take in my life, particularly when I'm walking through the dimly lit concourse tunnel. Echoing pre-game sounds amplify my anxiousness but it's the initial glimpse of the field framed in suddenly brilliant colors that ignite a euphoria within me. I made it. I'm where I want to be. Can you relate?
For me, it was the sight of the scarlet numbers on the Giants' white jerseys and the Steelers' gold helmets and pants. It was my first game and I still have a mental picture of that Forbes Field panorama. Charlie Conerly and Bobby Layne were the quarterbacks and their numbers were 42 and 22. We lived in a less colorful world back then. Football provided a rare explosion of color.

Billy from Farmingdale, NY
Vic, with training camp about to open, I've never understood the concept of rookie hazing. Why have the rookies pay for all of the donuts, position group meals, etc.? It just feels wrong and very unprofessional. Even more unprofessional are the pranks: tossing a fully clothed rookie into a cold tub, taping them to the goal post, melting a candy bar in their cleats, etc. Why does the NFL allow such behavior to occur?
My sons were clubhouse attendants. They cleaned shoes and folded towels. They had their heads shaved and they were thrown into the cold pool. It's more than unprofessional. It's abusive. One of my fascinations with Joe Greene is from when he was a rookie. He was told to stand up and sing his college fight song. He said, "No," and that was the end of hazing in the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Curt from Hillsboro, OR
Do you have any guesses what would make Aaron Rodgers happy at this stage?
Yes.

Dan from Plymouth, WI
Help me out, Vic. It appears it's not always about the money. What are we missing here?
Rodgers has never said it is or isn't about the money. Rodgers hasn't said much of anything since his comments following the NFC title game, and that angers me because he started all of this and then he went silent and let the fans who've cheered him and been loyal to him twist in the wind through an entire offseason. The fans get nothing out of this but heartache. As for Adam Schefter, again he has re-packaged old news and tried to sell it as a scoop. Why? Because he's trying to defend his position it's not about the money. How many times do we have to be told Rodgers doesn't want to play for the Packers? Vic to Packers: Please, make this end. Your fans deserve better than this.

Richard from Jacksonville, FL
Does a highly drafted player, such as Ted Ginn or Tyson Alualu, having a decade-plus NFL career as a role player somewhat atone for the front office of the team that drafted them, even though they were a serious disappointment for their original team?
Heading into his 12th season, Alualu has only missed four games in his career, and he's amassed a lot of stats: nearly 400 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, 14 passes defensed, 24.5 sacks and 67 quarterback hits. He's best cast in a hold-the-point, 3-4 scheme, which is not stats friendly. Last year, he played nose tackle and he might've enjoyed his best season. Serious disappointment? Then why did the Jaguars try to get him back? He's a good player.

Bob from Australia
Last year Antetokounmpo, now the latest Rodgers revelations. Could we now say when those two speak it's not about the money, it's absolutely not about the money?
OK, I surrender, it's not about the money...until it's about the money.

Jake from Knoxville, TN
Have you ever read Moby Dick? And do you have a white whale of your own?
They call me Vic and the golf swing is my white whale.

Matt from Chicago, IL
What would GM Vic do if Rodgers reports to training camp?
Resolution must be the end game. Anything less won't work and would likely cause a disruption that would sabotage the 2021 season. My instincts from covering football for nearly half a century tell me Rodgers and the Packers will come to an agreement that will cement Rodgers' status as the team's quarterback for the future. That agreement would likely be the result of a whopping signing bonus on a contract extension; signing bonus is the best way to guarantee commitment to a player's future. It would likely bury the Packers in so much dead money there would be no denying the team's commitment to Rodgers. If it's truly not about the money, Rodgers would reject such an offer, leaving the team with the decision to trade him or stand firm. We'll see.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
If Rodgers retires before the start of this season, does Green Bay own the rights to his playing time if he wants to come back in 2022?
He would go on the reserve/retired list and the Packers would continue to own his rights. If he retires, I'll swim Scott Creek in the nude.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
Did you enjoy the British Open?
It was good. Morikawa and Spieth put on a great display of clutch putting. Royal St. Georges is bland to the eye and the warm, windless weather was a disappointment, but the golf was good. Morikawa and Rahm are positioned to dominate golf for a long time.

Derek from LaCrosse, WI
As my oldest kids are teenagers now, I am definitely noticing a sharp decline of kids getting into tackle football these days. Yes, baseball seems steady. Whose future is really in more trouble? A league with an aging fan base but no youth funnel, or a wildly popular, mass appeal fan game with a solid, worldwide youth funnel?
What game does America prefer to watch, one that kicks a ball or one that throws a ball? That's the real question.

Jason from Austin, TX
What's the precedent (if there is one) regarding franchise legends in the final year of their career? If Ben Roethlisberger's age catches up to him this year and he mightily struggles early in the season, would you bench him or hope he figures it out?
Continue to play a quarterback who can't win out of respect for what he's accomplished? I don't think so. Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins are going to decide the answer to your question. If one or both of those guys light it up in training camp and in the preseason, Roethlisberger will be playing for his job. He knows that. It has to be that way.

Paul from Chicago, IL
Which rookies around the league intrigue you the most, aside from Trevor Lawrence, of course?
Kyle Trask.

Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI
I'm curious if you'd be willing to share your memories of the "We Are Family" Pirates of the late '70's, in contrast to the Steelers of that era.
When the '70's began, the Pirates were the hot team in Pittsburgh. Three Rivers Stadium was brand new, the Pirates had an overflow of talent that reached deep into their farm system, and attendance was strong and on the rise. It stayed that way through the '72 season, but it all changed on Dec. 23, 1972, the day of the Immaculate Reception. The Pirates were never the same again. The new Steelers were born and interest in the Pirates and attendance immediately declined. The '79 "We Are Family" Pirates won a World Series that brought the curtain down on a decade that produced two World Series titles and more talent than had ever passed through the Pirates franchise in a 10-year period, but it was the decade the Pirates of my youth died. You no longer heard Pirates radio broadcasts blaring from front porches across Western Pa. Pittsburgh had always been a football town waiting to happen. When it happened, the Pirates were dead. Can they be re-born? I doubt I'll live long enough to know the answer to that question.

Peter from Umatilla, FL
What will you look for this year to determine if Matt LaFleur has made the step up to established NFL head coach?
If Rodgers deigns to remain with the Packers, will LaFleur be able to manage the distractions that will result? If Rodgers is traded and Love becomes the quarterback, will LaFleur be able to keep the Packers competitive?

Josh from Madison, WI
For each post on this site, you include questions from people hailing from towns I've never heard of, even in my home state, and I often think “where in the heck is that?” You’ve started a bit of an unofficial Google-aided geography course around these parts. Memories make us rich, communities make us wealthy. Thanks for providing us such a peculiar community.
Google them. Read their histories. I didn't know Thornton Wilder was from Madison.

Bob from Beaver Dam, WI
Your first three cars cost less than a ZTR mower. An electric car costs more than my first two houses combined. I am seriously considering getting one because then was then and it is time to be new for many reasons. Would you switch to battery?
Yes, but I have concerns about the charging issue. We park our cars under our houses and golf carts have been known to catch fire during charging and burn houses down.

Bryan from Champaign, IL
What is the MLB equivalent of the NFL's 1978 rules changes?
In the American League, it's the designated hitter rule. It changed everything. You didn't have to play a defensive liability in the field, you didn't have to pinch hit for a pitcher (especially a closer in the late innings), bunting and advancing runners became a lost art, pitchers didn't have to run the bases and otherwise be baseball players, and Roger Clemens could hit batters in the head and not have to worry about getting hit.

Bradley from Charlotte, NC
I think Mike Tomlin doesn't get enough credit for the job he does. After like 15 years, we still don't hear reports of how his players have checked out, his message is stale, etc., and his teams, even some pretty bad ones, just win. What is he and the Steelers organization doing differently than other teams to keep things working so well for so long?
Tomlin's strength is he challenges his players to make plays. He gets wild with his strategy decisions but I've always felt they are as much about setting the bar higher for his players as they are about winning the game. He has a wonderful view of and commitment to the big picture. His message doesn't get stale because he keeps it new; new goals, greater challenges and demands. He's also a good evaluator of talent and when he sees a player's arrow is pointing down, he finds a new player. Change doesn't allow staleness. The criticism of Tomlin is he hasn't won in the postseason often enough. Isn't that the criticism of all long-time coaches who've won only one Super Bowl? Has Sean Payton under-achieved in the postseason? Mike McCarthy? Pete Carroll? Andy Reid? John Harbaugh?

Ben from Fort Worth, TX
I was looking at the 2006 draft where Hawk was taken fifth overall. While he had a solid career, it was not stellar, especially for a fifth overall. But looking at who the Packers passed on in the first round, I did not see many standouts. Haloti Ngata seems like the obvious best pick, having several All-Pro seasons (picked 12th). I'm guessing you were still with the Jags at that time and they got Marcedes, which was a good pick. Steelers got Holmes, and I’m betting you were not a fan of that pick. Was 2006 a bad draft class? Who would you have drafted at fifth overall?
It was a relatively weak class. I remember thinking Vince Young was a ridiculous pick at No. 3, and that A.J. Hawk was the safest pick on the board. When the Jaguars picked Marcedes Lewis, he was regarded as an athletic tight end who needed to improve his blocking. What he turned out to be is a bad-hands pass-catcher who's stayed in the league all these years on the strength of his blocking. Santonio Holmes was picked at No. 25. He won a Super Bowl MVP, although I think Roethlisberger should've gotten it. I think Nick Mangold at No. 29 was probably the best pick of the first round. He would've been a better long-term pick for the Steelers. Gotta get the big guys.

Brendon from Santa Maria, CA
Former 49ers tight end Gary Clark died recently at only 49 years old, suffering from CTE. Richard Sherman just had an explosive incident stemming from apparent mental health issues. While we can only speculate the source of those issues, they certainly would be consistent with patterns exhibited by past CTE sufferers. Nobody has ever escaped pro football unscathed, but the human cost of this game just seems to be getting higher.
I can't help but wonder what role PEDs have played in CTE.

Trevor from Wausau, WI
I've read there might be a big sum of revenue coming from companies like Amazon and Apple buying streaming rights. Could that make pushing money out an effective strategy if teams know the cap is going to drastically increase?
All teams have to push out money on the quarterback and core players. It's a matter of how much, and the quarterback usually decides that issue. In his prime years, you try to outrun the train. As he nears the end of his career, you get off the tracks. The Patriots got off the tracks last year. The Steelers are in the process. The Packers could be facing that same decision.

Patrick from Palm Coast, FL
Is the mystique of the Frozen Tundra officially dead? The Falcons come in and win against Favre; maybe it was a fluke. The Giants come in and win twice, but they're a cold-weather team. Now the Bucs come in and win. The Bucs! It's over, right?
The Packers' style of play doesn't fit with where they play. The advantage is lost.

Helen from United Kingdom
If the majority of linemen are evaluated on their ability to pass block, what makes a good run-first team?
Zone blockers and a back who can cut behind them. Almost nobody is drive blocking anymore. Move the line of scrimmage is old-time coachspeak; it no longer applies. The game today is played much higher than the low-man-wins game of the past, which is the result of the emphasis on size and pass-blocking. Good run-blockers in today's game occupy defenders; that's good enough. When I was covering the Packers, they almost exclusively drafted college left tackles. As it pertains to running the ball, that's like building a baseball defense with designated hitters. I doubt John Hannah would be a fourth overall pick in today's game.

​"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
Schefter just reported it’s not about the money for Rodgers. Should you tell him or should I?
We'll see.

Min Shik from Seoul, South Korea
Pro Football Reference released pre-1982 sack stats after more than 30 years of research. Please shed a light on such players like Coy Bacon, Cedrick Harmon, Jack Gregory and Al Baker for us.
They played run first, pass second.

Trevor from Wausau, WI
What position battles are you most interested in watching for the Packers, Jaguars and Steelers?
The Packers drafted a cornerback in the first round and he'll be challenging a much-maligned Kevin King. Gardner Minshew could make it uncomfortable for Trevor Lawrence. Nobody likes having their job taken from them. Minshew will compete. I'm surprised the Jaguars haven't already moved Minshew and eliminate any preseason awkwardness. The Steelers have a competition for the backup quarterback job, and the winner could become the heir to the starting job when Roethlisberger retires.

Eric from West Salem, WI
Only nine questions on Monday? What are your thoughts on the Packers defense going into the next season? And who do you think the surprise team could be this year and why do you think that?
I have high expectations for the Packers defense, for the obvious reason they've invested a lot of picks and money in repairing it. The Lions are my surprise team. They appear to have new energy.

Todd from Raleigh, NC
Aaron Rodgers is 1-4 in NFC title games with nine TDs and eight interceptions. His one win came 11 years ago against a Bears team led by QBs Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie. Change doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I never had a problem with Rodgers' title game performances until his self-serving comments following the loss to the Bucs.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
I’ve noticed the transformations of several recently retired NFL linemen from hulking 320-pound masses to more normal-looking big guys, dropping 50-70 pounds quickly. I’m glad to see it, but it makes me wonder how much work it is to maintain that massive size? And it also makes me wonder if maybe the growth science is still quite a few steps ahead of the detection science, if you know what I mean. Is the NFL still a steroid league?
I've noticed the same and I, too, can't help but wonder.

Barry from Hayward, WI
Vic, when teams push a player's salary out into the future, is there any consideration of protecting the value of the money promised today against the ravages of inflation while the player waits to receive his compensation? The contract should pay more in the future for that money was supposed to be in his hands today but has been deferred by a new contract.
I know of no new contract that doesn't include a signing bonus that brings real money forward. Should the team get a cut of the investment earnings on that money they floated the player? The money you're talking about being pushed out is cap money, and it will likely be converted to signing bonus and brought forward in more cap-friendly restructuring.

Blake from Atlanta, GA
When is it time to cut bait on a player?
When his arrow has stopped pointing up and the level at which he's playing isn't good enough.

Simon from Santa Clara, CA
The dead zone really is dead, huh? Did you get to sample the local concessions in the stadiums you visited? Which was your favorite?
I ate press box food for 45 years. Prior to that, my mother had dinner waiting for us when we got home and my father didn't want me to spoil my appetite. There were a few years in there when I had a summer job and a couple of bucks in my pocket, so I indulged myself. I once splurged on a hot dog in dirty water at Forbes Field. It was the most delicious piece of meat I had ever tasted.

Jim from Minneapolis, MN
How will you judge if the Jaguars' rebuild is successful and what milestone marks should Urban Meyer hit this season and in the 2022 season?
Chuck Noll was 1-13, Bill Walsh 2-14 and Jimmy Johnson 1-15 in their rookie seasons. Something between one and two wins would be good enough for Meyer this season. After that, I would expect improvement to be rapid.

Louis from Columbus, OH
Vic, your recent discussion about the Packers forming a new identity got me to thinking. Do all teams have an identity?
All teams have a short-term and a long-term identity. The Packers' short-term identity is for finesse, quarterback-driven offense. The long-term identity is for stability, tradition and a loyal fan base. The Jaguars' current identity is for a team in rebuilding. Their long-term identity is for a struggling franchise trying to find its way. The Steelers' current identity is for a team in transition. The franchise's long-term identity is for physical football.

David from Janesville, WI
Have you seen enough of Matt LaFleur to establish an opinion of him as an NFL head coach, or is it too early?
We'll know this year.

John from Jacksonville, FL
I’m getting a chuckle about the fan questions from the folks up north. They really have no idea night time offers little respite from the heat, humidity and bugs during summers in the South.
I remember a heat wave in Green Bay in May when I first got there. A workmate asked me if it reminded me of Jacksonville. I said there won't be a day in Jacksonville this cold for the next six months. I could also say the people in the South don't have a clue what real cold is. The Jaguars rewarded sponsors with a trip to Green Bay for the 2004 game. I can't imagine why they picked that game but they did. The sponsors got on the plane wearing spring jackets. I thought to myself, "Where do they think they're going?" We landed in a snowstorm and when the plane broke through the clouds, the ground looked like Siberia. There was a collective gasp.

Jake from Green Bay, WI
Are the owners at fault for shaping the game such that NFL viewers are denied another Ray Nitschke or Dick Butkus?
No, the fans are.

Tim from Jacksonville, FL
Any idea where Jack Del Rio and Mike Smith are these days? Are you surprised they’re no longer in professional football? I am.
Jack is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Football Team. He has a knack for landing in places with a top young pass rusher. He got Julius Peppers in Carolina, Khalil Mack with the Raiders and now Chase Young in Washington. Mike is retired and trout fishing in the East Tennessee mountains. We connected not too long ago. Jack and Mike are two of the finest defensive minds I've ever known. I always enjoyed a visit from them in my office to talk football. Memories have made me so rich.

David from Owasso, OK
Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith? And your thoughts on Eric Dickerson? I could watch him run all day.
Smith; Dickerson ran too upright for my tastes.

Paul from Arlington, VA
Why do you think most of the Belichick-tree coaches fail outside of New England?
They don't have Tom Brady.

Erik from Madison, WI
I just got a zero-turn mower and it is an absolute blast. Maybe you don't have the yard for it down there, but I highly recommend it for a mowing enthusiast.
My first three cars cost less.

Michael from Plano, TX
"In today's game, Butkus wouldn't have the opportunity to be the great player he was in the '60's because middle linebacker is arguably the least important defensive position, and he might find himself on the sideline for the majority of plays in a game." Same for Lambert in the 70's?
Yes, but Lambert had the length and mobility to play outside. He had 28 interceptions in his career. Dick Butkus had 22 picks and Willie Lanier had 27, so maybe all of them were just too good to keep off the field and would've transitioned to another position.

Gary from Portland, WI
If Big Ben’s reported contract is indicative of his value to the Steelers, why didn’t they draft a quarterback in 2020 or 2021?
They drafted Rudolph in '18 and signed Haskins this year. Both of those players are worthy of consideration as the future at the position. If you're talking about picking a quarterback in the first round, you don't do that until you're ready to make a change at the position. Maybe that'll be next year, but they weren't ready to make that switch this year.

Drew from St. Paul, MN
Scouting reports on offensive linemen often say “played X position in college but projects as Y in the NFL.” What traits are most important for each OL position, and how do scouts/GMs determine an OL prospect’s optimal position?
A left tackle needs to be a premier pass blocker. If he's a good but not great pass blocker, he's a right tackle. Guards are usually another notch below the tackles and centers are good angle blockers and can shove a ball between their legs. The modern game is all about pass blocking. Once in awhile you'll find a big guy who can sink his hips and run block, but the majority of linemen are evaluated on their ability to pass block.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
Have you ever witnessed Vito get angry? I feel like that would be a terrifying sight to behold.
I saw him yell at a kid in the Long Beach airport a long time ago. It was effective.

Mark from Eau Claire, WI
What's the distinction between a reporter and a writer?
If he or she can do both, there is no distinction.

Jim from Chicago, IL
Give me Vic's rankings and overview of the 2021 NFC North defenses.
I would expect the Packers defense to be the division's best. The other three are scratch and claw types.

Rich from Grand Rapids, MI
How would Defensive Coordinator Vic game plan for Love as the starting QB? How does that differ from your game plan with Rodgers at the helm?
You throw the playbook at Love because he hasn't seen any of it. Rodgers has seen it all and beat it all. You game plan to deny the big play.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Bob from Riverside, CA
Do you have any new fiction recommendations?
John Grisham's "King of Torts" is a fictional look into the disgustingly real world of  tort law.

Greg from Verona, WI
Outdoor ceiling fans?
On porches; they keep the bugs away.

Jack from Middleton, WI
Please describe the play of a Dick Butkus in the modern NFL. Or just describe Dick Butkus.
He was a dominant player and personality at football's most important and celebrated defensive position. In today's game, Butkus wouldn't have the opportunity to be the great player he was in the '60's because middle linebacker is arguably the least important defensive position, and he might find himself on the sideline for the majority of plays in a game.

Jonathan from St. Joseph, MO
Are most head coaches a dime a dozen?
The ones that get switched out every 2-3 years are.

Ben from El Paso, TX
What are your thoughts on the recent reporting of how professional sports team owners use their teams to avoid paying taxes?
The story to which you are referring painted a perfect example of the philosophy of trickle down economics. It's another example of how government has sold out to corporate America with the idea what's good for business is good for workers. There's merit to that thinking, but the gap between ownership and labor is troubling.

Vince from Mt. Horeb, WI
Once he heals up his ACL and plays a season, what old guy do you think Josiah Deguara might one day remind you of?
Preston Carpenter.

Jon from Omaha, NE
Vic, am I crazy for wanting Jamaal Williams at the price Detroit signed him for over Jones and the price we signed him for? I like Jones but feel TD numbers make us overrate him a little.
Williams isn't Jones. Williams doesn't have Jones' star quality. Is Williams Dillon? I think that's the bigger question. Did the Packers use a second-round pick on a complementary back they already had?

Jesse from Bonita Springs, FL
Any dreams of going to space, Vic?
No, and I'm surprised I don't.

Jeremy from Columbus, WI
Do you have any thoughts or attitudes toward hats?
It's come to this? A question about hats? Well, it's better than another question about Aaron Rodgers. I wear a baseball hat. It keeps the sun out of my eyes.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
Great column; we've been followers of yours for years and truly appreciate your perspective on football and life. What is your perspective on Aaron Rodgers position this offseason? Is the Rodgers situation beyond repair? Will he ever play for the Packers again?
I don't know what his mindset is. He's been talking in circles, when he's even made himself available for comment. Is he craving attention? Is he really so offended by the Love pick? Might he be taking himself a little too seriously? Or burned out? Or softened by love? The situation is not beyond repair, as long as Rodgers understands he's just a football player, and that might be the real problem. He may be above this.

Mark from Eau Claire, WI
Who are your favorite poets?
I'm not a fan of poetry. It's too difficult to understand. I prefer prose.

Cliff from Alexandria, VA
Vic, I'm a 31-year-old Packers fan and my generation has only ever known elite-level QB play. That is the hallmark of this team's identity for us -- not tales of QB sneaks and past championships from an era of football we can't even imagine. It's impossible to overstate how much is riding on the next few years for the franchise as a whole. My generation does not handle losing well and while the local fan base may keep the franchise afloat through another dark age, I believe the national following would shrink exponentially.
Losing fires the steel. Everybody needs to experience losing because nobody is above it.

Kelly from Antigo, WI
The loudest person in the room is the media, right?
"The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News -- and Divided a Country." Sounds interesting, but I know how it ends.

James from Jenkintown, PA
Vic, based on this offseason, do you think the Packers are heading down a troubling path?
What path? When are we going to know?

Wesley from Raleigh, NC
A co-worker of mine submitted art for a Josh Gibson competition fund-raiser relating to getting his name on the MLB MVP award. It got me to reading about Josh’s career and legacy. I was wondering if there are any stories about him in the Pittsburgh area from his time with Homestead?
I never saw him play. Gibson and the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords were a little before my time, but I knew a man who loved to talk about Gibson. Bill Nunn is that man and he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. Nunn believed Gibson was the greatest baseball player in history.

Greg from Verona, WI
Are you an AC or fan man? There's nothing like sitting in front of a fan outdoors in a sweltering environment. Putting the fan on makes the moment the wave hits even more satisfying.
Fans don't get it done down here. I'm OK with a ceiling fan on the porch during the day, but when I go to bed I put the AC on kill.

Eric from Green Bay, WI
How can the Packers afford to pay top dollar to Rodgers, Adams, Bakhtiari, Clark, Z. Smith and Alexander?
Push it out, push it out, waaaaay out.

Anthony from Lancaster, PA
"I'm all in favor of one of my players giving his jersey to an opponent at the end of the game. How else is he supposed to return the other guy's blood?" If a head coach was asked about jersey swaps, how would you feel about that as an answer? Too old school?
It's not professional. It's disrespectful.

Adam from Denver, CO
Are the Packers all-in, all-out or somewhere in between again?
They're waiting. We're all waiting.

Aaron from White Hall, AR
Vic, with the NIL ruling recently, what’s to stop boosters who usually donate money to schools to now throw money at recruits? More than likely that booster has a business they can have the athlete “endorse” just to have him sign with their school. I feel like this will cause the rich to get even richer and create even less parity.
The "poor" have rich guys, too. In some cases they choose to remain poor because they believe in playing according to the rules and the spirit of the rules.

Grant from Honolulu, HI
Aloha, Vic! There is a lot of hoopla over Ben taking snaps under center in Matt Canada's offense. Apparently, he has been much more comfortable in shotgun in his career. From what I've read of Bill Walsh, a huge part of playing under center is footwork and timing more so than turning your back to the defense. Sure, Ben is a veteran and a professional, but he is not as nimble as he used to be. So is this a big deal or click bait?
Canada is a jet sweep guy. He likes jet sweep motion on nearly every play. It stretches a defense's attention and helps the running game attack the middle. The quarterback needs to be under center for jet sweep action to be most effective. I doubt they would ask Roethlisberger to do something he can't do. What Canada did at Pitt a few years ago was extraordinary. He went down to Clemson and ran up and down the field in handing Clemson its only loss of the season.

Eric from Hudson, WI
What happens if Rodgers shows up and plays poorly on purpose?
He won't do that. He has too much professional and personal pride to do something like that. The question is: Can he play up to his high standards if he isn't fully committed?

Vincent from Seattle, WA
Do you think the 2020 empty stadium Covid rules made it even easier to play QB last season?
It was like playing quarterback in the backyard.

Douglas from Binghamton, NY
Can the Packers win the NFC North with Jordan Love as their quarterback? In my mind, that is the only question.
Did they win the NFC North in Rodgers' first year as a starting quarterback? Your question is short-sighted and suggests a spoiled-fan attitude. Transition is inevitable.

Dennis from Nineveh, IN
You have said many felt it better to keep a bunch of money out of the hands of rookies, basically as long as possible so they don't go off the rails before training camp even begins. Will paying even younger athletes accelerate this potentiality, especially in a party-centric collegiate environment? Will it possibly reveal their character earlier, weeding out those who can't handle it even before an NFL team picks them and takes the risk?
One of my favorite scouts was fond of saying, "Does putting a million dollars in someone's pocket make them a better person?"

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, what would be a successful season for Trevor Lawrence? I think seven wins would be a strong start to his career, but nine wins is not out of reach.
The unmistakable look of promise would be a successful season for Lawrence. You don't measure it in wins. You'll know it when you see it.

Roxanne from Helena, MT
Vic, what would you think of a rule that allowed teams to take a smaller cap hit for retaining their own players? For example, if a player signed a new contract with the team that drafted him, only 90 percent of the salary would count against their cap.
Real player costs would increase by 10 percent.

Paul from Cumming, GA
When envisioning a seismic shift for the Packers, do you see the outcomes as still open-ended? What is the ideal outcome and how does it compare to your expectation?
I'm envisioning a dramatic change in the style and identity of the Packers. I feel it coming. The Rodgers era is about to end and, when it does, it will bring the curtain down on consecutive eras of quarterback play that have defined three decades of Packers football. Rodgers and Favre have been overwhelming figures in Packers history. I envision a shift toward less drama.

Brian from Sugar Land, TX
MLB pulled the All-Star game from Atlanta to make a political statement. A fan unfurls a political banner at MLB games and is now banned from all 30 MLB stadiums. One wonders whether it was the banner's political nature or the viewpoint it expressed that merited the banishment. What's your view?
It's MLB's product and it's entitled to govern it. Pulling the All-Star game from Atlanta wasn't a political statement as much as what was a decision to avoid the protests and controversy that would've ensued if the game had been played in Atlanta. Banning the banner was a safety measure. You're not getting it. As I said, the line was drawn. It was winner take all.

Joe from Hampshire, IL
Is that photo you as a kid, or a kid or grandkid of yours? And is that a lawnmower or garden tiller or something else?
Grandkid? At a lawnmower museum? Look at that thing, Joe. That picture is nearly 70 years old and I suspect that lawnmower was 20-30 years old when the picture was taken. You're looking at a picture that represents nearly a century of lawnmower evolution.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
Do you happen to know what the purchasing power of that salary was when adjusted for inflation?
I sure do. I had to borrow money to buy a crib for my first born. Credit cards? They weren't that easy to get back then, especially for young people coming out of college and with no financial history. My first credit card application was rejected. We lived in the downstairs of a house on a city street; $145 a month, no utilities. Parking was a nightmare when it snowed. I saw a neighbor make his kid stand in the parking spot he just shoveled out. I had to park at a funeral home around the corner. I've read all of the emails complaining about student debt and I get it, but starting out in life has never been easy for any generation. Wanna blame somebody? Blame the colleges for sitting on billions of dollars of endowment money as they raise tuitions. I'll say no more and read no more on this topic. Done!

Patrick from St. Paul, MN
What are your thoughts on the punishment Washington received as a result of the investigation into their longstanding culture of sexual harassment toward women, and what does it tell us about the NFL?
How can anyone judge the appropriateness of the punishment without knowing the specifics of the misconduct? Based on the punishment, I know the Washington Football Team is guilty, but of what? The lack of disclosure is the reason I try to avoid getting worked up about civil lawsuits. They're mostly about legal posturing to extract or protect money. There is little regard for fairness.

Scott from Racine, WI
Vic, you mentioning that everything a player wears is technically team property made me wonder how teams handle the postgame jersey swaps that some players do. Are the players billed for those jerseys or do teams just write those off as acceptable losses?
There's no hard and fast rule on this type of thing. What you're asking is a good question for a team to ask a head coach candidate. His answer would provide an indication of the relationship he would have with his players. Jersey swaps and that kind of sign-my-scrapbook silliness leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If I was an owner, I wouldn't want my team's jersey in the hands of the enemy. I want a coach who demands his players act as professionals and treats them as such.

Jeff from Brooklyn, WI
Thanks for the wisdom you bestow on us weekly. Can you give us your best opinion on what you see in Jordan Love's abilities to be "The Man" as fans like to address the QB position?
He's big, strong-armed and athletic. That's all we know about him at this point. We know his physical skills impressed Brian Gutekunst enough to trade up and draft Love in the first round. In my opinion, his ability to throw on the run is his most impressive talent. He appears to have improvisational skills and that's a fan pleaser.

Spencer from Fullerton, CA
In your opinion, what makes a cornerback better at playing as a press-man or zone corner? And similarly, what makes a receiver better at defeating press or zone coverage?
All press-man corners should be able to play zone, but zone corners should only play press-man against receivers who are better defeating zone coverage. Do you see where I'm going with this? John Stallworth was adept at beating press coverage early in his career. He was big enough to get off the jam and fast enough to beat corners to the ball. He has some of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. Late in his career, he relied on knowing where the soft spots were in zone coverage. Why the change? Age. He lost a step. If a press-man corner struggles in zone coverage, it's usually because he's impatient and strays from his responsibility. Usually, a team can find a place for a guy like that, until he loses a step. At that point, if he can't play zone he's gone. The same applies to receivers.

Bob from Marietta, GA
With fullback evolving to being a blocker, and halfback becoming the featured ball carrier, what was the role of the halfback when fullback was the main ball carrier? Was he the blocker, or more of a decoy who received half of the carries?
In split backs or pro set formation, the halfback blocked a lot and ran a little. Rocky Bleier immediately comes to mind. He was the blocker for Franco Harris. Bleier rushed for a thousand yards in 1976, however, and it's because that was during the run-the-ball era and the second back had to get some carries or the feature back would be gassed by halftime. Bleier rushed 220 times in '76. By comparison, Aaron Jones had only 201 rushing attempts last season in the same number of games Bleier played in '76. Split backs fit the game of the '70's. In today's throw-the-ball era, the position would be wasteful.

Jim from Madison, WI
The Decades Channel has a Fourth of July Twilight Zone marathon on the tube. Do you remember any of the stories besides the nurses episode?
I remember them all, including the one with William Shatner and the monster on the airplane wing. I recently watched a Twilight Zone marathon weekend. Twilight Zone was the best. I remember being a kid and racing home from the high school football game on Friday night to see the show.

Tom from Eau Claire, WI
Was making Adams the highest paid receiver in the NFL part of your “seismic shift” prediction? I’m more confused than ever about what the heck is going on in that front office.
Wide receivers don't define seismic shifts; quarterbacks and coaches do. A big deal for Adams wouldn't surprise me. I would expect a new contract to include a team-friendly cap hit this season that would give the Packers the cap room they need to seek resolution with Rodgers.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Daniel from Richmond, TX
Your comment about the Bears stadium being undersized got me thinking. Considering the Packers sell out every single home game, did they miss out on adding more seats and selling more season tickets while Rodgers was still the QB?
They did add a lot of seats during the Rodgers era. The south end zone expansion was a major project that greatly increased revenues. You want more? What do you do when Rodgers isn't your quarterback and winning has been replaced by losing? One seat too many can devastate a season ticket base. One seat too many results in churn. Churn is the worst thing that can happen to a franchise because revenue becomes unpredictable.

Jack from Middleton, WI
Were there any notable factors that prompted Jim Brown's retirement?
Art Modell drew a line in the sand between Brown's football career and acting career. Brown chose acting. I don't think the Packers have drawn a line between Aaron Rodgers' football career and his game-show-host career.

Adam from Wausau, WI
The government is offering a free course called “Life Skills University." What would you recommend as the top five skills taught to every person?
1) How to discipline spending, 2) How to discipline eating habits, 3) Fundamental finance and investing, 4) How to interact with others, 5) Critical thinking.

Tom from Mt. Juliet, TN
Vic, with Wimbledon starting this week, do you watch any of the tennis?
Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King is the only tennis match I've ever watched.

Jack from Lincoln, NE
Do you pay any attention to the Tour de France?
No.

Jerry from Grantsburg, WI
Vic, could you explain how the fullback position went from a premier position to relative obscurity? I understand the emphasis on the passing game changed everything, but why did halfback become the lead rushing position?
Don't think position, think function. Today's feature back (or running back, as he's known) is the fullback of the '60's and '70's. Specialization gave us a formation that includes a runner and a blocker. Why did we distinguish the two? It's because of what Ron Erhardt told Merrill Hoge when Hoge complained he wasn't getting enough carries: "OK, so when I want to gain 3.8 yards I'll give the ball to you and when I want to gain 4.5 yards I'll give it to Barry Foster." Today's game is highly specialized. We've got pass blockers who can't run block, pass rushers who can't run support, shutdown corners who won't get their knees dirty, wide receivers who live on the boundary, and inside linebackers who come off the field on passing downs. That's how the game has evolved.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Are you saying a team's commitment to a nice stadium equates to its will to win?
As revenue streams increase, everything about a franchise tends to improve.

Jerry from Columbus, MO
With the contracts of Rodgers and Adams winding down, are either of the players sign-and-trade candidates?
That wouldn't be my expectation. I'm looking at this from a big picture standpoint. I'm getting the sense the Packers are on the verge of a seismic shift in the identity and fortunes of the franchise. This has become bigger than the players who are defining it.

John from Lansdale, PA
It seems one majorly overlooked factor in a player's long-term success is their domestic situation. It is no coincidence Aaron Rodgers became dissatisfied around the same time as his engagement to a California woman who dislikes football. Carson Wentz was a frequent Instagrammer at 2:30 a.m. celebrating special moments with his wife and little miracle while he tanked for the birds on Sundays. How do teams factor this into their personnel decisions?
You can't remove these guys from life. I remember Coach Noll telling me the original reason for putting the home team in a hotel the night before a game was to get the players away from middle-of-the-night feedings and get them a good night's sleep. What are you going to do all of the other days and nights of the year? Pro football is and always has been a game of replacement. Careers are short. Injuries happen. So does burnout. Bradshaw suffered burnout following his fourth Super Bowl win. He played on for a few years but he wasn't the same. We're waiting for a resolution to the Rodgers saga, but I've already accepted what I believe is inevitable: change.

Geoff from Janesville, WI
Of the equipment and uniforms a player uses, what is considered his to keep?
Technically, everything a player wears is property of the team.

Taylor from Fargo, ND
I never realized how sprawled out the Jaguars stadium is. Some quick measurements showed TIAA Bank Field having about 260 feet between the last row and the start of the field. In comparison, Lambeau Field and Solider Field were both around 160 feet.
That's what I meant by the stadium's yawn. It's a college stadium jazzed up with club seats for the NFL. I have wonderful memories of it, but it was never state of the art and it needs to be replaced for Jacksonville to become the flagship NFL franchise I believe it can be.

Roberto from Amelia Island, FL
Since we are in the dead zone, I wanted to ask you something. The early 1980’s Pitt football teams always fascinated me. Anyway, I was really curious of your opinion on something. If Jackie Sherrill would have stayed at Pitt for 25 years and never left, where do you think this program would be now? Would they have won several national championships? Would it be a true blue-blood program now like a Penn State or Ohio State? Would possibly it have ended up in the Big Ten?
In my lifetime, Pitt has only put a big-time emphasis on football once, which was the Majors/Sherrill era, which resulted in a national title and Heisman Trophy in 1976 and consecutive second-ranked teams in the Sherrill era. The '80 team is one of the most talented teams in college football history: Dan Marino, Hugh Green, Rickey Jackson, Randy MacMillan, Tim Lewis, Bill Maas, Carlton Williamson, Jimbo Covert, Russ Grimm, Mark May and more. I don't think Pitt was ever comfortable with the headlines that often accompany that kind of emphasis on football. Pitt has always been a school more comfortable with Jonas Salk than Jock Sutherland and Pop Warner, who combined produced eight national titles for the school. Sherrill's demands were not sustainable at Pitt. Coach Majors used Pitt and the talent in Western Pa. to win a national title and get the job he always wanted, Tennessee. Sherrill wanted to use Pitt the same way to get the Alabama job, but it didn't work out that way. Pitt's biggest mistake was rejecting Joe Paterno's eastern conference idea. Pitt elected to remain an independent in football and a member of the Big East in basketball. That decision embittered Paterno and caused him to drop Pitt from the schedule. Pitt has never recovered. What if Pitt had joined Paterno's eastern conference? Would Penn State be in the Big 10 today? Would Paterno have taken Pitt with him? Paterno's eastern conference idea would've delivered a lot of eyeballs to TV. I can paint a scenario that would include Notre Dame and make Paterno's conference bigger than the Big 10. We'll never know.

Josh from Severna Park, MD
Vic, I just finished reading a wonderful interview on SI.com with R. Jay Soward. I remember when the Jags picked him there was some confusion about why, but also excitement for being another great receiver for Brunell. Instead, there was so much disappointment with him and his off-the-field troubles. I’m glad he’s been able to overcome his addiction issues. Do you have any recollections of him?
I remember a scene from his rookie season. In the postgame locker room, Soward was holding a long facing board from his locker stall as he walked up to the Jaguars' PR guy and said, "What should I do with this?" It was a strange scene. I pretty much knew at that point this wasn't going to end well.

Jack from Middleton, WI
Please describe Mike Webster with words I haven't yet read.
Mike was a wonderful man whose life was defined and devastated by a game that meant too much to him.

Rich from Grand Rapids, MI
How much can a new special teams coach really affect a team's performance? I know, players, not plays, but there are only so many ways 10 guys and a kicker can run down the field, especially under the new rules.
All strategies succeed if executed. Teaching and talent are the keys.

Roger from Chesterton, IN
If you could know the truth to one football mystery, what would it be?
What play would Lombardi have called?

Dan from Toledo, OH
Vic, I am a self-professed Aaron Rodgers fan, but the recent take by "SI" that if Brady and Rodgers switched places Brady would have no Super Bowls and Rodgers would have several is ridiculous to me.
It's disrespectful of Mike McCarthy, who out-coached Bill Belichick in 2010 and '14.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Max from Philadelphia, PA
When a team spreads a cap hit out with dead years, in effect they are mortgaging the future but planning a future salary cap will be increased, right?
That's part of it. The bigger part of it is all teams know at some point they will enter into a transitional period defined by a passing of the torch at quarterback. That's when they pay off the credit cards.

Stan from Batavia, IL
It is reported the Chicago Bears are actively bidding on suburban Chicago property that could be a site for a new football stadium for the Bears. What is your opinion of Soldier Field as a NFL venue? Do you think a move from downtown to the suburbs could work in Chicago?
The Soldier Field re-do was a bad idea. The footprint was just too restricting. The Bears should be a flagship franchise in the Midwest's defining market and should be playing in one of the NFL's largest stadiums, not the league's smallest. If they can get this stadium situation fixed, maybe they can stop under-achieving.

Robert from Rotterdam, The Netherlands
I looked up Jalen Twyman to learn what had happened to him and the articles I found had a picture of him wearing an odd style of headgear for OTAs. Looking a bit further, I found the Vikings have introduced soft style caps for OTAs to "reduce contact between helmets and unprotected body parts during OTA sessions." I don't know if these caps are the answer, but they did remind me of your comments about removing the facemask. I'd love to see this option get developed further.
OTAs aren't real football, but one day real football will be OTAs and at that point the helmet will no longer be the problem and the facemask will be unnecessary.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Would Hornung be considered a bust today?
Paul Hornung was not a feature back. He was the halfback in an offense that featured the fullback, Jim Taylor. Hornung played in a split backs, pro set formation. Hornung was to Taylor as Rocky Bleier was to Franco Harris, as Jim Kiick was to Larry Csonka, as Ernie Green was to Jim Brown. A bust? Hornung was a complementary back, the other guy.

Greg from Glen Carbon, IL
Student loan forgiveness does not forgive the loan, it merely transfers the loan to those who never asked for the loan, never agreed to the loan and never benefitted from the loan. Never mind how I'd feel if I just paid off my student loan, I'd feel worse hard-working, hourly employees who never attended college pay so someone else can back out of their student loan.
Here's an idea: free education.

Dan from Green Bay, WI
Vic, I was disappointed with your answer on student loan forgiveness. How do you think WWI veterans felt when your father went to school on the GI bill? I would hope they were happy for him. Did I read too much into your answer?
Yes, you did. Both of my sons carry huge student debt. Selfishly, I would celebrate if their debt was canceled. I was merely providing another perspective. My inbox, however, has exploded with vitriol for the alternate perspective I provided. When it comes to ourselves, we are madly passionate.

Monty from Seattle, WA
Prices for college have changed a little in the last half century.
So have salaries. My first full-time job coming out of college paid a salary of $7,200 a year.

Grant from Honolulu, HI
Aloha, Vic. Wow, five new starters on the Steelers offensive line. First-year offensive line coach. First-year offensive coordinator. A heralded rookie running back. A young but talented receiving corps. An elite defense. A veteran but aged QB. A head coach and GM with championship pedigrees. Fifteen million dollars in cap space. Is there any historical evidence the offense can be successful?
What you're describing is an aggressive rebuild. The Steelers are being picked to finish last in the AFC North. I applaud their willingness to be new, especially as it pertains to their cap. You have to be willing to fall down to get back up.

Tom from Vista, CA
Vic, will the recent Supreme Court ruling impact women's sports and Title IX?
What the recent Supreme Court ruling did was guarantee more Supreme Court rulings. I think Justice Kavanagh's use of the words "business model" was a big mistake. Those words will be used against gender equity.

Denise from Waxhaw, NC
Have you been following the college baseball World Series?
No. I follow college football and men's college basketball. I watch nothing else.

Dave from Savage, MN
Do you have a favorite football movie?
Football doesn't translate well to movies and I think it's because football is too real, too dramatic to re-create. If there's one scene from a football movie I like, it's the coach's pregame speech from "All The Right Moves," and it's because I'm from one of those towns populated by the minorities to which the coach referred. I didn't have a friend who didn't have a parent or a grandparent who didn't speak a foreign language, and I was one of those friends about whom my friends could say the same. There was no caste system where I grew up. As the wise old man in the pool hall told me, "Ketchman, in the mill all the shovels are double-A."

Steve from New Britain, CT
I don't really like the idea players can opt out of the 2021 season without any reason. What do you think about it? Is it being offered to accommodate those who simply don't want the Covid vaccine?
I can almost hear Coach Noll: You like to opt out, and you're going to opt yourself right out of the league.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Adam from Thailand
I assume you're in Scott Creek?
That's it.

Matt from Winfield, IL
If memories make us rich, do you think we were robbed this last year due to COVID or was it a year of making distinct memories?
It was one of the most memorable years of my life.

Ben from Indianapolis, IN
What's your take on this Supreme Court ruling regarding NCAA athletes?
I'm in the process of trying to gather opinion from people I consider to be experts on college football. At first glance, two words in Justice Kavanagh's narrative intrigue me: business model. Kavanagh spoke of the NCAA in terms of being a business model, and my first reaction was non-revenue sports are immediately in danger. Why? Because I know of no business model built on non-revenue. The other obvious reaction to the ruling is the NCAA will have to compensate its athletes and, of course, that goes immediately to football, where the money and the rosters are biggest. Yes, the rich would get richer but, as I've written in the past, roster/scholarship limits are the fix. There's enough talent to promote a level playing field, as long as the top-tier programs aren't permitted to monopolize recruiting. Also, if college football pays its players, it'll only be a matter of time before its players unionize, at which point college football can negotiate a CBA that will provide for a lottery system for talent acquisition, and other such rules that would standardize the game. As I've written, standardization is what college football needs most. I'm all for it. Let's go.

Mike from Des Moines, IA
Justice Kavanaugh to NCAA: Change or you will be changed.
NCAA to Justice Kavanagh: Goodbye women's water polo team.

Ted from Madison, WI
I tend to avoid the Aaron Rodgers articles, but got sucked into one purporting to have a statement by Aaron's father claiming the issue isn't drafting Love, it's spending two draft picks without getting any elite talent to play with Rodgers (no one to pair with Adams the way Jordy Nelson was complemented by Randall Cobb). Does this theory hold water?
He had an MVP season. Lack of talent wasn't a problem. The problem is he didn't have an MVP NFC title game.

Paul from Cumming, GA
GM Vic is rebuilding a team. Are you building your roster around a young quarterback, or shoring up your roster and inserting the quarterback later in the process?
I'm focused on two tasks: getting "The Man" and getting him a supporting cast ASAP. They have to happen simultaneously to achieve maximum effectiveness, and that usually requires having a lot of extra draft picks. The Browns are where they are because they had lots of extra picks. I expect the same from the Jaguars.

Jason from Austin, TX
If the Packers don't trade (Rodgers), do you believe he would give less than his usual 110 percent? If the answer is no, why trade him? If the answer is yes, wouldn't that impact his teammates? Rodgers doesn't seem like a guy that would do that to his teammates.
The pouting and negative body language would be unbearable.

Nick from Hamilton, Canada
What were your impressions of the U.S. Open? It goes without saying, Rahm played like a champion. Those putts on 17 and 18 were as clutch as they come. Regarding the course, the consensus seems to be very positive. The set up may have been great, but I enjoyed watching the PGA much more. To me, Kiawah created a visual component Torrey Pines, even being on the water, just couldn't match.
The office buildings in the background are a bad look.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
Don't know if you saw the most recent Jags/Jax proposal to re-do a stadium with plumbing issues, also leaks to offices when it rains, and creating a separate building for the Jags, etc. You worked in that building for years and know actual issues. When I saw the proposal, I was pleased we wouldn't have to pay a billion dollars for a new stadium for something used maybe 25 times per year. Then, according to talking heads, stadiums need replacing every 25 years. Hold my hand, help me off the ledge and explain in your professional wordsmithing how this is real.
I always knew when it was raining hard outside because the manhole cover in the hallway began to dance. It was like a scene out of Poltergeist. The plumbing in that building is so substandard the offices were flooded with sewage during the Super Bowl that was played there. I guess everybody flushed at the same time. Leak? Buckets were routinely used to catch rain water. As I wrote, it was built on the cheap. The south end zone remodel is the best thing about that stadium. The worst thing about that stadium isn't the plumbing, its the width of its yawn. The upper decks aren't cantilevered and they fall too far from the field. Again, that's because the stadium was built on the cheap. One of the upper decks was salvaged from the old Gator Bowl because it was newly erected. That upper deck decided the whole design of the stadium. In my opinion, the stadium is not up to NFL standards and needs to be replaced. It's time for Jacksonville to get serious about being an NFL city, or else.

Justin from Sun Prairie, WI
Don't you love how the government can purchase corporate bonds of zombie corporations but can't buy out, and cancel, the student loans of the peons? Seems like doing so would be a step toward unseizing our economy, or at least pulling up the anchor.
How would you feel if you just paid off your student loan?

Chris from Wisconsin
Vic, you said all great players must have a special trait and longevity. Are you saying Gale Sayers wasn’t a great player?
I knew somebody was going to play the Sayers card, but I wasn't going to add a lot of words to my answer and dull its meaning due to an exception to the rule. Sayers is in the Hall of Fame because it was opened in 1963 and it needed names that would attract visitors. There was a rush to induct. I think Paul Hornung is in the Hall of Fame for the same reason. Sayers played for seven years but effectively for only five seasons; his last two were only two games each. His accomplishments are worthy of the Hall of Fame but the longevity isn't there. Hornung never rushed for a thousand yards in a season; his highest total is 681 yards in 1959. I think we need to treat Sayers and Hornung as exceptions to the rule.

Patrick from St. Paul, MN
I recently saw an article talking about how when the Bills extend Josh Allen he is willing to structure his deal to make sure the team can stay competitive. Am I missing something? If he's getting paid $80 million over the course of the contract, that will all be reflected on the cap at some point, right? With that in mind it's just about whether the contract is front or back-loaded, but he still gets his money. Doesn't sound like anything exceptional to me.
He's saying he's willing to convert salary to signing bonus and get his money up front, and maybe even do a voidable re-structure that would add dummy years to his contract and give him even more money up front. He would be willing to do all of that, of course, to help the team, not because he'd get his money up front, and click-bait media would write a story about the team-friendly re-structuring he did, and the fans would applaud his willingness to take a pay cut.

Casey from York, PA
In the lead up to the draft, you had your eye on a player who sat out all of the past college football season. Who was it?
Jaylen Twyman. He just got shot four times.

Dave from Savage, MN
I am a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers athletic teams. I am angry and disturbed by what the seven basketball seniors said to their coach in a secret meeting. I won’t even say what I think about the fact they recorded it and someone sent it to the newspaper. I am flabbergasted and don’t know what to do.
Softening of the transfer rules have caused this kind of thing. It's happened in other programs. Everybody's a free agent. It's a revolution of sorts.

Thomas from Breaux Bridge, LA
So many prospect recruiting videos are of kids playing high school football on artificial turf. Are we over-investing in athletic facilities for kids when we could be investing in their libraries and teachers?
Yes.

Art from Edwardsville, IL
If you could say one thing to Aaron Rodgers right now, what would it be?
You're the best quarterback I ever covered and I loved watching you play and covering your press conferences. Please consider how all of this will impact your memories of your time in the game. One day, those memories will be very, very important to you.

Daniel from Rapid City, SD
I wonder if this is the time of year you actually miss working for a team. What would normally be a welcome respite from the daily grind has now become an everyday occurrence. Is retirement all it's cracked up to be?
I love it!

Chevin from Jacksonville, FL
What was your reaction to Carl Nassib coming out as the first active openly gay NFL player and do you expect more to follow in his footsteps?
I have no reaction to it because it's not a hot-button issue with me. People who are offended by Nassib and would deny him equal rights are the issue with me.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Eric from Las Vegas, NV
Apparently the Packers were supposed to pick a cornerback in the 2020 draft or you'd swim Scott Creek.
Now I remember. I was a year early, or maybe the Packers were a year late.

Adam from Madison, WI
After my shock wore off with the Love pick, I went back on the DVR and watched LaFleur's reaction. He jumped up and pumped his fists. Clearly, this was a choice made by all before the draft. Why hesitate now?
Do you think Rodgers saw that fist pump?

​Whitney from Sun Prairie, WI
Can you think of a time when media consensus was right? There’s a thought piece saying media consensus is too often a projection of perceived moral superiority, rather than a mark of super thinking.
In the Internet era, media consensus is too often the result of what will produce clicks. I don't look for media consensus, I look for insight.

Justin from Delavan, WI
What was the first NFL fancy stadium, a change from the run-down, blue-collar stadiums?
What era defines run-down, blue-collar stadiums? For me, it's the Yankee Stadium era, which makes the Three Rivers/Giants Stadium/Texas Stadium era fancy.

Peter from Benton City, WA
What do you think of the Brandt plan: Let him sit the year, recoup some money and trade him next offseason.
If you know Rodgers will sit out the year, it's a good plan, but I see no reason to believe Rodgers will sit out. If I was his agent, I would advise him to report for the start of training camp, make himself available to the media and say for all to read and hear he wants to be traded, if that's what he really wants. The distraction he'd create would be too much for the Packers to bear; they'd almost have to trade him. There's no gain in the Packers paying Rodgers nearly $15 million to sabotage the season and embarrass the franchise. Again, resolution is the only sensible outcome. The sooner, the better.

Scott from Melbourne, Australia
Do you have any thoughts on performance-enhancing drugs in football? Do you think they are common? Do you think they are a problem? Do you think people care?
Yes, yes, no.

Jack from Chicago, IL
Vic, Green Bay has the most committed cap for 2022. The whistle is coming, but it’s exciting in a way. Is it possible to lie between the tracks?
Your question will be answered by what the Packers do with Rodgers. If they sign him to a new contract, his dead money will explode and the Packers will have no choice but to try and outrun the train. If they trade him, they can get off the tracks in time to effect a brief and relatively painless repair. If the Packers knew Love is their future at quarterback, the decision is a no-brainer.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, do the Jaguars need to build a new stadium to solidify themselves in Jacksonville for the next 30 years?
The Jaguars' stadium was built on the cheap, so the team and the city have certainly gotten their money's worth from it. All things age. I can see a new stadium being built in the parking lot and the current stadium becoming a parking lot when the new stadium is complete. Yes, it would solidify the Jaguars' future in Jacksonville.

Tyler from Greenfield, WI
Vic, may you please forgive any political vitriol from this moniker in the past. Your column is better than ever and I don’t think it has to do with my more centered views on life. Maybe the media is primarily responsible for hypnotizing me and most other Packers fans into seeing past his rage fits and other concerning behaviors. More fairly I would say the responsibility is solely on a group of fans who possibly placed too much value on validation from external sources. Maybe it was his charmed play. Forgive me if there is not much left to say but what is your explanation of what allowed this delusion to continue for so long? I have a feeling you have a tough opinion on this so please tell us the brutal truth as you see it.
In my opinion, Rodgers felt betrayed by the Packers when they turned their affections to Love. The marriage might be irreparably damaged. I don't see a delusion. I see a divorce. My concern is for the children.

Gregg from Durham, NC
How could the Rodgers dilemma move the league to propose changes to the next CBA?
A new contract to make someone honor a contract?

Dan from Kewaskum, WI
Vic, Aaron Rodgers is about to start the fourth quarter of his standoff with the Packers. How does he choke this one away? Also, it really bothers me Rodgers deferred to Crosby. I feel like Brady or Manning would have told the kicker to get off the field, we're going for it. Am I wrong? And did that final sequence happen on the same goal line Starr called his own number.
The Packers were at the north end zone. The south end zone was too ashamed to watch.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Shalom from Austin, TX
I see a team stuck in the past, Vic. At what point will management acquiesce and give Rodgers an extension? He is the current MVP and is vital to the Packers' success. He makes the offensive line look better with his movements. He still makes all the throws with incredible zip. Why won't the organization take an L from the Love pick and move on?
You want them to quit on a first-round pick before he ever plays a down?

Kevin from Northern Wisconsin
I just saw Rodgers had a shirt that said "I’m offended." When do the Packers and Rodgers quit acting like children and sit in a room and act like adults?
It was an attempt at humor but nobody laughed.

James from Colorado Springs, CO
What do you make of Mark Murphy's "complicated fella" comment about Aaron Rodgers?
It was an attempt at humor but nobody laughed.

Lane from Winter Garden, FL
Vic, I know you love the U.S. Open. Who do you like at Torrey Pines this week?
Shane Lowry.

Todd from Prairie du Chien, WI
Vic, appreciate the column and insight you offer; thank you. Did you ever swim the creek you said you would?
I never did! I forget why I was supposed to do it but I remember it being on my to-do list. I owe you one swim in Scott Creek. Maybe we could use it to celebrate a resolution to the Rodgers dilemma.

Justin from Delavan, WI
What was “the culture” Aaron Rodgers was referring to? Has Murphy-Ball management turned the front office into something AR didn’t like?
What Lola wants, Lola gets? Whatever happened to that accountability the players said was lacking when McCarthy was the coach? When are we going to see some of that accountability for choking in the fourth quarter of the NFC title game? Instead of talk about a "beautiful mystery," I'd like to hear some accountability. How about some of that culture, huh?

Randy from Portage, WI
Is the Packers' situation not similar to the guy who kept banging his head against the wall?
Is that why they're doing this, because it'll feel so good when they stop?

Kevin from Albuquerque, NM
ESPN's Adam Schefter said the Packers are "one of the worst" teams in the NFL without Rodgers. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora said the Packers would be lucky to get six wins without Rodgers. Do you agree with what seems to be the consensus?
That's the perception and it needs to end.

Steve from Fridley, MN
What was the Astrodome like?
It was not the Eighth Wonder of the World. It was grim, gray, cavernous. It had a dusty feel to it. It made you want to wash your hands. Its sounds were muffled. The PA guy could've recited the Gettysburg Address and nobody would've known. It was a terrible place to play or watch a football game, but on one day in 1978 it was the most wonderful place I have ever spent a Sunday afternoon. I can still hear the swish of those pom-poms to the tinny sound of that silly song. That was real football, two physically punishing teams in a dimly lit room where the silent sound of Earl Campbell's ribs breaking decided an afternoon of carnage. At game's end, Jack Lambert lay exhausted along the sideline. It was too much for even him. When you are blessed to witness something that meaningful, you feel a desperate need to write something worthy.

Malcolm from Fennimore, WI
Assuming Love does have a great preseason, would Coach Vic consider benching Rodgers if he waltzes in at the last minute to get paid this year?
You're going to pay a guy nearly $15 million to sit the bench? Why wouldn't you just trade him?

Kevin from Whitehall, WI
Vic, Aaron Rodgers has not spoken directly about his concerns, but the general sentiment is he is somehow upset with Packers management and this is tied to not getting back to the Super Bowl.
That's weak. I think most teams in the league would've beaten the Bucs on a day when Tom Brady threw three interceptions at crunch time. The Packers were more than good enough to get to the Super Bowl last year.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

John from Jacksonville, FL
I think one of the greatest examples of sportsmanship in any sport is at the end of a Stanley Cup playoff series when the players line up at center ice to shake hands. In your years of covering the NFL, what was the greatest example of sportsmanship you witnessed?
One moment leaps to mind. It was a game in the Astrodome in 1980. The Oilers effectively ended the Steelers' dynasty with a 6-0 win. In the final moments of that game, the Steelers failed on a fourth-down play from near their goal line and the Oilers took possession. I was standing near the Oilers' sideline at the time. When Bum Phillips saw his offense line up in regular-play formation, he ran down the sideline yelling "no, no." The Oilers then took a knee to end the game. It was a memorable moment mostly because it was symbolic of the respect Phillips had for an opponent that had beaten his team in two consecutive AFC title games. Bum was a man of honor and principle. So was the man on the other sideline. These moments are more important than the outcomes of games.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
There is so much talk of NFL journalists like Adam Schefter being manipulated by agents to deliver negotiating tactics as news. I wonder, did you ever feel like an agent was trying to negotiate through you? Does it even matter as long as you recognize it?
I often felt the people I interviewed were attempting to manipulate me. I just reported what was said. The reader decides who and what to believe.

Steve from Phoenix, AZ
I used to be cynical when you dismissed people's reluctance to admit it's about the money. We want it to be about loyalty, competition, camaraderie, you know, about professionalism. Now watching the Rodgers debacle, I agree the Packers organization is showing its desperation. I find myself wishing Rodgers would be man enough to make it about the money. I get it now. It should be about the money; that's professionalism.
Professional -- Following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain. If it's not about the money, it's not professional football.

Jimmy from Jacksonville, FL
I don't understand the negativity NFL fans and some media have for Urban Meyer. People saying Urban is "above his head" and "doesn't know what he is doing" before he even enters his first NFL training camp bewilders me. Is it jealousy? The historic football ire against the city of Jacksonville? What's this longing for Urban to fail so bad and whatever happened to the wait and see approach?
Coach Meyer has a used car salesman type of personality, which is common to a lot of college coaches. Baloney, if you know what I mean, is in the job description. There's a suspicion of deceit college coaches must bear and that's the negativity you're sensing. Coach Meyer can erase that stain by winning on the NFL level. The draft and the salary cap will make him an honorable man.

Micah from San Diego, CA
Vic, how long before Justin Herbert makes Chargers games one of the hardest tickets to get instead of one of the easiest and cheapest, like it has been recently?
What you're asking is can Herbert flip the Los Angeles fan base from Rams fans to Chargers fans? Yes, he can.

Alberto from Barcelona, Spain
Since becoming a football fan, I have read that better to draft a QB before you need one. So, was it a mistake to draft Love when AR already was 37?
You're living in the past, Alberto. This is the plug and play era.

Isaac from Columbia, TN
In your opinion, what separates the all-time great running backs from the really good ones? I would also like your opinion on the same question about wide receivers.
All great players have at least one dominant skill, and all great players share one dominant trait, longevity. In other words, a great player uses his dominant skill to achieve success over a long career.

Will from Salt Lake, UT
Five QBs now. Is that a good or bad indicator of the status of the position? I know it's training camp, but that seems excessive.
You want to take at least four quarterbacks to training camp. Don't read too much into roster bodies at this time of year.

Mitch from Brown Deer, WI
What did you think of Chip Kelly as a head coach? Was he ahead of his time?
He was more of a sign of the times. Mike McCarthy was from the same school of up tempo and high play count, but not to the extreme Kelly took it. I can remember McCarthy taking delight in a practice that produced more plays than were in the script. He'd say, "We were plus five today." He used play count to grade the quality of the practice. I think his emphasis on tempo was a big reason his teams played well in hot-weather games; their play-count conditioning kept them from wilting. As the game softens, and that trend will continue, the emphasis on offense and tempo will also continue.

James from United Kingdom
Vic, if Rodgers has said his reason for holding out is about having a difference of opinion on the vision of the team, what do you think his vision is? Calling his own plays? Making personnel decisions? If Brady never got a say, I don’t see why Rodgers should.
Here's a vision: Win the NFC title game.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
If there's a room in heaven for complicated fellas, please let me join. I'm pretty sure I won't be bumping into Ted Thompson in that room. I guess I wouldn't expect to see Mike McCarthy in there, either. Probably not many, if any, linebackers. But, I sure hope to see Vic there. Or, do you think he would rather be uncomplicated?
Vic is not a complicated fella.

Mike from McFarland, WI
Are there ever any new innovations in cap management in the same way playbooks are always evolving and recycling over time? Or are all the same tools and tricks teams use now the same ones they've been using for 20 years to manage the cap?
The cap tricks with which I'm familiar all evolved early in the process. First came the salary to bonus conversion tactic. The Jaguars were the king of that strategy. They used it to convert every player on their roster and pin themselves in a salary cap problem that might've left them unable to get under the cap in 2002 if the Texans expansion draft hadn't saved them. At about the same time, the Broncos popularized voidables. Now, voidables are all the rage. They're a means of pre-cutting a player. The Eagles used roster bonus to pre-pay players and create room in forward years by taking big hits in the current year. I think it's a great strategy for teams rebuilding. Since then, I haven't seen anything too imaginative. I think the Patriots, Saints and Steelers have recently shown us how to wind down the dead money of star quarterbacks nearing retirement. It is clearly a strategy and requires advance planning.

Mark from Tennessee
Vic, how beneficial would it be towards the Packers' cap if Rodgers does not play this year?
It would be hugely beneficial but I don't see it happening. If this situation stays the same, I see Rodgers waltzing into Green Bay at some point prior to the start of the season, and then the real turmoil would begin. Imagine benching Jordan Love in the midst of an impressive preseason. I repeat, the Packers must achieve resolution.

Bruce from Washburn, WI
What is your favorite weather condition for a game in an open stadium and why?
Cloudy, calm and 50. I think that's football weather.

John from Madison, WI
Why are we assuming if Aaron Rodgers does not return, then Jordan Love will have to be thrown into the starting role? The Packers (signed) Blake Bortles for a reason. Wouldn't he step in if Love is not ready?
That's the worst possible result.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Michael from Middleburg, FL
I have been and still am quite skeptical of the Urban Meyer hire. He's far too rah-rah for me. My skepticism rose tremendously when he whined about the free agency process and skyrocketed when he brought Tebow in. This feels like a disaster waiting to happen. What do you think? Do you see Meyer succeeding in Jacksonville, or do you see the transition from college to the NFL being too much for him?
Trevor Lawrence will decide the issue.

Conor from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, did you ever stake out an airport to see who was or was not reporting to camp? I laugh when I think about a group of a dozen reporters huddled over airport cinnamon rolls waiting for their story to walk out of the gate.
Green Bay's little airport is perfect for what you're describing. There's a narrow escalator all departing passengers must use and at the bottom of that escalator, as I remember it, there was a coffee shop of sorts.

Eric from Keene, NH
An excused absence? Words fail me.
The Packers are being held hostage by fear. Fear is the real issue.

Ross from L'Anse, MI
You might have answered this before. To what degree is the impasse between Rodgers and Gutekunst really the GM's responsibility, given the tripartite power-sharing arrangement in Green Bay?
I refuse to believe Brian Gutekunst targeted Jordan Love and traded up to draft him without Mark Murphy and Matt LaFleur knowing of those plans. Gutekunst almost certainly conveyed his interest in Love prior to draft day, and Murphy and LaFleur were sitting in the draft room as Gutekunst maneuvered to move up in the order. They were watching as Gutekunst went on the clock. Gutekunst must be accountable for Love's success or failure, but Murphy and LaFleur must share in the blame for Rodgers' reaction if they didn't warn Gutekunst of this outcome. A franchise that conferences on parking permits doesn't draft its quarterback of the future and risk the ire of its quarterback of the present without the head coach and the team's president knowing of those plans.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
What is your view on press credentials? Has it evolved? Do you see a conflict between freedom of speech and limited access to press credentials?
There are plenty of seats in the press box to credential credible media, but there is a limit. If you're looking for every Tom, Dick and Harriett, go to the combine. Every kid with a Twitter account is credentialed for the combine.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
Who do you think will be the most improved team in the NFL this season?
The Bengals.

Anthony from Pyongtaek, South Korea
I have a theory. Rodgers knows when his career is up he will have to answer why he wasn’t in more Super Bowls. Assuredly, all eyes will be looking at him. As much as we say defense doesn’t help out Rodgers in the playoffs, we are left wondering where the offense was.
I watched NFL Network's replay of the 2011 season playoff loss to the Giants on Monday. I forgot how poorly the offense played in that game. Rodgers misfired on a few big throws. One in particular was intended for Jermichael Finley and Rodgers' post-play reaction was disturbing.

Robert from Plymouth, WI
So after one day of camp, Twitter was ablaze on how bad Love performed. All these hyperbolic hot takes aside, what should we take away from these practices, if anything?
They're only meaningful if a player struggles. If he can't do it when it's fake football, how's he gonna do it when it's real football? Love improved quickly and eased the sting of his first-day failures.

Sam from Missoula, TX
What would Ted Thompson do?
Stay out of it.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, perhaps no other franchise over the past few decades has been more quarterback reliant than the Packers. It seems to be pretty evident that without the weekly heroics of Favre and Rodgers the Packers would have struggled having many winning records. Having the management, coaching, defense and special teams we can only dream of has defined us as perpetual bridesmaids. Yet, your readers, and many sportswriters who gladly flame the fire, seem all to anxious to move on. To what?
A new identity.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
What do you make of the Bortles signing? Is there more than meets the eye, as in they know Rodgers will retire or demand a trade.
There is absolutely nothing more than meets the eye. The Packers needed at least one arm in their quarterback room that's played in the league.

Kasey from Charlotte, NC
A reader asked previously if Rodgers knew what they have in Love and you said he probably does. Considering after Love was drafted last year and Rodgers said at the time nobody will be beating him out any time soon, I’m a little confused. Does this mean Rodgers thinks Love can be really good and wants added security to make sure they can’t move on from him? If Love really stunk, then I can’t help but think Rodgers and the entire team would know it and he wouldn’t feel insecure. I could also just be a fan that has no idea what I’m talking about. I’m OK with that, too.
OK.

Derek from LaCrosse, WI
Can Green Bay still contend with the current roster led by J-Lo?
Branch Rickey might say I lost the NFC title game with you, I can lose the NFC title game without you.

Jensen from Houston, TX
Does GM Vic levy mini-camp penalties on Rodgers or excuse his holdout?
I think it's a little unfair to ask me what the Packers should do about these issues they've created. I would've never allowed it to get to where it is. First of all, I wouldn't have rushed into Rodgers' current contract. I would've waited until I could commit to a plan for Rodgers' future that would make his next contract his last contract, which would allow me to begin unwinding his dead money. Secondly, having made that commitment, I wouldn't have spent a first-round pick on a quarterback ahead of the need to replace Rodgers. If the Packers hadn't rushed into Rodgers' current contract and then drafted Love, they wouldn't be in the mess they're in. Given the current circumstances, I'd pursue a trade, although the market for Rodgers isn't what it was prior to the draft. If I trade him, the fines issue is meaningless.

Maxwell from Milwaukee, WI
"They spent a second-round pick on an expensive, over-the-hill receiver they could've drafted in the third round for a fraction of the cost." Sure, but how many jerseys would that third-rounder sell?
All teams share in the sale of those jerseys. Let somebody else trade for him. In the NFL, socialism works.

Dan from Minneapolis, MN
Vic, I know the function of NFL training camp, of course, but can you comment on the overall function and value of organized team activities and mini-camp?
It installs the playbook so every player will be able to compete in training camp on a fair level and help prepare the team to begin the season.

Justin from Delavan, WI
What would Mr. Rooney say to Packers fans who are wringing their hands about AR’s holdout?
If you're talking about Arthur J. Rooney Sr., the founder of the team, he might say (with his benevolent cigar drooping from the side of his mouth and in his wonderfully slushy Pittsburgh accent), "Aaron is a good boy. Don't yinz pick on him. He's our quarterback." Times have changed.

James from Colorado Springs, CO
Just read a poll in which 45 percent of the respondents answered yes to the question, "Should Aaron Rodgers get a say in who the Packers keep and let go?" What a recipe for disaster on multiple levels! What are your thoughts on it, Vic?
The Rodgers  flap  is not only dividing the fan base, it's embarrassing it.

Aric from Oshkosh, WI
Vic, I enjoy the perspectives you have on each of the teams you covered and the collective personality of the community they are based in. If you were to have covered one more team during your career, which would it be and why?
The Bengals come to mind. I like the Brown family. I like Cincinnati. I have great memories of covering games there. The Bengals should've beat the 49ers twice. I think the Bengals' luck is about to change.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Kevin from Albuquerque, NM
The Packers official social media accounts have been touting how hard Jordan Love is working at OTAs. Is this a sign of something or are they just trying to generate content?
In the training camp of 1977, Jack Lambert was a holdout. Steelers linebackers coach Woody Widenhofer praised the play of first-round pick Robin Cole, to the point of suggesting Cole could replace Lambert. I laughed. Woody said, "He's here." Huh? "Lambert's here right now," Woody said and he pointed to the hill adjacent to the practice field, where a man of Lambert's height and build and in what appeared to be a disguise began to run. "Is that him?" I asked. Woody nodded his head and laughed. I don't know if it was or wasn't, but it's a great story and I love it. Athletes are fundamentally insecure. Don't let them believe they can't be replaced.

Leif from Frederic, WI
Ben Roethlisberger has been giving high praise to Dwayne Haskins and Najee Harris. Do you think those two players could be the lynchpin to the Steelers' offensive future?
If Harris isn't, the Steelers made a big mistake. Haskins? He throws the ball like a god. We'll see.

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, I get you deal with a lot of media haters, but I've been writing you questions for almost 10 years, so I'm a little surprised you'd think I was trying to set you up. I was genuinely curious about the journalistic process. How does a local reporter whose job it is to keep people informed about high school basketball or city council meetings do his/her job?
He or she does it by establishing relationships with news sources who will provide the reporter with information he or she can share with his or her readers. It's not difficult to understand. You identify trustworthy people who believe you're a trusted messenger. It's a relationship that's worked for a very long time.

Ryan from Green Bay, WI
Vic, I don’t understand holdouts. Players want big guaranteed money but, in order to do that, they need to sign long contracts. Long contracts mean you’ll most likely be underpaid on the back half of your contract. Don’t be mad at the front office, you’re the one who signed the contract.
It's understood the length of the contract helps the team create cap room in the forward years. It's also understood the player will likely seek to negotiate an update or extension if he out-performs the contract. That's the cost of doing business. The door also swings the other way when the player under-performs. I'm OK with it both ways. It's OK for it to be about the money.

David from Rochester, MN
I know you were at the Kent State shootings, but did you participate in any protests prior to the shooting or afterwards, or did you stay out of it?
I was a naive freshman when it happened. I didn't have a political bent until after the shootings. They changed me. I attended the vigils. At my graduation, one of the student speakers reminded us we were the last graduating class to have witnessed what happened on this campus four years earlier. "Never forget," he said. I haven't.

​Art from Edwardsville, IL
Vic, I met you in Green Bay several years ago. You were walking to the elevator the Saturday before the game and I hollered at you. I hope I didn’t spook you but I think I caught you off guard! Anyway, it was the highlight of my trip. Rodgers got hurt the week before and we played like garbage when I was there. You were so gracious to speak with me for just a few minutes on your way to work and the photo we took together still pops up on my iPad every so often. I was hoping there might be a way to share it with you but, if not, please know you really brightened my trip!
I'm so flattered you remembered that moment. I just got richer.

Jeff from Miami, FL
If Packers fans had to choose, would they rather have Aaron Rodgers back or win the Super Bowl?
What Packers fans want is a guarantee Jordan Love will be "The Man." They're afraid of life without him.

Tony from Milwaukee, WI
First off, I love your column and the insights you provide. We're in the offseason, so I'll ask a non-football question if that is OK. What are your thoughts on the latest news on UFOs? I'm amazed the government is finally admitting something is happening they can't explain. I guess even more amazing is the non-reaction from we, the people.
I called this years ago when all of those halftime abductions began in Jacksonville.

Jack from Middleton, WI
What parts of Bettis' oeuvre will be most difficult for Dillon to replicate?
Longevity and endurance.

Sean from Poling, IL
I’m reading "Downfield!" and Jerry Kramer ended his forward with some excellent perspective. “Remember, the next time a player screws up, they are boys playing a game.” I feel like that gets lost in this column too much from the responses we read.
Here's another way to look at it: Remember, the next time a player screws up, they are world class athletes and one player's success is another player's failure. Someone has to win and someone has to lose."

Mark from Bristol, UK
So the Rodgers situation has "split the fan base." Is Murphy sending a message to Rodgers?
I edited Mark's column for five years and I think I have an accurate feeling for his message. He was telling fans "we feel your pain."

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Mark Murphy has "tremendous confidence" in our GM. Well, I have "tremendous confidence" Murphy would likely have to say that.
The baloney always stops with you, Tom.

Ethan from Erie, PA
As a Jags fan, I was pretty happy to learn the Titans traded for Julio Jones, as I was hoping the price tag would be steep enough they'd be mortgaging their future. I'm a little disappointed they got him so cheap. Dime a dozen, I agree but, if he can help them over the hump, I think the Titans very clearly won this trade.
They spent a second-round pick on an expensive, over-the-hill receiver they could've drafted in the third round for a fraction of the cost.

Don from Fall City, MA
What would the result be of a rule requiring an NFL team to count any money paid or guaranteed against the salary cap of the year it was paid or guaranteed? In other words, no pushing out money, no dead-cap liability.
That is a hard cap in the truest sense and the result would be no cash over cap. Quarterbacks would have to be signed to new contracts every year, otherwise the roster would have to be purged every time they signed a multi-year contract. The ramifications of what you're proposing would be extreme and would result in chaos.