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

Jim from Brooklyn, NY
Do you think "Mean Joe" Greene liked being called mean?
Yeah, I do. I don't think he would've gotten the Coke commercial if he had been "Nice Joe" Greene. "Little boy, would you like to have my jersey?" instead of "Hey, Kid" just doesn't work.

Matthew from Madison, WI
In reading about the draft, I came across someone arguing the term generational prospect gets thrown around too much. A generational prospect at their position should come around once every 20 years. He put forth the term presidential prospect (a prospect that comes around every four years). Do you think anybody in this draft is deserving of one of those labels?
Overstatement is the charm of the draft process. It's politically correct to be outrageous when talking about draft prospects, which has always been what I've loved most about the draft. Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane; looks good in the shower; plays best in space; plays too big for his body; time him with a sun dial; I have him graded just below Jesus from Nazareth, etc. It's draft lingo and I've always loved it. I got a text from a scout friend who was at this year's Combine: "Tight ends struggled blocking a sled. Ditka is shaking his head!" It almost made me wish I was there. Are there generational or presidential prospects in this year's draft class? Absolutely there are. Finding out who those players are is what makes the draft fun. It's all a projection. It's a crystal ball business and the careers of the men who look into those crystal balls will be determined by what they see. Love it!

Mike from Somerset, WI
The Packers got whipped in the NFC Championship game. How would you compare the fan bases after big losses for each of the three teams you covered?
There's no difference. I covered all three teams when they lost conference title games and there was abject disappointment in each case. The reaction by Packers fans to what happened in San Francisco is a little different because they're giving Matt LaFleur a rookie coach pass. It'll be his last.

Tom from Pine River, WI
What are your thoughts on Tony Romo becoming the highest paid NFL broadcaster?
They're paying him by the word? Seriously, it didn't surprise me. As much as he's not my kind of TV analyst, he is the perfect TV analyst for the young fans, whose view of football is tilted toward the play-calling/strategy side of the game. Romo has a magnetic personality for the young fans. I think it helps him he never won anything. It gives him a kind of sympathetic nice guy allure. In my mind, his commentary explains why he never won anything: He relied too much on scheme. That's exactly what the young fans love about him.

Will from Maine
Vic, what precautions are you taking to ensure you will survive the coronavirus? What should the rest of us do?
I've stopped eating bat. I think everyone should do the same, at least until we know a little more about this illness.

Mark from Minneapolis, MN
NFL Network definitely has a case of WR fever. The first night of the Combine they posted a list of the best WR 40 times in recent years, and it was alarming to see the NFL productivity, or lack thereof, associated with the names on the list. Is the mega-hype over 40 times a media-driven tool to drive viewership, while the GMs and personnel people are looking for a much broader skill set?
It's the underwear Olympics. Nobody cares about the 40 times of offensive tackles.

Joe from Eau Claire, WI
You mentioned Jacksonville holding its training camp in Stevens Point, Wisc. This brought back memories of when I was younger and there being a variety of teams holding training camps in Wisconsin. Do you have any insight on this practice, how it came to be, or what contributed to its decline?
Teams were trying to get out of the heat. This was in the era of two-a-days and full-pads practices with live goal-line drills. The Cheese League was also good for combined practices, which had become very popular. Why did it go away? Teams began building elaborate training facilities at home, distance from home was making the move bulky, injured players had to be sent home for medical evaluation and treatment, etc. The Jaguars were in Stevens Point for only one year. It was obvious it didn't make sense moving a football team so far from home.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
Last weekend, I read a draft guy that wrote something to the effect a LB prospect showed he will be able to be a good cover guy because he had good times in the 40 and the agility drills. Do these guys really believe this stuff or are they just trying to get us to believe it?
It's a crystal ball business, Dave. Rashan Gary is a classic example. He was a down lineman in college but he was drafted to play linebacker because the Packers believe he has the speed and agility to play in space.

Evan from Chicago, IL
Are running backs a dime a dozen now?
The elevated injury risk at that position is also causing teams to look for more affordable prospects in the later rounds. Look at the mess the Rams are in with Todd Gurley. I favor a shotgun approach at running back. Late picks, undrafted free agents, street free agents; Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams are good examples of that philosophy.

Jared from Sugar City, ID
Vic, if you were a coach, what would you look for in players during the pre-draft activities?
It always begins with size and speed. Then you look for athletic ability, instincts, toughness, coachability, leadership, etc., but big and fast are the prerequisites.

Grant from Wauwatosa, WI
The Packers may be an all-in team for the next three years and there is only one result that justifies this strategy. What do you suggest Packers fans do for the subsequent three years of clean up?
You can't have it both ways. If you're all in on the present, you're going to suffer the consequences in the future. My philosophy, especially in the salary cap era, has been to take care of the future and the future will take care of the present. In that philosophy, you pay the price in the first three years. When do you wish to be patient?

Louis from Columbus, OH
Vic, if you are Brian Gutekunst, what is your biggest concern this offseason? What keeps you up at night?
It's the defense. It's No. 18 in the league and that rather unimpressive ranking was achieved despite having played against three backup quarterbacks and two rookies. The Packers have spent a lot of money and draft picks on that defense and it's still the Packers' No. 1 problem. Complicating matters, I've got an aging quarterback and I need to get him weapons to help ease the concerns I have about him.

Adrian from Jacksonville, FL
How can the Jaguars fix the problem they have with players wanting out of Jacksonville?
Let them leave, trade them and cut them. You lost with them, you can lose without them. It's time to blow that mess up and start over, and the Jaguars certainly have the picks to do it.

J.P. from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, do you have any advice on how to best enjoy an afternoon at the upcoming TPC Sawgrass tournament?
Get a press pass, sit in the media facility all day, eat the free food and watch the golf on TV. That's what I did and I loved it. Oh, make sure they give you a parking pass, too.

David from Madison, WI
Would you share a story from coaching little league? Your story about not playing a kid when he wasn't ready is powerful.
We had a nice traveling team of 12s. The following year, they were going to be 13s in a 13-14 travel league and we knew we were gonna have a long summer, but they'd be better for it when they were 14. So, we prepared the kids for what was going to happen, but we weren't prepared for one particular team we had to face. As soon as they stepped off the bus, I knew we were looking at a 10-run-rule game. I was actually more concerned about injury. This team was built for a much bigger stage. Neil Walker's father, former Expos pitcher Tom Walker, was the manager. I saw the look on our kids' faces and I took them aside and gave them this pep talk. "Forget about the score," I said. "Let's get these guys out 15 times." There were chuckles. One kid hit a pop up so high I was afraid our kid would miss it, it would hit him in the face and he'd be disfigured for life. Mercifully, the game ended and our kids looked like they'd rather play soccer, so I took them aside and gave them this pep talk. "We got them out 15 times," I said. Then, for dramatic effect, I pointed at the other team and in a louder voice I said, "We got those guys out 15 times!" Our kids smiled, laughed and left happy. Perception is reality. Oh, by the way, the other team eventually lost to Chinese Taipei in the Pony League World Series.

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

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
If you aren't going to participate in all of the combine drills why go?
The most important function of the combine is to perform medical exams on the players. That's why the combine was created.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
Do you think the depth of the receiver class will lead to most teams waiting to address it?
It makes sense when you consider the premium placed on big guys. I get the sense what you're really asking is: Could the premium on big guys cause a receiver rated higher than the 30th pick of the draft to fall to the Packers? Yes. As I've written, the bottom of the first round is not too high to draft a receiver. I think the Packers have greater need for a big guy, but if the value is in a receiver, pick him. I'll also tell you it has come to my attention the top 10 wide receiver receptions leaders in 2019 ran an average of 4.55 in the 40. What's that tell you about wide receivers? It tells me you don't have to reach for them.

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, how is a single-gapping defense supposed to play the run?
It's called a gap-control defense and in it every player in the defensive front is assigned a gap responsibility, which is known as a run fit. Gap-control is a sound defensive scheme that promotes tackles for a loss, and in gap-control everybody is a pass-rusher, but if one guy fails to man his gap, it can result in a big run. The "Steel Curtain" is the best two-gapping defense I ever covered, and the Marcus Stroud/John Henderson Jaguars defense is the best gap-control defense I ever covered.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
Recently, Pro Football Focus published a list of the best Super Bowl quarterback performances PFF has ever graded. Aaron Rodgers' outing against the Steelers after the 2010 season came in at No. 1, and it wasn't particularly close. What were your thoughts on Rodgers' performance in that game, and what's the greatest Super Bowl you've ever seen from a QB?
Is that the same Pro Football Focus that said the Packers defense was much better than its yardage rankings? Rodgers played a great game. The best I've seen? I don't feel a need to rank my memories. If I did, what Brady did against the Falcons would immediately come to mind, and Roethlisberger's game-winning drive against the Cardinals still amazes me, especially the consecutive passes to Santonio Holmes, the one in the back-left corner of the end zone Holmes dropped and then the mirror-image one in the back-right corner of the end zone Holmes caught to win the game. I'm big on crunch time, and Rodgers made a game-winning crunch time throw against the Steelers that defines his performance in that game.

Michael from Sanford, FL
Where does Mike Hollis rank on the list of kickers you covered, and are you knocking him down a peg because his short kickoffs necessitated the Jaguars use two game-day roster spots on kickers?
This is why I don't like rankings. When you honor one player or one memory, you detract from another. Mike Hollis and Josh Scobee rank right behind Gary Anderson and Mason Crosby, but that's not how I'll remember Mike. Mike is tied for No. 1 on my favorite-kicker-story list. It goes back to the Jaguars' first-ever training camp, in Stevens Point, Wisc. Scott Sisson was the favorite to win the job. Mike was kind of an afterthought in the competition, but right away I could tell he was better than Sisson. Mike got the ball up faster and his kicks had a much more consistent rotation to them. His kicks simply made a better thump sound than Sisson's. I introduced myself to Mike, became friendly with him and my reporter's instinct told me he was going to make a good story. Nevertheless, Sisson continued to get the reps, right down to the final preseason game, when Sisson missed a PAT kick. Maybe that was the final straw. Mike won the job and he was, in fact, a great story, especially in the Jaguars' '96 run to the AFC title game.

Benjamin from Vestal, NY
Who’s the most eloquent player you have covered?
Joe Greene. "I have a very cavalier attitude toward Cleveland," he said. It's one of my favorites. Not once did Joe play the "I just want to contribute" card. He always had something thoughtful and meaningful to offer to a worthy question.

Steve from Phoenix, AZ
I got an unpleasant chill when reading your tongue-in-cheek response about McCarthy's accent becoming easier to understand under different circumstances. It felt prescient.
It wasn't tongue in cheek.

Brian from Iron Mountain, MI
Did you cover Dan Marino’s last game?
Yes, and I also covered the final game in the careers of Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw and Jim Kelly. The combined deficit Marino and Unitas faced in those games -- Unitas was benched at halftime -- was 97-7.

Jason from Austin, TX
Vic, if the "Steel Curtain" is considered the most dominant defensive line in NFL history, is there an equivalent offensive line/running game in NFL history you think could run effectively against them?
Hogs vs. Steel Curtain would be a great confrontation.

Jack from Chicago, IL
Do you have any examples of under-and-up throwers who got into turnover trouble?
Byron Leftwich had an under-and-up throwing motion and I think it cost him a great career. Byron had great instincts for the position. He was a natural-born leader and winner. He was big, tough, courageous and intelligent. He wasn't mobile but he knew where his receivers were and how to dump it down to avoid the rush. Everything about Byron was an up arrow except for that horrible under-and-up throwing motion. He got the ball knocked out of his hand too often and his long throwing motion was an invitation for pass-rushers. Byron was Dan Marino with the worst throwing motion I have ever seen. Also, Byron held the ball as I had never seen another quarterback hold it. He ran his fingers down the laces, more than across the laces. I figured it was a backyard creation from his childhood, but one day I happened to notice Chad Pennington held the ball the same way Byron did. I assumed it was something they had been taught at Marshall.

Cassidy from Carlsbad, CA
What was the rationale for the 1978 rules change that allowed the offensive linemen to use their hands to block?
Defense was dominating. There wasn't enough scoring. The losing team in Super Bowls VI-IX didn't score more than seven points. The rules changes of 1978 were intended to promote the passing game, which is exactly what they did. In that season's Super Bowl, the Steelers beat the Cowboys in a 35-31 thriller. The game was changed forever.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, has Paul Azinger been a good replacement for Johnny Miller?
Miller is still the best -- I watched a TPC replay the other night just to listen to Miller -- but Azinger has really grown into the role. In the beginning, I thought he was too much of a player apologist, but with time he has become a more balanced analyst. I love his succinct technical evaluations. In the Honda, he quickly explained why Gary Woodland had chunked a chip. "Hands ahead cause the leading edge to dig," Azinger said. I knew exactly what he meant; it was Milleresque analysis. On the flip side, Paul grossly misspoke during the second round of the Honda. The coverage provided a visual of a brown pelican standing majestically near a green. David Feherty said he heard brown pelicans go blind from diving head first into the surf and then starve to death because they can't find food. "That's absolutely true," Azinger. It's absolutely not true. They do not go blind from diving head first into the surf and then die of starvation because they can't find food. I can't imagine how that morose story of kamikaze pelicans came to become beach lore, but it has been debunked. Brown pelicans live to be 15-25 years old, which is a long life for a bird. Human behavior is the greatest threat to the brown pelican.

Dave from Savage, MN
I have a book to read about Joe Namath and his time with Bear Bryant at Alabama. Do you have any stories from Namath's time in high school or after?
He played for Beaver Falls. A stupid rule required a team to be undefeated and untied to play for the Western Pa. title. Beaver Falls was the only undefeated and untied team in Namath's senior season, therefore, they won the title without having to play a title game. It angered me. Hey, step out of the Beaver Valley and play somebody, OK?

Bryan from Spartanburg, SC
Vic, you mentioning Rocky Bleier in your column made me think of an article I read a couple of months ago. Bleier was talking about an issue he had when he was playing and the writer asked him if he had talked with Coach Noll about it and Bleier responded he had never had a personal conversation with Chuck Noll. I found that surprising. Was that Noll's personality or just how coaches handled players back then?
Paul Brown said "I'll tell you when you do it wrong; I pay you to do it right." Coach Noll played for Brown. It was the way coaches were back then. Getting close to your players might've been perceived as a weakness. It made cutting a guy difficult and might've clouded a coach's decision making. I can only remember one such example of weakness in Chuck's career. He cut Dwaine Board to avoid cutting Dwight White, who had come out of a hospital bed to play in Super Bowl IX. Keeping White and cutting Board was a mistake and I'm sure Chuck knew it. Lombardi used a good cop, bad cop personality to keep his distance. Still, in the end he quit instead of having to cut the guys who won for him. Fans want love, but football is not a loving game. Chuck expressed his love for his players in unique ways. He told them football was something they would do for a short time before they got on with their life's work, and he applauded them when they moved on. He never capitalized on his success by taking endorsement money. He believed endorsement money should be left for the players, who had short careers and needed to profit as much as possible in the time they had in the limelight.

David from Calistoga, CA
I recently read a fringe presidential candidate suggest the invention of a transhumanist Olympics, a second division of athletics, where medical science and radical technology are encouraged and celebrated through new sport. I’m intrigued; what are your thoughts on the concept?
Fringe presidential candidate? Is he running on the Nutso Party ticket? Maybe he's the guy who started that story about brown pelicans. Are we talking about using athletes as lab rats to create a quarterback with a third eye to watch the pass rush? A wide receiver with an extra finger on each hand? A Packers defender who could stop the run?

Saikat from Niskayuna, NY
Which books have you been reading recently?
I'm re-reading Michener's "Kent State," as this is the 50th anniversary year of that event in my life. I've had to put the book down several times because the details upset me.

​William from Savannah, GA
Vic, did you watch the 1980 Olympic hockey game between the U.S. and Russia? That game, 9/11, the Cuban missile crisis and the Kennedy assassination were about the only four events in my lifetime that really united this country, in my opinion. From your perspective, did I miss any?
I'll add the moon landing and Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" before the 1976 Flyers/Red Army hockey game. Everyone in the Spectrum was singing, and then the Flyers bounced the Soviets off every board on the ice. "They're going home!"

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

Garrett from Spring, TX
As a former print journalist, what do you think of the gradual extinction of newspapers and how does the prominence of electronic media change the way news is presented and interpreted?
Printing presses cost millions of dollars. Libel insurance, the rising cost of newsprint, employee health benefits, circulation costs and declining advertising made survival nearly impossible for small-town newspapers with a social conscience and commitment to serve the communities in which they published. Their investment was so great they weighed every word they published because one careless reference could invite a lawsuit that would close the newspaper's doors. These were good and trusted news outlets that, in many cases, dated back to the start of the industrial revolution and whose volumes had been committed to microfilm in their communities' libraries. They recorded history for all of the people who would live in those small towns. In the best of times, they were marginally profitable. They were the property of men who were more dedicated to a free voice than they were to making a buck. They were America at its most virtuous and idealistic. "Ask Vic?" I bought a laptop for $300, an LLC for $125, a domain name for $12, pay Weebly.com $19 a month and work off my phone's hotspot. My investment and risk are minimal and my readership exceeds that of most small-town newspapers. I'll let you take it from there.

Benjamin from Vestal, NY
What do you remember of Doug Williams?
I covered a game early in his career when he was mocked for throwing the ball away on fourth down to stop the clock. Late in his career, he won a Super Bowl and became one of the most respected minds in professional football.

Kevin from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, I just moved my family from Jacksonville to North Carolina for a job. How did you feel about moving around the country for jobs? I know I will miss the Jaguars and my season tickets.
If I had lived in one place and covered one team, I wouldn't be who I am. Jacksonville was the crossroads of my life. It's where I chose to grow.

Jack from Port Washington, WI
Rashan Gary didn't do much this year. Where do you see him being next season?
A scout told me the knock on Gary is he doesn't love football. I'm at a loss to forecast his future until I see some love. I'll know it when I see it. It has the unmistakable look of desperation.

Chris from Virginia Beach, VA
It's ludicrous to suggest Mike McCarthy was fired because of a Pittsburgh accent.
Maybe they'll understand him better if he beats dem in da playoffs, jano.

Raymond of Jacksonville, FL
When the Jaguars attendance began to decrease after the fast start the team experienced in the late '90s, many said we would have to wait to develop a loyal and deep fan base until the young people who grew up with the team reached an age they would be buying tickets. The problem with that is young people remember only the many recent years of the team being inept. My son has attended the games for years on my dime; he recently said he would not pay his own money to watch the constant losing. The team's dreadful past decade has lost a generation of potential fans.
Losing fires the steel. It's been hardened. Just win, baby.

Sandy from Fruit Cove, FL
Vicbow, watching Patrick Reed win in Mexico left a sour taste in my mouth. Is there a less likeable guy in the history of professional golf?
Forgiveness begins with an apology.

Duff from Longmont, CO
I had an incredible chance encounter with Marv Levy last fall. At 94, he had the wit and mind of a 34-year-old. Do you have a favorite coach Levy story?
As the new head coach of the Chiefs in 1978, Levy inherited a team with a terrible defense and lacking talent at quarterback and receiver, but was deep at running back. Levy installed the Wing T and the Chiefs shortened games, were No. 2 in the league in rushing and achieved respectability. Yeah, that's the same coach who ran the K-Gun in Buffalo. Don't scheme schemes, scheme personnel.

Greg from Danbury, CT
“Carlisle vs. Army” often recounted how Jim Thorpe was applauded by opposing teams' fans for particularly excellent feats on the field. I can’t think of a single instance of that happening in America within the last 50 years.
I trace the mania to be No. 1 in my lifetime back to "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." I think those words changed us.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
If "Ask Vic" was an in-person question and answer event, how do you think the questions would differ from what you receive in your inbox today?
Tone of voice wouldn't be a problem in that format. It can get lost in the printed word and that's why it's not a good idea to write as you would speak. The printed word is subject to literal interpretation. Face to face? I'd welcome it.

Noor from Jakarta, Indonesia
Vic, SF attacked the Packers pass-rushers. How should the Packers have countered it?
If they had an outside linebacker who was better against the run than either of the Smith Bros., then you take one of the Smiths out and shade the strong safety to the other one's side of the field. The Packers' problem, I suspect, was they didn't have a better run-defender to put into the game. I have no doubt the Packers will address this issue in the offseason by giving the Smith Bros. the help they need against the run, either schematically or with personnel (or both), so the Smiths can continue to do what they do best.

Don from Imnaha, OR
There have been quite a few placekickers for the Packers who were quite good. Where would you rate Crosby?
Mason Crosby is the only Packers kicker I covered. Crosby is the second-best kicker I covered in my career. Gary Anderson is the best.

Douglas from Binghamton, NY
I thought the Steelers in the '70's were thought to have been using steroids in a significant way? I was born in the '80's so I have no frame of reference for that perception, but do you think that type of cheating is different than what the Patriots or the Astros have been accused?
It wasn't cheating because steroids weren't forbidden. They were new and widely considered a miracle drug for their ability to aid recovery from injury. Steroids helped save Rocky Bleier's career by healing the shrapnel wound Bleier sustained in Vietnam. It wasn't until the late '70's we became suspicious steroids were being used in a negative way. A rookie named Steve Courson came to training camp with a body the size and cut of which none of us had ever seen. Courson whipped Joe Greene in that summer's Oklahoma drill and that's when steroids became an issue for me. The NFL didn't begin testing for steroids and policing their usage until 10 years later.

Mark from Verona, WI
I look at mock drafts from time to time. This year appears not many big guys are potentially going in round one, which tells me there could be a decent big man available for the Packers.
Mock drafts tend to not pick the big guys because they're not sexy picks. The real draft picks big guys because they're the smart pick and you gotta get the big guys early. Take a look at last year's first round.

Nathan from New York, NY
Do Joe Burrow's small hands make him a bad fit for cold-weather teams like Cincinnati?
It's called soap-dishing; the ball slips from the grasp of a small-handed quarterback on a cold or wet day. Dan Marino has small hands and he had some monster games in cold weather in a cold-weather division. Why wasn't soap-dishing a problem for Marino? Because he held the ball high and tight to his ear. Burrow has a similarly textbook delivery. It's the under-and-up guys who lose the ball on a cold day.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
What interest will you have in watching the combine? If you were the Packers GM, what would be your main focus?
By now, Brian Gutekunst has identified his draft targets. His main focus will be on interviewing those players.

​David from Capitol Heights, MD
Why do you think people cheat?
We cheat because we fear defeat, and we've created that fear in athletic competition by our intolerance for defeat. If you lose, you'll be fired. It's the mania to be No. 1. Teach your children how to lose with graciousness, acceptance and patience, but without losing their spirit for victory. With defeat comes humility, and humility is an honorable quality. Victory without honor is meaningless.

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

Sreve from Lake Stevens, WA
What are your thoughts on the Astros sign stealing and the way MLB has handled it?
I have avoided addressing this topic because reaction to my opinion on other such issues and cheating in general has caused me disappointment and despair. A few weeks ago, I told the story of the Steelers reporting themselves to the league for a minor and unintended salary cap accounting error. The league hadn't detected the mistake and it likely would've never become an issue had the Steelers not brought it to the league's attention. The league penalized the Steelers by taking a third-round draft pick from them. In reaction to that story, a reader asked why the Steelers reported themselves. I was so shaken by that reaction I considered ending the column. I felt the same kind of frustration a few years ago when my opinion on "Deflategate" met with so much unpopularity. What's my opinion on the Astros' cheating scandal? It's a stain that franchise and the game of baseball must bear forever. Don't strip them of their title. Let their name remain on the list of World Series champions as a reminder of the depths to which we have sunk as a sporting culture. In my opinion, any fan who excuses, defends or continues to support a team that acts in contempt of the spirit of fair play is as dishonorable as the cheaters themselves. Fans, too, need to be accountable.

Nate from Milwaukee, WI
Can a pass-rush specialist learn to be better in defending the run?
Yeah, but at crunch time players revert to their true personality. Know what your players' strengths and weaknesses are and scheme accordingly.

Steve from Las Vegas, NV
Your reply to the question regarding the Packers drafting a cornerback was perplexing to me. I personally think the position is in relatively good shape and not the top priority in the draft. I subscribe to best player available, so if it happens to be a cornerback in the first several rounds, so be it, but I would be surprised if it went that way. Having never been to Edisto Island, is Scott Creek a large body of water with alligators and snakes, or a creek on your golf course you can walk through and over. Just trying to understand the metaphor.
I'm fishing in it. It's salt, so there are no alligators. There are lots of dolphins, but they're nice.

Brad from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, as one of the young kids when Jacksonville got a team and someone whose parents are original season ticket holders, and as a current season ticket holder since I graduated from college, I can confidently say Jacksonville has arrived as a professional football town. We don't care about all of the pools and dog parks and the amphitheater. We want a winning football team. Packers fans that comment we need to show up can hardly understand what it's like to sit in 115-degree temperatures watching a team that has averaged 10 losses a season since 2000. In contrast, the Packers have averaged 6.4 losses a season over that time period. That's the difference in a perennial top 10 pick versus a perennial playoff team. It's hard to not become apathetic when it feels like the ownership is not interested in winning.
The team and the town are at the test, and the football world is watching.

Dave from Savage, MN
Do you remember any thoughts you had when the Steelers made their picks in 1974? When did you know it was a very special class?
Training camp began with a players strike, so the rookies had plenty of reps and opportunity to show what they could do. We all saw it and we all wrote it. It was obvious it was a special group. It was so special a middle linebacker named Henry Davis, who had played in the Pro Bowl the previous season, decided to retire. Lambert won the job without even a competition.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
Is spring there yet? How do people in SC know when it is?
The purple azaleas begin to bloom right around Valentine's Day. That's the first sign of spring and it's immediately followed by the yellow dust of pine pollen, which glazes my car windshield every morning. The big spring event is the leaves being pushed off the live oaks by new growth. The old leaves are yellowing and the leaf blowing season is about to begin.

Mike from Somerset, WI
Vic, I think Packers fans wanted McCarthy gone because of his Pittsburgh dialect. Midwestern Wisconsin folk mistook his communication style for lack of intelligence. The Packers now have a guy that is more articulate. They like that even if the team gives up 6.8 yards per carry after adding $177 million dollars worth of free-agent contracts in the offseason.
Good for yinz.

Ben from El Paso, TX
What did you learn during Black History Month this year?
I learned some people feel a need to mock it.

Mark from Wausau, WI
As a former print journalist, what do you think of the gradual extinction of newspapers and how does the prominence of electronic media change the way “news” is presented and interpreted?
Those quotation marks are an insult to my profession and my dedication to it. It would probably be a waste of time to answer your question.

David from Rochester, MN
Who do you consider to be the 10-15 most important people in the history of the NFL and why?
How about seven? Bert Bell (inverse order draft), Pete Rozelle (leaguethink), Wellington Mara (share the revenue), Vince Lombardi (the spirit of the game), Johnny Unitas (the greatest game ever played), Judge Doty (free agency), African-American players (they made the game great).

Steven from Racine, WI
Please give up more life advice. I hope you’re a Christian.
Love all men.

Jack from Middleton, WI
What does Vic's morning routine look like?
Coffee, "Ask Vic," more coffee, read the news, ride my bike around the beach island and wave to the people I know.

​Eric from Atlanta, GA
Why is nfl.com covering the XFL games? What is in it for them?
Readership. One of my favorite philosophies of my profession is "Don't promote, provide."

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

Nathan from San Diego, CA
What is the cure for wide receiver fever?
Allowing 285 yards rushing, a 6.8 yards per carry average and 37 points to a team that threw only eight passes for 77 yards should be a cure.

Bob from St. Charles, IA
Pittsburgh football DNA has always been about solid, physical defense. Green Bay just doesn’t seem to have that trait. Green Bay should return focus to offense, score 42 points per game and try to hold the other team to 41. Thoughts?
How do you live with yourself?

Robert from Plymouth, WI
I thought the playoff system they had in place was one of the best in all of sports. So strange to change it. Do you think expanding the playoffs will hurt in the long run?
We asked the same question when the league went from four playoff teams to five and then to six. Why the concern for the quality of a wild-card game? Could the No. 7 teams play any worse than the Packers did against the 49ers? Where was the quality in the Ravens' performance against the Titans? Based on the Texans' collapse against the Chiefs, were the Texans playoff quality? More playoff games is a good thing.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
Regarding your comments on Green Bay's defense, I think cornerback is a sneaky position of need for the Packers this offseason. Kevin King led the team in picks, yes, but I've also watched him get roasted at a disappointingly high rate over the course of his tenure with the team. Tramon Williams is probably the oldest cornerback in the league by half a decade, and while I do think he played pretty well last year, there's only so long that can last. Jaire Alexander was looking like a great corner in the making, but he got abused by Amari Cooper last season, and I also saw him giving up big plays in a few other games. Plus, in today's NFL, coverage guys are at a premium and I think you need at least three good, solid corners on your team, and the more the merrier. I think this team needs to add a cornerback or two this year. What do you think?
I'll swim Scott Creek if the Packers don't draft a cornerback.

Jeff from Miami, FL
If the Steel Curtain defense had to play today's pass-heavy offenses and wanted to play five defensive backs, how would they have lined up the down linemen and linebackers?
Tony Dungy would've come into the game, a linebacker (not Lambert or Ham because they were outstanding in coverage) would've gone out, and everything else would've stayed the same. Substitution only becomes problematic when your defense is heavy with specialists.

Rey from Milwaukee, WI
Why were you amazed Shanahan revealed that information about his plan?
Coaches are extremely guarded about strategy. They consider it proprietary information. Going way back, I can remember Coach Noll being unwilling to discuss strategy or play-calling. He'd avoid those questions with, "How do you wish to die?" Kyle Shanahan's willingness to reveal his strategy to attack the Packers edge rushers was self-congratulatory and insulting to the Packers. If I was Matt LaFleur, I'd be a little angry.

James from Nogojiwanong, Canada
How do you connect the dots between the Packers coming out brain dead in three California games, plus, the same sort of performance in an NFC championship game in Atlanta and the last four minutes and overtime in an NFC championship game in Seattle?
I feel no need to connect those dots, but if Mike McCarthy was still the Packers' coach, I have no doubt fans would be blaming him for another NFC title game failure. Based on how it all turned out, I think the change is for the good.

Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI
With many college players sitting out bowl games prior to being drafted in the NFL, do you see a time when a Trevor Lawrence or someone of similar ability will sit an entire season prior to being draft eligible? Wouldn't Lawrence be a top five pick if he came out this year? Why risk it?
I see the day when players will be free to enter the draft without having to wait three years from the time they graduate from high school; all free all the time. I think that day is just around the corner.

Dave from Savage, MN
Do you remember the first big hit you received in football?
It's from the first practice of my freshman year in high school. The coach conducted his own version of the Oklahoma drill. A defensive player would lie on his back between two blocking bags a couple of yards apart, and a ball-carrier would position himself five yards from the defender. At the sound of the whistle, the ball-carrier would charge at the defender, who would turn himself into an upright position and brace for the blow. It was a head-on-collision drill and its intent was to set a physical tone. It was a memorable  moment  and one of my memories from it is the lingering scent of Cramergesic. That's when we know something is big; we remember everything down to the fine details.

Andrew from Stuttgart, Germany
I was curious your thoughts regarding Kenny Clark. Is the impact he has on games going to be worth the money they will likely shell out to him?
In my mind, a nose tackle must be a special player for a team to pay him big money. I think Clark is on the verge of becoming special and I would advocate signing him to a new contract. I especially like Clark's athletic ability and fit in a 3-4. I think he has the ability to play inside or outside; he's perfectly suited for a 3-4 and he reminds me of Kimo von Oelhoffen, a versatile and much underrated 3-4 defensive lineman.

Kevin from Silverdale, WA
Vic, I think it's important to find a way to keep the kickoff. I think it's one of the most iconic moments of football, especially on the opening play.
Ceremonial? OK, start the game and the second half with a kickoff. Otherwise, put the ball at the 25 and let's go.

Jason from Austin, TX
Not to open this can of worms again, but do you think if Jacksonville had drafted hometown darling Tim Tebow they would have had the same issues selling seats during his tenure in the NFL?
He would've given them a bump in season ticket sales in year one, but the team would've been blamed for his ultimate failure and it would've given the Gator crowd another reason to dislike and mock the Jaguars. Tebow wasn't the answer. Time was the answer. Jacksonville needed time to grow and overcome its habit of watching football on TV. The latter is what got lost in the decision to put a franchise in a place that filled a big stadium for the Florida-Georgia and Gator Bowl games. The people filling the stadium were from out of town; Jacksonville watched those games on TV, and the high ratings are proof of it. When Jacksonville was awarded a franchise, the town's football fans thought to themselves, "Oh, good, now I have a favorite team to watch on TV." I don't think they understood the responsibility they were accepting for buying those expensive tickets. All of that came to a head on that Sunday night in 2004, when the Steelers took the field and the towels turned Alltel Stadium yellow. Six home games were blacked out that season, despite the Jaguars being in playoff contention down to the final game of the season. When I saw those towels swing, I knew we had a big problem. Sixteen years later, I think Jacksonville has grown enough and the Jaguars are important enough for that market to become the football hotbed it was thought to be when the franchise was awarded. It just took time. I disagree with Shad Khan. I think the market has arrived. Just give it a winner.

Scott from Medford, NJ
Would Rozelle have allowed the Jaguars to give up two home games for extra local revenue? Seems to fly in the face of competitive balance.
I don't know the answer to your question, but as a sidebar I doubt Jacksonville would've been awarded a franchise had Pete been commissioner in 1993. Vito Stellino, with whom I covered the Steelers and Jaguars, told me of an unsolicited phone call he received from Rozelle nine months after the Colts left Baltimore. That was in 1984 and Vito was working for the Baltimore Sun. Vito is the reporter who broke the story on the Colts' shocking late-night exit from Baltimore. Rozelle phoned Vito to tell him Baltimore would be awarded a team in expansion. Pete was big on tradition and Baltimore was one of the league's flagship cities during Pete's early years as commissioner. Circumstances caused expansion to be delayed until after Pete retired in 1989.

Eric from Green Bay, WI
Vic, watching videos from the '70's and early '80's, something struck me about the crowd. No one was wearing jerseys or really any team apparel. When did the NFL start marketing jersey sales and fan apparel?
When the fans became sheep. It was another stroke of marketing genius by the NFL: Make it fashionable for the fans to spend huge sums of money to buy a team jersey, and then, after making them feel as though they are part of the team, sell them a ticket and instruct them to stand and howl. Baaa! When I was a kid, I had an old, yellow sweatshirt on which I stenciled the number 22 on the sleeves. I loved that sweatshirt. My dad always wore a cigar to the game. I can't think of Bobby Layne without thinking of that sweatshirt and smelling cigar smoke.

David from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, have you felt an increased disrespect toward members of the media since 2016?
That happened following Watergate. Everything changed. Americans have a distrust and dislike of those who speak the truth.

Philip from Madison, MS
Can you provide some detail, Vic? What does being a nice person mean to you?
Humble and helpful top the list.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what is your greatest challenge in your quest to be kind?
It's probably greed.

Wendel from Porto Allegre, Brazil
The dead money of Khalil Mack's contract would be $30.8 million if he's traded. The $47.8 million figure occurs if he's released.
Mack's $13.3 million salary fully guarantees on 3-15, three days prior to the start of the league year, but it won't be paid until next season so, you're right, his salary would become the liability of his new team. A $3.7 million roster bonus is to be paid on 3-20, and its liability would depend on when the trade occurred. Traded, his dead money wouldn't be $47.8 million, it would be either $34.5 million or $30.8 million. Trade him to draft a quarterback? It's doable but it would mean starting over, and based on the contract re-structuring the Bears are doing to create cap room, I don't think a re-start is in the Bears' plans.

Luke from Madison, WI
With the conversation here turning slowly to the NFL draft, I had an observation on the crystal ball, hit-or-miss business of the draft. From 2015-17, the Packers had poor luck in the second round. In an imaginary world in which the Packers took the guys drafted one spot later, they'd have Frank Clark, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jarran Reed. It's amazing, sometimes, how thin the margin is between a hit and a miss.
Jason Campbell was selected one pick after Aaron Rodgers. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Mike from Bridgeport, CT
Remember when you frequently used the phrase "no more excuses" while this column was very young? The game vs. Houston (2004), when the aliens showed up at halftime, was 15 years ago. It's time the Jaguars fan base takes accountability for losing games to London. Enough with the finger pointing. Stop the baloney and fill the seats!
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? I can't help but think of that "no more three yards and a cloud of dust" remark. Why didn't we appreciate what we had?

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

Mikey from Tallahassee, FL
At the end of a long day, what makes Vic smile?
It's knowing I've been a nice person.

Dave from Savage, MN
Did you read Cliff Christl's (story on) Bill Austin? Good stuff about the offensive line and the power sweep under Lombardi. There's a picture of the Packers coaching staff: Lombardi and five guys. Amazing when you see the quality of play now with 20 coaches. Is bigger better?
Last season's Packers coaching staff included Matt LaFleur and 21 other guys, four of whom were quality control coaches and another who was generically designated an offensive assistant. Is bigger better? Not when you lay the egg the Packers did in San Francisco. Early in my time covering the Steelers, Chuck Noll's staff included Dick Hoak, Dan "Bad Rad" Radakovich, Lionel Taylor, George Perles, Woody Widenhofer and the great Bud Carson. Coach Noll was head coach, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. It's the smallest and probably the best coaching staff I ever covered. The Jaguars are hiring so many coaches they may not be able to fit them all on the plane to London.

Dirk from Hanover, Germany
In the context of player safety, do you see a development where tackling is eventually forbidden and the NFL plays a kind of electronic flag football (a play is ended when a defender triggers one or more sensors sewn into the clothes of the ball-carrier)?
I see a day when the ball is snapped and all of the players begin vibrating and moving in different directions.

Billy from Verona, WI
Vic, have you ever seen players become tough as they developed in the NFL, or is being tough an intrinsic trait?
Greg Lloyd comes to mind. He was a media darling in his first couple of training camps. He was Mr. Nice Guy, but he kept getting hurt so he decided to become Mr. Mean Guy, and he never got hurt again. Nice isn't good in football.

Jonathan from Southern Pines, NC
Care to detail more how Jacksonville is a legitimate NFL market? They can't even sell out the stadium or come close, and it's been that way for years. Now they're giving off multiple games to London. Are their local TV ratings any good? It just looks bad.
The Jacksonville TV ratings were always good. Interest in football was never the issue; lack of market size and disposable income were the problems early on. The Jaguars bear a large portion of the blame. They made short-term decisions that made their franchise bid look good to the NFL, but damaged the long-term future of the franchise. Ten thousand club seats was a ridiculous number. In my opinion, the market has grown in population and in commerce to the point there's no excuse for not being able to support 10 home dates a year. It's a one-sport town and there's no doubt in my mind the Jaguars should be a hot ticket in a market as vibrant as Jacksonville and without competition for the entertainment dollar from any other major league team. Stop with the pools and the promotions and put a team on the field that captures the heart of the Jacksonville football fan.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, female coaches have been added to the staff on at least two NFL teams. What are your thoughts on this dynamic and its impact on the game?
It's not an issue for me because women don't play the game, therefore, they weren't being exploited. I sense no wrong being righted. African-Americans were being exploited as players until they began being hired as coaches.

John from Garnet Valley, PA
During your years covering the NFL, what rule change had the biggest impact on the way the game is played today?
The 1978 rules change that allows offensive linemen to use their hands in blocking changed nearly everything about how the game is played. All of the techniques of line play changed. Pad level, once the foundation of line play, has become unimportant; that's why nobody can convert short yardage with any consistency. Mobility and creating space have been replaced by sliding and walling up. The explosion in the size of offensive linemen is the greatest change. I don't think the league saw that coming and I don't think this super sizing has been good for the game.

Tom from New York, NY
I'd like two preseason games, seventeen regular-season games and a second bye week for an 18-week season. Problem solved?
The league did two bye weeks in 1993. It was deemed a bad idea. The regular season ended after the first of the year. Coaches didn't like having to re-start a second time. The TV menu was weak twice that season. Be that as it may, there were only 28 teams back then; today's 32-team league would offer more schedule strength during the bye weeks. It might be worth a try.

Doug from Union Grove, WI
During the offseason, do you ever get as tired of us as I do?
I especially enjoy doing the column in the offseason because we tend to get into some deep-thought issues that challenge our perspective and help us re-discover the past. What I don't enjoy is the constant pounding on the same tired subject. There always seems to be one issue every year. Last year it was Mike McCarthy. This year it's the need at wide receiver.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
Do you see the NFL ever expanding to 36 teams?
I think it's likely to happen if the league expands internationally. As it is, I don't know where the league could expand in the U.S. What if we're headed for another population migration, to escape the effects of climate change? Expansion? What about contraction?

Jared from Sugar City, ID
Vic, when did player celebrations become a thing, and how has it changed the feel of the game?
Homer Jones threw down the ball as he crossed the goal line, and the celebration generation was born. Homer's celebration was spontaneous. Today's celebrations are rehearsed. I think they're pukey. They make the players look silly.

Ryan from Freedom, WI
I have seen reports of the Bears thinking about trading Mack to the Redskins for a second overall pick, most likely to draft a new quarterback. What are your thoughts on this?
Reports? Have any of those reports mentioned his $47.8 million dead money hit in what would be the final year of the CBA, which means the Bears would have to bear the whole hit in 2020?

Douglas from Binghamton, NY
The Packers just completed a sweep of the NFC North, made it to the NFC championship game, and beat the Seahawks along the way. How is this season a disappointment by any metric? Yeah, they got thumped on the road against a team so loaded they nearly beat the Chiefs with Jimmy G at QB, but what other team would have beat the 49ers at home?
Hooray!

Dave from Franklin, WI
I don't necessarily think this column needs "Nice Vic." Do you think you're sensing more anger because people are upset you've dropped to two publishings a week for the offseason?
No, it's because that's who we are; we're angry people. We're angry at people who have a different opinion and we're especially angry at the "fake news" media.

​Brad from Basalt, CO
Vic, I hear about all of Blake Martinez' flaws at linebacker, but he also led the league in tackles this year and was second last year. So a new and better inside linebacker will do what exactly? And does this reflect poorly on the rest of the defense or just the other linebackers?
Martinez is taking the fall for the run-defense's failures and that's not fair. Remember, Kyle Shanahan said he had targeted the Packers' edge players; it amazed me Shanahan revealed that information. Frankly, the pass rush was the only thing I liked about the defense last season. For a team with a rush as fierce as the Packers, I thought the pass defense was also a disappointment, especially when you consider the Packers played games against three backup quarterbacks and two rookies. The Packers need to continue their focus on improving the talent on defense.

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

Jeff from Miami, FL
I just wanted to see if I understand your point. Are you saying you need to pick the big guys first because controlling the line of scrimmage means controlling the game?
Big guys come at a premium, and the popular belief is you have to get them early in the draft. Seventeen linemen were selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, as opposed to two wide receivers and one running back.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Vic, why do the Packers love having 8-10 draft picks per year? They rarely use them as trade capital to acquire more talent earlier in the draft. I’d rather have four picks in the top 100 than one or two and eight scrubs. You only have 53 spots. What am I missing?
I'm not opposed to trading up, and I think the Packers should've done more of it during the Rodgers era. What you might be missing about the late-round picks and why the Packers and a lot of teams value them is this: When you hit on one of those guys, it's four years of minimum-wage labor, and that's how you keep your cap healthy. Those are the guys that "pay" the quarterback's salary.

Dan from Toledo, OH
It seems we’ve figured out Brian Gutekunst’s strategy. Identify a weak position and acquire multiple players to fit. WR deficit? Draft three of them. No edge rushers? Acquire three. Poor safety play? Let's get two new ones. How would you rate him as a GM so far?
Shotgun approach? It's worked for teams down through the years, but I'm not a fan of it because I think you end up drafting the same guy two and three times. In 2008, the Jaguars thought they were one player away, a pass rusher. So, they traded up in the first round and drafted Derrick Harvey and then traded up in the second round and drafted Quentin Groves. Five extra draft picks were spent on the same guy, so to speak, and neither Harvey nor Groves was the player the Jaguars needed. In 1999, the Jaguars were thought to need a cornerback and a defensive lineman. They spent seven of their eight picks on those two positions, and none of the players they picked after the first round was the player they needed. I'm not ready to pigeon-hole Gutekunst after just two drafts. Again, I'll tell you I think he is an outstanding evaluator of talent and I believe he is absolutely the right guy for the job.

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
Does the NFL regret awarding a franchise to Jacksonville?
It shouldn't. Jacksonville did the NFL a great service by offering the league an option to St. Louis, which was supposed to be the pick but failed to present an acceptable plan to the league. The NFL even delayed its decision, to give St. Louis more time, but St. Louis still failed to produce an ownership plan and it left the league with no choice but to award the franchise to another city. Jacksonville was the choice and it was made with the idea the market would require time to grow into its new big-league designation. In my opinion, the market has arrived. After 25 years of growth, I think Jacksonville is a legitimate NFL market and I would hate to see the league quit on Jacksonville after 25 years of pruning and watering.

Leo from Dallas, TX
You spent years defending you weren't a company shill but had to be a true journalist. Now you have to defend that your opinions aren't the company line.
​Falls down a well, eyes go crossed. Kicked by a mule, they go back. I don't know.
​
Joe from Leland, NC
When you worked in Jacksonville, did you feel at the time the Jaguars reached for a guy when they drafted Tyson Alualu No. 10 overall?
I wasn't sure. Alualu was a late riser and it was difficult to get a feel for where he fit. I had it on good information the Steelers liked him a lot and Miami was considering taking him at No. 12 and then traded back and picked defensive tackle Jared Odrick when the Jaguars picked Alualu at 10. I also considered the possibility one of the Jaguars' attractions to Alualu is they believed they could sign him affordably. Remember, 2010 was an uncapped year and it was obvious the Jaguars were clearing their cap. Earl Thomas was available, but the Jaguars needed big guys and the premium on them is almost always greater than it is on safeties. Alualu never became a star player, but he's still in the league. If you want to criticize the Jaguars for bad drafting, Blake Bortles, Luke Joeckel and Justin Blackmon are better examples.

Robert from Orlando, FL
In the past, you used to say teams leave for stadium issues. Do you think that is still true? It seems to me market size and potential value increases are what drive moves now.
With the Raiders' move to Las Vegas, the Bills would seem to be the only team in the league with a stadium issue. Stadiums are no longer the issue they once were because the NFL has just completed a 25-year stadium building boom. All but a handful of teams in the league have moved into a new stadium during that time, and most of the others have conducted expensive renovation to existing stadiums. The Bills need to upgrade their stadium and the Jacksonville market has come into question recently, otherwise, the NFL is more stable right now than it has been since the Colts left Baltimore and the crab hit the fan.

Scott from Milwaukee, WI
If wide receiver isn't the problem for the Packers, then what needs do you perceive they have?
This is a trick question, right? Seriously, the Packers fan base has the worst case of wide receiver fever I've ever witnessed. I can remember the crowd at training camp cheering wide receivers catching passes against air. I had never seen anything like that. I'd hear a cheer and I'd look around the field to see what I had missed. I don't think this is a good column for you because I'm more concerned about the 49ers throwing eight passes and beating the Packers' brains in than I am about finding a complement to Davante Adams.

Richard from Jacksonville, FL
The taxpayer money that went into that stadium and those TV screens, and Khan can then just take two games away from the city like that. It's embarrassing what we let the rich get away with.
Art Rooney bought the Steelers franchise for $3,200. Until 1970, his teams played in a baseball park and a college football stadium. The Steelers' games were broadcast on an FM radio station (I didn't even know what an FM radio was) until the Pirates' season ended. The Packers played in a high school stadium. These days, the Rams are building a stadium that'll cost $5 billion and the NFL chases the World Series around the dial, so to speak. That's how dramatic the NFL's rise to popularity has been. I get what you're saying, Richard, but Jacksonville was awarded one of 32 pieces of gold and the cost of losing its piece would be devastating. Jaguars fans must find a way to put aside their bitterness, support that team and keep it in Jacksonville. I would also add this: Shad Khan owes Jacksonville a winner. It's not enough to spend money and pass out titles. It's your team. Run it!

Steven from Kimberly, WI
Why should losing teams have a chance to reverse what happened for the previous 58 minutes of the game? Because of "the tradition, history, memories and emotions that go with (the) league."
We're in a player-safety movement and the game is changing in a multitude of ways in pursuit of less danger. The onside kick might be the most dangerous play in football. One of the most frightening injuries I ever witnessed occurred on an onside kick in a game in Cincinnati. The outcome of the game had been decided. Riverfront Stadium was empty and the sound of Jaguars cornerback Dave Thomas' leg breaking reverberated throughout the stadium. It sounded like wood breaking. In 1909, handles were sewn into the pants of ball-carriers so they could be used as battering rams, and 26 young men died that season. Fortunately, Teddy Roosevelt led a movement to save the game. Football has always had to deal with the effects of its dangerous nature, and it's dealing with it again by legislating against kickoffs. Maybe you could say that's part of the tradition, history, memories and emotions that go with the game.

Henry from Jacksonville, FL
Did Dan Marino have the smoothest throwing motion you've ever seen? Any other notable throwers of the football without the recognition?
When Marino was a freshman at Pitt, Jackie Sherrill said to him, "Son, whatever you do, don't let anybody change your style on how you throw the football." Marino and Bert Jones had the most perfect throwing motions I've ever seen.

Jak from Devils Lake, ND
You are a walking contraction. "That's my opinion. This is also my column." So much for "it's the fans' column."
Contraction? Do you mean contradiction? I think my words were "the readers (fans) write the column," which they do because they ask the questions that determine the subject matter of the column. I'm sensing anger in my inbox. I think it's time for "Nice Vic" to return. Maybe we could have a "You Said Day," too.

Dan from Waupun, WI
Should we have a history month for every skin color in America? I am for every color every day. Treat all with respect.
I like that.

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

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
If offense wins championships, why have the Packers placed such a heavy emphasis in the draft and in free agency on defense?
Because defense loses championships.

Jason from Oneida, WI
I have been a reader of yours since your early days with the Packers. I continue to do so for your knowledge of the game that I love so much. I now have another. Thank you for your response to Sandy from Texas. You are spot on when it comes to this culture vs. tradition controversy. I am a descendant and my wife, children, mother and grandmother are enrolled Oneida Nation citizens. From my perspective, the majority of Tribal citizens that are active participants in our culture do not support mascots and are working to end the practice. At one point in time I was naive to my Native heritage and felt indifferent to the mascot issue until I had an experience that changed my life. In high school in the early '90's, my football team was preparing for homecoming against another local school with Indians as their mascot (they still do). In the parade there was a float that had writing "Kill the Indians" and "Scalp the Indians" as well as drawings with a male Indian figure with arrows in his head. It bothered me even though I was not raised in my culture. I asked myself is that how my classmates see me? They were ignorant to how it made me feel. I can only imagine now as the father of two beautiful and impressionable children how something like that might make them feel knowing they have been raised to respect and appreciate where they came from and who they are. These mascots and the fallout from them make many of our children feel as if they are less than their white classmates. I now ask those in support of keeping Native mascots if they believe keeping athletic traditions going (Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, Indians) is more important than protecting the well-being of children whose self-identity is derived through their culture?
The answer to your question is obvious to any caring person.

John from Austin, TX
Not a song-and-dance kind of guy? What if the halftime show could feature Sinatra?
Sinatra could sing but he couldn't dance, so I'd probably watch a little. I don't like dancing.

Sue from Pittsburgh, PA
My husband and I are having our first child and it will be named Vic.
It's a good name for a kid from Pittsburgh because not even the Pittsburgh accent can screw it up.

Zachary from Jacksonville, FL
Do any OTs fit at the end of round one or the front end of the second?
I asked Tony Pauline what the tackle crop looks like. He said, "Terrific. At least five first-round picks and eight top 45 picks." It looks like a good year to get a big guy late in the first round.

David from Rochester, MN
You said: "A visitor should never ask, 'Who's this guy?' ... But Vainisi and Rooney are unlikely to be considered for election because most people don't know who they are." You're kind of arguing against yourself, Vic, although I understand your intention.
You omitted that I said "the contributor category is a mistake." It's a mistake because those in the contributor category aren't famous. Polian and Wolf are notable in the present, but their "fame" will fade, just as Vainisi's and Rooney's has.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, how long are you going to avoid talking about the XFL?
They just began play. Couldn't it wait until then? I watched a little of two games on Saturday. It looked like a minor league NFL. The plays are the same; it's more basketball on grass. I just spent five months watching football -- as I've written, this wasn't one of my favorite seasons -- and I'd like to take a break from it. My opinion of the XFL? At first glance, it can provide a fix for those who can't live without football. What it can't provide is the true allure of the NFL. It's not plays or players. It's brand! It's Lambeau Field. It's the Steelers' logo on the right side only. It's the tradition, history, memories and emotions that go with a league that defines life for its rabid fans. The XFL can't do that now and it won't last long enough to be able to ever do that. Empty seats and injury liability will collapse the league before it has time to root.

Keith from Roanoke, VA
What do you think of the XFL kickoff rules? It seems safer for the players and an overall worthwhile experiment for the NFL to follow.
I favor getting rid of the kickoff. Just put the ball at the 25 and let's go. Onside kicks? Why should losing teams have a chance to reverse what happened for the previous 58 minutes of the game?

Mike from Fort Wayne, IN
Just to clarify your comment about being surprised the Packers picked Gary and Savage after the free-agent acquisitions in the offseason. What if they were at the top of their board?
OK, this is a good time to go over this again; it's an annual thing. If you don't like the players available to you, move to where the player you want fits. Moving back in the order is a way of fitting yourself to the player you want and recouping the value of your original pick position. It combines the concepts of drafting BAP with drafting for need. In the first round especially, never reach and never pick a player you don't love. Brian Gutekunst said he fell in love with Rashan Gary as far back as February, and I'm inclined to believe Brian because I'm inclined to believe he could've moved out of the 12th spot if he wanted to do so. There were plenty of attractive big guys available at No. 12. Hey, he moved back for Alexander and up for Savage. It's what good GMs do. They move to where the player they want fits. I think Gary was Brian's guy. My opinion is it was overkill. That's my opinion. This is also my column.

Scott from Milwaukee, WI
If wide receiver isn't the problem for the Packers, then what needs do you perceive they have?
I don't think WR is the problem Packers fans think it is, but I agree the Packers need to add to the unit. Again, talent at that position is plentiful, so I don't think it should be prioritized above big guys and premium-position players. In my mind, the Packers need to address tackle; I think it's a big need. Tight end is a need position and, in my opinion, the Packers desperately need a run-and-hit guy on defense. They need somebody who'll put some crunch into that defense, at any position.

Tracy from Sioux Falls, SD
So what did you do with your football free Sunday?
I've begun re-reading James Michener's "Kent State." This is the 50th anniversary year. I want to make sure it's as I remember it.

James from Green Bay, WI
Why have the Packers been so consistently bad at special teams in recent years, across multiple head coaches and coordinators?
Performance on special teams is usually considered a product of the talent in the bottom half of a team's roster.

Oscar from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, linebackers are supposed to be the heart and soul of a 3-4 defense, yet, the Packers seem to be highly apathetic to the position. Why is that?
Maybe it's because they've been gaga about wide receivers. Didn't they keep eight one year? My kingdom for a linebacker.

David from Riverside, CA
I thought of you while watching a recent interview with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (and former Eagle) Joe Walsh. I was surprised to learn he was also a student at Kent State at the time of the shootings. Did you know him?
No, but I knew Mike Goodman and he let me use his 240Z. I remember thinking to myself, "I'll never own a car like this." I was right.

John from St. Augustine, FL
Would you elaborate on why you’d be willing to share the Jaguars with London?
It's because half of something is better than none of it. I'm afraid the team will leave if the backlash of fans creates declining ticket sales.

Matt from Birmingham, UK
Tell us a story about toughness.
Jack Lambert said, "Give me 20 minutes and a six-pack and I'll go play them again." I had no doubt he would.

Casey from York, PA
How has the Sandusky scandal shaped your opinion of Joe Paterno?
Paterno chose to protect a football program he created and considered his precious child, at the expense of real children.

Jon from Wright City, MO
What is  your favorite car you owned and why?
I had a 2002 Nissan Sentra that refused to die. It might still be running. Golf clubs never fit more perfectly into the trunk of a car. I miss it.

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

Jeff from Miami, FL
So, if the Packers had two more clones of Kenny Clark, they would have a chance to stop the run?
It would certainly help. The Packers have to surround the Smith Bros. with run-stuffers. Pass-rushers are impact players and a defense can't succeed without them.

Brandon from Helena, MT
What are your thoughts on what Deion Sanders said about the Hall of Fame becoming the Hall of "every Tom, Dick and Harry?"
You mean what are my thoughts on Sanders agreeing with me? I've been saying it for years: The Hall of Fame is being diluted. The hall of heads is beginning to look silly. A visitor should never ask, "Who's this guy?" The contributor category is a mistake, and the worst part of it is the old guys are being ignored. Jack Vainisi built the team Lombardi coached. Art Rooney Jr. drafted nine Hall of Famers in five years and just had an undrafted player, Donnie Shell, elected. That's 10 players on a team that won four Super Bowls. But Vainisi and Rooney are unlikely to be considered for election because most people don't know who they are. Instead, we induct Bill Polian, whose Colts teams won one Super Bowl and whose drafts were unspectacular. The NFL is over-commercializing the Hall of Fame. Yes, professional football is about the money, but the line has to be drawn somewhere and I think you draw it at the intersection of immortality. Something has to be sacred. Football heaven should be that place.

Dave from Jacksonville, FL
The clock was at 7:13 in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs had the ball third-and-15 on the KC 35, trailing 20-10. Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill on a 44-yard pass on the ensuing play. That was the play of the game. It was like a boxer landing a left hook. The 49ers took one to the jaw and staggered against the ropes and never recovered from the blow.
That's today's game. The 2014 NFC title game is an even better example. Closing out games is difficult. Defense doesn't win championships as it once did.

Sean from Long Beach, NY
Vic, did the 49ers try to play around their quarterback?
It was obvious from the start. Kyle Shanahan saw the edge the Chiefs had at quarterback and strategized to soften it. His plan almost worked. What the Chiefs did to the 49ers is what I envisioned the Packers doing to the 49ers, which is to say over-matching the 49ers at the quarterback position. The difference is the Chiefs stayed within 10 points; the Packers got blown away early.

K.J. from Minneapolis, MN
Edward's comments (in Monday's column) reminded me just how far the NFL has to go regarding hiring coaches of color. Why do you think coaches are predominantly white and what can the NFL do to address that in a meaningful way?
The assistant coaching ranks continue to swell with minority coaches and, in time, that will spill over into the head coaching ranks. If there's an issue, it's this: Minority coaches aren't swelling the ranks of NFL offensive coordinators, and teams tend to hire head coaches from the offensive side of the ball. Does a prejudice exist when it comes to hiring offensive coordinators? That's the question that needs to be answered.

Ben from Evanston, IL
If the Smiths and Gary are the same player, would trading one or more of them be a legitimate option?
Za'Darius Smith would bring the Packers a one and more in a trade, and that would allow the Packers to plug in Rashan Gary. Here are the problems with trading Smith: 1) He's due a $9.5 million roster bonus on 3-20, so the trade would have to be executed prior to paying that bonus or Smith's dead money would be Nutsville. 2) It's unknown if Gary is the player the Packers think he is? I stand by my initial reaction when the Packers drafted Gary and Darnell Savage. It struck me as odd after signing two pass-rushers and a safety in free agency the Packers would spend first-round picks on a pass-rusher and a safety.

Adam from Denver, CO
How did the 49ers structure Jimmy Garoppolo's contract in such a way where there is little dead money in the upcoming years?
They paid him a whopping $28.8 million roster bonus in 2018. I call it pre-paying on your cap and it makes total sense for a stinky team that's rebuilding, lacks star players and big contracts and needs to get to the cap floor. In a way, it's mortgaging your present to provide for your future. If he was a dud, they'd have the room to go get another guy. If he was a home run, they'd have the room to surround him with good players.

Gary from Belle Meade, NJ
Mahomes takes some extremely deep drops, which seem to work to his benefit to buy time to hit deep routes. Why don't more quarterbacks do this?
The deeper the drop, the longer the pass. A lot of quarterbacks don't have the arm strength to drop nine yards and still hit the deep out. Mahomes is a special talent. He can do it all. He has a great arm, great legs, great instincts and a resolute football personality. The 1970's game was a deep-drop era. I remember Bradshaw taking punter-like drops, but he could still flick the ball downfield to Swann and Stallworth and do it with an easy throwing motion. I doubt Drew Brees could've played in that bump-and-run era. He doesn't have the arm strength to play that deep-drop, throw-it-deep game.

William from Reading, UK
Vic, are the 49ers a good QB away from winning it all?
I think the ACL cost Garoppolo some mobility. Can he get it back? I think he needs to recover that mobility to be the big-play quarterback every team needs.

David from Janesville, WI
Vic, you referenced big, tough guys that are hard to move for 3-4 defensive ends. If the Packers expand or rotate their roster in that area, is this a good year for depth in the draft?
Any draft is good for finding those kinds of players. Lawrence Guy and Mike Pennel are examples. Defensive tackles that can't rush the passer offer a deep pool for 3-4 teams, as does the pool of tweener pass-rushers that can be moved to outside linebacker. That's why I favor the 3-4 over the 4-3; it provides a deeper pool of talent.

David from Madison, WI
How much of a player's success is putting him in a position to succeed?
It's of critical importance to use a player in a way that maximizes his talent. It would be an outrage to use Aaron Donald as a two-gapper.

Jack from Jacksonville, FL
I really thought this was the year for Tony Boselli to get in the Hall of Fame. Next year is not looking good. When is the next realistic opportunity for Tony to make it in?
Faneca is the problem now. It appears he's ahead of Tony in the offensive linemen pecking order.

Daniel from Richmond, TX
Vic, the answer to the middle linebacker problem is not to abandon the development of a highly drafted pass rusher.
So, stand pat, continue Gary's development by using him on a part-time basis until opportunity and his growth allow for him to be plugged in full time. That's a sound football approach to take.

Bob from Kennesaw, GA
Should the Packers be looking to spend a second or third-round pick on a wide receiver, or should they try to find value later on?
The Packers are picking so low in the order I won't place a position restriction on them. The second and third rounds are where the run on receivers occurred last year. Please, don't perseverate on wide receivers. It's not the problem Packers fans think it is.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What are your thoughts on Lazard?
I like him. He's a big possession-type receiver. He reminds me of Keenan McCardell, who was a 12th-round pick.

Eric from Hudson, WI
Vic, that’s two years in a row with incorrect Super Bowl predictions. How old is your blog now?
About 20 years.

Aiden from Jacksonville, FL
Why do Khan and his executives talk down to us and treat us as though we are expendable? I guess because we are.
Your question struck a nerve with me. I struggled to think of an answer. The best I can offer is I'm sorry this is happening. I feel your fear and hurt. The Colts left as Baltimore slept. Maybe that was merciful.

Scott from Bozeman, MT
You are so correct about the halftime show. I have three young daughters and I am so disappointed in how the NFL objectified women. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised the halftime show is a joke. Now I know.
I never offered an opinion on the halftime show. I try to avoid it because I'm not a song-and-dance kind of guy. The halftime shows are for the other half of the audience. I just ignore it.

Conrad from Oklahoma City, OK
Last year you mentioned Andy Reid teams were soft. Did they win this year despite that or did something change?
The Chiefs were No. 23 in rushing and No. 26 against the run. They were getting spanked by the Texans and the Titans were pounding the ball on them, just as the 49ers were with a 6.4 yards-per-carry average. I think the answer to your question is Mahomes tilts the field. The Chiefs overwhelmed their postseason opponents with offense. That's today's game and you can play it if you have one of those quarterbacks. If you don't have one of those guys, you better do more than one thing.

Don from Richmond, KY
Vic, the Jaguars just announced the team will play 25 percent of their regular season "home" games in London next season. This news concerns me greatly. I was born in Jacksonville and have been an extremely passionate fan of the Jaguars since their inaugural season in 1995. I am angry and disappointed, but I mostly worry the Jaguars might not stay in Jacksonville. Lamping and Kahn say the team isn't moving, but I wonder what will happen if the most ardent fans become disenchanted with the team. Please share your thoughts on this matter, Vic.
Give me four-and-four and share the team with London and I'll sign on the dotted line right now.

Brent from Waunakee, WI
What do you think of Leroy Butler's Hall of Fame chances?
A lot of safeties have been elected in recent years and Charles Woodson could push Butler aside next year.

Dave from Chicago, IL
Vic, do you see Green Bay going WR with the first-round pick, or a run-stuffer and then WR in round two?
You're identifying needs. I think you should include tackle as a need.

Nick from Owego, NY
Why isn't Penn State and Pitt playing each other any more? I was told it had to do with money. Is that true? They were the best games!
Joe Paterno killed the series because Pitt killed his idea for an eastern all-sports conference. Paterno wanted Pitt to leave the Big East, which was a basketball-only conference back then, and then join Penn State in threatening to drop Syracuse and Boston College from the schedule if they didn't also leave the Big East and join Paterno's conference. Pitt declined Paterno's request, stayed in the Big East for basketball and remained an independent in football. Paterno is dead, Penn State is in the Big Ten, Pitt is in the ACC and football fans in Pa. continue to be denied what once was the biggest game of the year. I blame Pitt on this one. They lacked vision.

Sandy from Texas
The overwhelming indigenous Indian populations support the Washington mascot and symbol. They see it as a source of pride. If the people that are represented by the symbol support it, time to let it go, chief.
A new survey says your information is baloney. A Cal-Berkley study claims 57 percent of Native Americans who strongly identify with being Native Americans are "deeply insulted by caricatures of Native American culture." My opinion on the matter was shaped by an email I received from a boy in the Oneida Nation when I was penning this column for packers.com. He touched me with his words describing the hurt and shame he's endured. If I owned a team that employed references to Native Americans for the purpose of marketing the team, I would end that practice immediately. Leave it to Stanford to lead the way. Fifty years ago they changed because their students knew it was the right thing to do. Don't we owe our Native Americans at least that much for what they gave us?

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

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Curious if you still stand by your assessment of Reid being a better offensive coordinator than a head coach?
I congratulate Andy Reid on his victory.

Joe from Rhinelander, WI
Moving forward, what do you see from the 49ers and Chiefs the next 2-3 years?
The Chiefs have a star quarterback who should make them the team to beat in the AFC for the next several years. The 49ers have a dominant roster that should make them a Super Bowl contender for the next several years.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
I guess the 49ers need something more than window dressing.
Got it.

Edward from Canton, SD
Congratulations to the KC Chiefs, their fans and especially to Andy Reid. It's a shame the Packers were basically forced by the NFL to hire Ray Rhodes as head coach after Mike Holmgren left. l think Andy and No. 4 would have won at least one if not more Super Bowls together.
I don't like the way that sounds.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What are your thoughts on the Super Bowl?
A great quarterback came to life at crunch time and two pass interference penalties decided the championship game in a season defined by pass interference.

Dejan from Kitchener, Ontario
Big fan of your work, Vic, but when you suggested Rashan Gary move to ILB, you had me a bit worried. He would be a terrible ILB. When was the last time you saw a 6-5, 280 ILB? I hope Tony or your scout friends can knock some sense back into you.
Levon Kirkland is listed as having played at 275 and it was widely reported he was pushing 300 pounds for much of his career, and he was still covering tight ends deep downfield. Matt Millen made the move from defensive tackle to inside linebacker. I have to believe, according to his draft profile and reputation, Gary is more athletic than Millen. If you can play outside, you can play inside, provided you have the size to bang with the big boys, and Gary does. It would be a way to get arguably the most athletic player on the defense on the field. I'm just trying to make all the pieces fit and that's difficult to do because there are too many of the same piece; the Packers signed and/or drafted the same guy three times. You don't make a guy the 12th overall pick and ask him to eat blocks as a 3-4 DE. The Packers could switch to a 4-3 and Gary would fit perfectly as a RDE, but the Smith Bros. aren't 4-3 OLBs. You didn't sign them to cover downfield; they're pass rushers. The best I can come up with is moving Gary inside.

Ron from Boise, ID
So much conversation about the 2020 UFAs. The Packers cap in 2021 does not look healthy. Forgetting this year's free agents, next year we have Bakhtiari, Clark and Jones. Care to suggest how that will play out?
The Packers have plenty of contracts that can be restructured, beginning with Za'Darius Smith's. At this point in time, the question is: Will the Packers restructure contracts and create cap room to be aggressive in free agency, or was last year's aggressiveness in free agency a one-year thing and the Packers will return to a more cautious cap approach? We'll have an answer to that question within the next month.

Bob from Venice, FL
Is it safe to assume the team's opponents next season will run the ball until the Packers prove they can stop the run?
The Packers will fix this problem in the offseason. How will they do it? We have to wait for the answer to that question.

Gabriela from Miami, FL
As a down lineman in a 3-4 front, what made Bruce Smith so exceptional?
Talent made him a great player. What I find interesting about Smith's career is I believe he spent it playing out of position. He was better suited to play RDE in a 4-3. Marv Levy knew that so the Bills didn't make Smith two-gap, as would be expected of a conventional 3-4 defensive end. You don't waste great athletes on eating blocks. Smith was permitted to penetrate and disrupt in a gap-control defense and, in my opinion, that made Smith a bad fit for the Bills. That was the most talented defense in the AFC, maybe in the league, and they got mauled in every Super Bowl they played. They couldn't stop the run. Why? Because they had defenders running all over the field, looking like they were on skates. Sound familiar? The Texans have tried the same thing with J.J. Watt and they've suffered the same fate; No. 25 against the run. The 3-4 is a light-in-the-pants defense that has to be executed in a particular way for it to be successful. It requires defensive linemen who eat blocks and hold the point of attack. Hey, somebody has to do the heavy lifting, right? They don't have to be great athletes, just physical and tough. I'm fond of saying 3-4 defensive ends are 4-3 defensive tackles that can't rush the passer.

Ben from El Paso, TX
We know where you stand with respect to Washington, but what are your thoughts on Kansas City and their use of Native American symbolism?
It's kind of pukey, but at least it doesn't refer to skin color. What I find so ironic and outrageous is for a long time Washington's training camp was in Carlisle, Pa., home of the Carlisle Indian School made famous by Jim Thorpe and the true Carlisle Indians.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, you are absolutely correct, sir. Receivers are, in fact, a dime a dozen. However, the mock drafts are filled with rumors and suggestions of the Packers going whole hog on these guys. Might I suggest we keep drafting defense, defense and more defense. Do you realize the Packers have had the second-best defense on the field in every significant game they've played over the past 25 years. Let that sink in for a second.
In last spring's draft, the first wide receiver wasn't selected until the 25th overall pick. Beginning with the 51st overall pick, eight were selected in the next 16 picks: A.J. Brown, Mecole Hardman, D.K. Metcalf, Diontae Johnson. The Packers passed on last year's treasure trove of wide receivers, but not to worry, this year's crop is thought to be even deeper. Maybe they'll pass again. Dime a dozen.

Bill from Merrill, WI
You sound like just another loser lib who can't find it in them to support our great President Trump and our booming stock market. Liberal gun-hater losers like you will never understand what it is to be a decent, honest, rural person. People who live in the cities are whiny losers! Try coming to real America some time, liberal loser! Woops, hang on, I need to take another handful of opioids and find someone to blame for all the feelings I have but never learned how to process.
OK.

Nick from Owego, NY
Do you think high school football will someday be gone? I grew up in a rural area and just learned due to lack of participation at my old school's team they combined three neighboring-school football programs into one.
It already has gone away as I knew it as a kid, when my high school/hometown team was the most important thing in my life. Participation is down. Schools are forfeiting the remainders of seasons because they don't have enough players to field a competitive team. Schools are leaving regional and state leagues to play independent schedules, along with other schools that want to play a less intense brand of football, and they're traveling great distances, even out of state, to do it. What we're seeing is the equivalent of the death of the local boxing club. Once upon a time, they were common in the mill towns and big-city neighborhoods. I worked at a newspaper that had a boxing club in its circulation area. The guy who ran it reminded me of Burgess Meredith in "Rocky" and he'd call me every week to tell me how his fighters did in recent bouts. I wouldn't know where to find a boxing club now. I think high school football will continue to merge and shrink, until it reaches a low-water mark of schools willing to pay the cost and risk the danger of liability. At that point, I think it'll stabilize. It'll be played mainly by players of elite talent. At that point, it'll be dead because it won't be a source of community spirit, it'll be a talent show for college football.

Steve from Hudson, WI
What is a successful season for an NFL team? Does not winning the Super Bowl make it a failure?
I think a season should be separated into two parts, the regular season and the postseason. The goal heading into the regular season should be to make it into the postseason. When that is accomplished, the goal becomes to win the Super Bowl. If a team makes it into the postseason but doesn't win the Super Bowl, it succeeded at one and failed at the other. Only one team finishes the season 2-0.

​Chris from Kitakyushu, Japan
"NFL Gamepass," the NFL's online streaming service for international fans, stopped working internationally with three minutes left in the Super Bowl. How can a league that so badly wants to expand internationally allow something like that to occur?
At least you got to see the halftime show.