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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dan from Tulare, SD
Glad GM Vic didn't draft Jonah Williams for the Packers in the first round.
He was picked one spot ahead of the Packers, so GM Vic wouldn't have had the chance to screw it up. Williams' injury is an example of how quickly need changes.

John from Austin, TX
Why wouldn't a team conduct training camp at its normal practice facility. Nowadays, I can't imagine an alternate location would have better facilities. What is gained by going off-site?
The Jaguars and Packers practice at their full-time facility; the Steelers train at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., where the Steelers built a dormitory, a field and a facility that makes St. Vincent home away from home. I can't imagine the Steelers not training at St. Vincent, that's how powerful that tradition is. The nice thing about training at home is not having to pack and move; there's no distance disconnect. The nice thing about training at St. Vincent is players and coaches live at the facility; there's no driving to a hotel or a college dormitory in a neighboring town.

Scott from Hamlin, NY
Rodgers held onto the ball a long time last season. Does this show an inability for the receivers to get open? What changes this year to make people think it will suddenly change?
The young receivers will be better for the year of development they received, and I suspect the expectation of a better offense is built on the hope the Packers will be using better plays and will have a new resolve.

Nick from Owego, NY
I love defense. Which team do you think will have the top defense next year?
I think the Jaguars, Packers and Steelers will each have strong defenses this year. Leaguewide, I think the Bears could be special on defense.

Brad from Tucson, AZ
Call me a curmudgeon, but longevity statistics don't carry much Hall of Fame weight with me. Classic baseball examples are Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry, both 300-plus career wins but over decades with an average of 14-15 wins and 12 losses. Did teams fear facing them like Koufax or Gibson? No, of course not. Good players, but not immortals. That's true for Gore, Martin and Monk. Longevity should be celebrated, not enshrined. OK?
I'm sympathetic to your point. Martin has the defining postseason moment to go with his body of work. In my mind, that makes him a complete and worthy selection to the Hall of Fame. Gore doesn't have the fame, but it's nearly impossible to ignore his body of work as worthy of selection. It's not as though there isn't precedent. Dan Dierdorf immediately comes to mind. James Lofton played in three Super Bowls and caught eight passes and scored no touchdowns, but there's no denying his body of work.

​Grant from Plymouth, MN
You said Fred Taylor was the best combination of size and speed you ever covered. Forget size. Who was the fastest player you ever covered?
Dwight Stone. He was so fast he lost control of his feet and they ran out of bounds.

John from Austin, TX
I find it ironic the Saints (and Saints fans) feel so victimized by a couple of blown PI calls, when a few weeks earlier they were the clear beneficiaries of phantom PI calls against the Steelers that put them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the first place. All the crybabies need to go back into their holes. Replay should be abolished. When a call is blown, peeple need to grow up and move on with their lives.
There's no putting the replay rabbit back in the hat. Replay review is in control of the game. It was inevitable, from the moment TV instant replay was born in the Army-Navy game of 1963.

Everett from Stillwater, MN
I enjoy your column and thank you for doing it even in retirement. Wondering why you didn’t include Joe Montana in your top five QBs.
That wasn't a list of my top five all-time quarterbacks, that was a list of my top five regular season quarterbacks. To make it onto that list you need to be a quarterback who did record-breaking things in the regular season, but your postseason record isn't the equal of your regular season excellence.

Robert from Chicago, IL
Watching the contract negotiation ballet play out in Jacksonville, it seems like the Jaguars are in a tight spot. They have Yannick Ngakoue wanting an extension right now, Jalen Ramsey after the end of this season, and also Myles Jack next year. In my mind, these three seem like the foundational guys for the defense. Do you think all three could end up staying?
In my opinion, what the Jaguars do in the offseason begins with what Ramsey does during the season. If I'm Tom Coughlin, Ramsey's got to prove to me he won't be a distraction. Let's also not forget, there were some longevity concerns about his knee coming out of college.

Sam from Nashville, TN
Last week, a brawl broke out during a baseball game in Colorado. It wasn't just any game, it was a game of seven-year-old kids being officiated by a 13 year-old umpire. Has the desire for full consistency in officiating turned us mad? How do we fix it?
Look what it did to Mike McCarthy. A high school basketball game? Really? We've developed this mania for getting it right. Achieving the proper perspective about fairness begins with learning how to not take ourselves too seriously. Good luck with that. I think the only way to deal with this problem is to ignore the complainers.

Neil from Cheddar, UK
I have been listening to the Michael Lewis podcast called "Against the Rules," where he has some very interesting insights into the state of various forms of officiating within the USA. He truly believes the use of instant replay has improved the accuracy of decisions but has actually made fans even angrier at them. How can this be and what are your honest thoughts as to how you would like to see instant replay used.
The officiating in the NFL has never been better but the dissatisfaction has never been greater. Who's to blame, the league? Yeah, right. I'd like to see the league turn a deaf ear to complaints, beginning with no postgame review and comments on controversial plays. Let the fans complain -- controversy is good for the game -- but they can't be permitted to think their voice can create change. The league's overreaction to the pass interference non-call in the Rams-Saints game is a terrible mistake.

Dave from Savage, MN
Who had the strangest running style you've seen?
Walter Payton. I wish I would've had more opportunity to cover his games. He was in the other conference, so to speak, and the Bears were low-profile for most of his career, so I didn't see a lot of him.

​Ethan from Ontario, Canada
I read an interesting article by a former NFL player. He talks about his struggles living and interacting with people in the real world because he sees how fake a lot of people are after going through the blunt honesty of the football world. People canceling plans because “it’s been crazy,” showing up 10 minutes late to work like it’s nothing; stuff like that really bothers him. It’s a perspective I never thought about before. I would love to hear what you think.
Football is intense and exacting. It's not normal or healthy to live your life as though it's a football game. The ability to live in both worlds requires being able to separate the two. Maybe that's what I meant when I said I needed to be new.

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

Mike from North Hudson, WI
Another season is upon us and naturally we are seeing more rule changes. With the proposed pass interference rule change, is it necessary or is it a knee-jerk reaction to the missed PI call in the Rams-Saints? What's your perspective?
It's pandering to the fans. All indications are the fans want replay's use to be expanded.

Frank from Lillington, NC
Vic, as I age, my love of the NFL wanes. This week they made it possible to review pass interference calls. Can we just review every play and get it over with? Will that make all of the Madden football playing world happy? It has most podcast hosts excited. Now we can right the wrong that happened to the Saints. The popular media is too much and I find myself seeking few opinions because everything I hear is the same. Matt LaFleur will save the Packers because McCarthy's offense was stale; those are the opinions I hear. I'm not sure how good the Packers offense can be with a QB that has two surgically repaired collarbones and an attitude. The Packers might be best suited to let Rodgers call his own plays. Would the fans try to fire him if the offense sputters?
You have an interesting perspective.

Mike from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, you’re a running back afficionado. Is Frank Gore a Hall of Famer?
Gore reminds me of Hall of Famer Curtis Martin. They each had long careers and were durable, dependable and versatile. They were complete backs but they were never regarded to be among the elite running backs in the league. Their stats are nearly identical and they are impressive: each rushed for more than 14,000 yards, more than 3,000 yards receiving, similar touchdown totals; Martin topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark 10 times, Gore nine times. Martin has a couple of defining postseason moments; Gore has nice stats from the 2012 postseason but nothing dramatic. I would support Gore for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Aiden from Jacksonville, FL
Do you think Fred Taylor is one of the most underrated players in recent memory?
The die was cast in Fred's rookie year. His stats were every bit the equal of Randy Moss' stats, but Fred was hardly mentioned as a rookie of the year candidate. Fred is the best combination of size and speed I've ever covered.

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
If you had to build an offense for today’s pass-first game using only players who played in the 1960's and '70's, who would you select for your starting eleven? Who from that period would you want to coach (head or coordinator) and draw up plays?
The quarterback would be Ken Anderson and the coach would be Sid Gillman.

Josh from Madison, WI
The Ted Thompson Packers had a long stretch of success with limited free-agent help, and many of us fans (myself included) chortled over his draft-first shrewdness until their inevitable decline silenced support for Ted's firmly disciplined approach to roster building. Now, with Gute at the helm, the team dipped heavily into free agency and made pricey moves in the draft, and expectations are sky high before the team has even played a down. I'm as hopeful for this season as anyone, but what if the chortle is coming due?
This will afford an opportunity to compare the two styles. A couple of years from now, which will we favor as the best way to build a football team? I favor building through the draft and patching in affordable free agency.

Kent from Flanagan, IL
One of my regrets, having grown up in the 1960's, was I seldom got to see Sonny Jurgensen play on television. He sounds like a talented and colorful man. Do you have any memories you can share?
I saw him play in person and often on television for both the Redskins and the Eagles. He was a gunslinger. He would've been a huge star in today's game. Unfortunately for Jurgensen, he played for two franchises struggling to be competitive during the AFL war years. I've heard it said Lombardi loved Jurgensen for the one year they spent together.

Clark from Boise, ID
Florida State University announced it will privatize its athletic department (as did Florida and Central Florida). How do you think this will change the landscape of college sports in the future?
The cheating will go to new heights.

Nathan from New York, NY
Vic, who are your top five regular season quarterbacks of all time?
1) Peyton Manning, 2) Dan Fouts, 3) Dan Marino, 4) Drew Brees, 5) Brett Favre.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
Did the Brown/Graham coach/quarterback combo have the biggest impact on the modern game? I would think the Walsh/Montana combo would get some votes, not to mention Coryell/Fouts or Lombardi/Starr.
I think it's Walsh/Montana. Noll/Bradshaw identified the impact of the rules changes of 1978, Walsh/Montana provided an attack strategy for the ages.

Jesus from El Paso, TX
Is it possible to learn to love a sport, or does something in our nature determine what we enjoy watching?
I think it has to be in your DNA. As a kid, I wandered onto a high school football practice. Immediately, I fell in love with football. Day after day, I went back for more. All these years later, I still feel some of that initial attraction.

Bob from Mystic, CT
How long do you keep a player who looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane?
Get him good or get him gone.

​Larry from Goldsboro, NC
In memory of Bart Starr, I have seen some fans putting forth the idea of placing a star with the number 15 on the goal line at the place of the sneak. I like the idea. Would you be in favor of such a memorial for the season or do you think that would be over the top? What are the chances they actually do it?
The league would have to approve it, and I remember the league making the Jaguars remove the Santa hat they put on the Jaguars logo at midfield during the holidays season. I also remember the league allowing the Cowboys to put red and blue stripes along the 20-yard-line stripes (America's team baloney), so maybe the league would give the Packers approval. Personally, I think it's over the top. I'd like to see the Packers become a little more subtle in celebrating themselves.

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

Jim from Huntertown, IN
Vic, I read an article that stated Aaron Rodgers is already pushing for more freedom within the new offense Matt LaFleur runs, even though his style of offense doesn’t allow much room for quarterback adjustment. Do you think this could be something that sours the milk, so to speak, going forward?
It could be the first big test LaFleur faces as coach. In my opinion, LaFleur has to find a way to reel in Rodgers or risk this mania for play-calling poisoning training camp. LaFleur has to send the message the Packers will win with players, not plays, and that he has a plan and Rodgers will be expected to play within that plan. This must not be allowed to become the No. 1 media topic of the summer.

Steve from Hudson, WI
The Packers hype train is chugging along pretty strong at the moment. I just read a power rankings placing them fourth in the league. How over-hyped is this? Is it reasonable to think a first-year coach can take a team deep into the playoffs? I'm just wondering if it's safe to buy a ticket for that train.
Why do you do this to yourself?

Nick from Owego, NY
Ryan Fitzpatrick is an enigma to me. He must be good since he's survived in the league for so long. Yet, he also can't be that good as he is constantly changing teams. Can you elaborate on his strengths and weaknesses?
His strength is he makes plays. His weakness is he has to force passes to make plays, and that often results in making bad plays. The good ones make it look easy. Fitzpatrick makes it look difficult.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
I read a headline proclaiming Max Scherzer passes Warren Spahn and Bob Feller in strikeouts. Good for Max. however, there was no mention of Spahn serving four years in World War II or Bob Feller also losing time, being the first high-profile American athlete to enlist after Pearl Harbor. Do you have any examples of great NFL players who would have achieved greater fame/statistics if not for their service time?
Chuck Bednarik followed a unique path to football fame. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces following graduation from high school, and then attended Penn after the war and later became the first pick of the 1949 NFL draft. The military was full of football players during the war. It was difficult for the NFL to find players to fill a roster during the war years, which left the Steelers to merge with the Eagles (Steagles) and Cardinals (Card-Pitt) for the 1943 and '44 seasons respectively. Baseball was the national pastime and its players stole the headlines -- Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial played in an Army League. What would Bednarik, Williams, DiMaggio and Musial have achieved if you could put a couple of more years onto their pro careers?

Glen from New York City
Lombardi said, "The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." I'm a lontime Packers fan, however, I thought the St. Louis Blues hockey team displayed in their Stanley Cup play this philosophy to a tee. Were you aware of their rise from worst team in the league (after 45 percent played schedule) to Stanley Cup champions?
No.

Kevin from Whitehall, WI
In a recent column, you wrote, “The Internet has made it easier to become a sports writer, but more difficult to make it a career. I see a lot of hobby writers and part-timers. The day of full-time reporters with medical plans and pension funds is largely gone.” This is truly a sad reality of what the Internet and social media has become. Are we experiencing the end of true journalism?
What we've experienced is the end of day-old journalism. The Internet is immediate. Instead of sitting on a story until the next press run, the story posts on the Internet and within a few hours reactions and rebuttals are posting. What was once a week-long story now runs its course in one news cycle. As a reporter, I like that kind of power. I think it's a good thing, provided it's used responsibly. The reader is in control. Read the sites that use the power of the Internet responsibly; reject the ones that don't.

Brett from Hoboken, NJ
Another disappointing weekend for Rickie Fowler at Pebble. He is always in the mix, which helps, but will he ever actually finish one off? I always root for him, but something just seems to be missing.
The U.S. Open is an endurance test. It's about avoiding meltdowns. Phil Mickelson hasn't won a U.S. Open because he's wasted too many strokes on wayward shots and missed short putts; his losses at Winged Foot and Shinnecock are perfect examples. Fowler has some of that in him. He was never the same following his wayward approach shot at No. 18 last Saturday. It's ridiculous for a golfer of his talent to pull a short iron into the ocean on a par five. Mickelson has sadly wasted a big chunk of his career on careless/reckless play. Fowler is young enough to change his ways. I have a feeling his water ball at 18 will serve as a wake up call.

​Vincent from Seattle, WA
Vic, what are your thoughts regarding the large Lombardi replica trophy at Lambeau? My July, 2015 first-time pilgrimage to Lambeau was exciting and rewarding in many ways, but I thought that item was a bit much.
I see nothing wrong with it. It's a marketing tool. It's for the fans, but that's where it has to stop. The past won't win games in the present. Too much celebration of the past can even become a burden to players.

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

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, there's no question in my mind that Bud Grant ... was the greatest special teams coach of all time. Grant's Vikings teams were fundamentally as solid as any teams I've ever seen. His use of real talent on special teams, not second and third stringers, was what separated them from the rest. Your greatest special teams coach or team?
I covered teams that had big-name special teams coaches, pioneers of a sort: Bobby April, Frank Gansz, Larry Pasquale, Pete Rodriguez, Joe DeCamillis. I can remember some big special teams plays, but I don't think I've ever fully appreciated the value of special teams and the importance of their coaches, and I think I know the reason. When I began covering football, special teams were something the Steelers did in the final five minutes of practice, as most of us began walking up the hill toward the lunch room. Chuck Noll was head coach, offensive coordinator and special teams coach. There didn't seem to be much of an emphasis on special teams and I developed a cavalier attitude toward them. Late in my career, I began to see the importance of special teams, but I think Coach Noll poisoned me forever. His regular centers were his long-snappers, he won Super Bowls with a punter and a kicker he was afraid to use, and the collective practice time he spent on special teams wouldn't have made for one good nine-on-seven drill. Yet, they never seemed to be a problem. I remember former Steelers "GM" Tom Donahoe saying, "The more time we spend on special teams, the worse we get." And I remember thinking, "Just kick it out of bounds."

Kirsten from Madison, WI
Is mortgaging the future in order to win championships now an acceptable strategy if you actually win those championships? What should be the goal, being a perennial contender or racking up the occasional Lombardi Trophy? What's more profitable?
You're describing the dirty little secret: The Super Bowl isn't the goal; the goal is making it into the playoffs every year. The problem with mortgaging your future to win it all now is it creates self-inflicted rebuilding, which creates an expectation for losing. Periods of darkness are devastating for a franchise. The goal is to contend for the playoffs every year; it gives a franchise a steady heartbeat. The Broncos won the Super Bowl just three years ago, but the effects of what it took to do it have left the franchise in a state of mediocrity and in search of a coach and a quarterback who can lead the franchise out of its darkness. I don't think winning a Super Bowl is worth years of hopelessness.

David from Washington, DC
Can you imagine being a kicker named Blewitt?
He didn't blow it against Clemson, did he?

Adam from Wausau, WI
Are sports fair?
No, they seem to unfairly favor the economically disadvantaged.

Todd from Wauwatosa, WI
Comfort is a bad thing. Was comfort the unintended consequence of the program Mike McCarthy ran that did him in?
I never liked the attitude that seemed to promote a separation of the Packers from the rest of the league, the idea the expectations in Green Bay were different from the expectations and demands every other team in the league is facing. I think it's arrogant to believe winning a championship means more in Green Bay than it does in Jacksonville, or that Green Bay aspires to a higher plane because of its history and tradition. I think that attitude can cause a culture of hubris. Nobody is above losing. Vic to Packers: You've won one Super Bowl in the last two decades; so have the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Jack from Chicago, IL
Vic, I am not a soccer fan, but I did read the U.S. women's team was criticized for beating up the Thailand team in the World Cup tournament, 13-0. It made me shake my head. We debate whether how much we won by was right or wrong instead of celebrating a dominating performance. Jack to the rest of the World Cup contenders: Look out!
Yeah, Thailand got what it deserved, for working for nine cents an hour and dumping all that cheap clothing into our country. USA, USA!

Tom from Elkport, IA
Vic, watching journalists interview Matt LaFleur, am I seeing some deer in the headlights, I’m in over my head looks? If you were interviewing LaFleur, would a fair question be, “Coach, are you ready for this assignment?"
It's not a fair question; he shouldn't have to defend himself before he coaches his first game. We'll find out if he's ready for his assignment the first time he faces a crisis. Chuck Noll was challenged by Roy Jefferson, who wanted to see how far he could push the new coach. Noll traded him. Bill Cowher faced an immediate crisis in his first training camp. Barry Foster, the player on whom Cowher intended to build a power running game, was a holdout. Cowher remained calm and committed, the crisis eased and Foster led the AFC in rushing. Tom Coughlin was challenged by Andre Rison. Coughlin cut him and took the team from 4-7 to the AFC title game. Every coach faces an early crisis. Mike McCarthy had major issues early in his career with Charles Woodson and, of course, the Brett Favre saga. Matt LaFleur will answer your question with actions, not words.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
In honoring a player memory (in this case Bart Starr), which uniform form do you like better, helmet number sticker, or patch on the jersey?
Jersey patch.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, I like the U.S. Open being played on the West Coast. Championship golf until 10 p.m. ET. I’ll take it. Were you able to stay awake?
I was glued to the TV for four days. It's the best golf I've ever seen.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what do you watch for in preseason in order to forecast how successful a team will be in the regular season?
I watch for nothing. The preseason is meaningless.

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
I wouldn’t necessarily say the Jaguars locker room is putting off a toxic vibe but there does seem to be many distractions coming to the forefront. From Leonard Fournette’s maturity concerns to Telvin Smith’s cryptic messages and outright disappearance, to Yannick Ngakoue’s contract dispute to Jalen Ramsey’s regular bold commentary. These off-the-field issues paired with the offensive concerns and key defensive departures give reason to believe the Jaguars might be heading for a rough season. Is there any hope to think they’re gonna be good this year?
The Jaguars have talent. They need someone to bring it all together and Nick Foles has to be that player. If he plays up to his contract, he'll take the spotlight away from the distractions and give the Jaguars the freshness they need, the freshness they seemed to have two years ago.

​Nick from Owego, NY
What was your best day ever at work?
It might have been my final day at work. It was a Friday in the middle of winter, so there wasn't much to do other than to write a column and say goodbye. I remember sitting in my office with the door closed, and allowing the memories to wash over me. It was wonderful.