Sometimes aggressiveness loses

"Ask Vic" will publish on M-W-F through the football season.

Eric from Hudson, WI
Mike McCarthy will lose his job before Mike Zimmer. I’m just letting you know right now.
OK.

Ted from Findlay, OH
What was Zimmer thinking when he passed up the field goal on fourth down with two minutes left in the game? As a Packers fan, I wanted the Vikings to win (hate to admit that), but when he went for it, not only did I think they would lose, I thought they deserved to lose.
Zimmer wasn't the only coach who was aggressive and lost the gamble. I thought Doug Pederson should've punted.

Ross from L'Anse, MI
Who, in your opinion, is the weirdest NFL head coach since, say, the 1960's?
I prefer the word unique. Don Coryell immediately comes to mind. He wore a look on his face a sportswriter friend described to me as belonging to someone who just found a mouse in his soup. The first time I interviewed Coryell, I expected him to be surly and evasive, but he was just the opposite. He was a little absent-minded, as you would expect of a mad scientist personality, but he was very engaging in an understated and genuine way. Madden always entertained us with one-liners; Coryell paused and thought deeply before he answered each question. Madden was high energy; Coryell could put you to sleep. For whatever reason, we connected with him in that conference call. It was a fun interview. "My interviews don't usually go this long. I'm enjoying this," Coryell said. He wanted to keep going. It's one of the most memorable conference calls in my career.

Barb from Salamanco, Mexico
Can you picture a time in the future when using pre-snap motion isn't the norm among teams that make it to the Super Bowl?
Motion is largely a means for the quarterback to determine if the defense is playing man or zone coverage. If a linebacker or defensive back moves with the man in motion, it's man coverage; the opposite would be true of zone. I like motion and then run it.

Curt from Racine, WI
Vic, Wisconsin is a tough state to live in as a black man. I am 56, I was born here, I have a state job and travel throughout the state often. I can not begin to tell you on here all the life-threatening events I have had to experience just for pumping gas, getting food, staying at hotels, etc.! I would just keep it moving, praying nothing escalate. Afterwards, I would be feeling so disappointed that another person can hate me when they don't know me, only because of my not black but brown skin. But always and even more so now I would feel sad for them choosing hate over love! Thank you for your column. I really enjoy your perspectives on football, but more so recently on life and the pursuit of happiness. I didn't write this to be published; just wanted to talk to you and say thanks (brother). I'm also battling Covid as I write this, so excuse some of my errors in my writing (brain fog); always tired and nauseated!
I felt it was important for everyone to read what you wrote.

Mike from McFarland, WI
Homegrown right-wing terrorists were arrested by the FBI for a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, apparently in response to the president's tweets to "Liberate Michigan." FOX News was the only channel to not cover this story in prime time. How are we to be a democracy when 40 percent of the population is not presented with the news of the day?
They missed the signer. She was a hoot.

Mike from Jacksonville, FL
Are you sure the sign wasn't a version of "Love Trumps Hate"?
You're right. The next time I went past the flag the wind was unfurling it and I saw there was no apostrophe in Trumps. It's not a right wing wacko flag, it's a left wing wacko flag. I feel much better.

Desiree from Chicago, IL
Where do you find joy today?
I find joy at home. I find joy writing this column. I find joy sitting in my favorite chair and reflecting. I find joy looking out the window at the marsh and the birds eating what the tide left behind. I find joy riding my bike, tinkering in the storage room and finishing the day in my outdoor shower. I find joy reading and talking to friends and family on the phone. Most of all, I find joy having nothing to do and all day to do it.

Enrique from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, any good David Garrard stories?
He was in my office one day -- this was about the time he was battling Crohn's Disease -- and I congratulated him on the new contract he had just signed. "It's a good deal, David," I said. "Do you really mean that?" he asked. Clearly, I could see how much this contract meant to him. It was a reminder to me why these guys play the game. They can only do it for a short time in their lives and they need to make hay while they can. It's the reason Coach Noll didn't do endorsements. He felt he needed to leave that money for his players. I see nothing wrong with pro football being about the money. It's honest and real. It's play for pay and I like it.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, watching college football on Saturday, I saw several games that claimed the stadium was only at 25 percent. Many of the games I watched appeared to have way more than 25 percent, the Clemson game included. Are schools lying about attendance?
The percentages don't interest me because my eyes know what they see: People too close together and with their masks down. Oklahoma-Texas was a potential super spreader. Why are we unable to deny ourselves pleasure?

Eric from Lansing, MI
How do you assess the Cowboys drafting CeeDee Lamb at No. 17, on a team that needs a defense make-over?
The next big guy on defense didn't go until Yetur Gross-Matos at No. 38. The Cowboys needed to trade back, collect picks and position themselves to spend those picks on defense. Good GMs don't just sit and pick. They move, collect/spend and target. In the impatience of today's game, a GM's job is to address need without reaching or giving away value. He must be creative without being reckless.

Ben from Avon, MI
Vic, what are your opinions on the rookie QBs that have played so far this season?
Burrow is the real deal. I see some Marino in Herbert.

Pat from Seneca, SC
Senator Graham recently said if you are a young African-American, you can go anywhere in this state, you just need to be conservative, not liberal. In other words, keep your head down, avert your eyes from our racist propaganda, and don’t object to being repressed, and you’ll be fine.
It's difficult imagining a United States senator speaking those words in the 21st century.

Luke from Marquette, MI
I’ll reach out. I’m as conservative as they come, but this version of the Republican Party has to end and then evolve. I don’t agree with you on a number of things, but as long as we continue the conversation about how to come together, I believe we’ll get there. We have to.
I'm reaching back. We can do this.

Garrett from Brownwood, TX
What's your assessment of Bill O'Brien's stint with the Texans? Where did he go wrong?
He doesn't work well with others. Penn State was glad he left.

Matthew from Olathe, KS
Vic, if the 0-5 Falcons lose their way to the No. 1 overall draft pick, do you think they select Trevor Lawrence and trade Matt Ryan?
Lawrence is a Georgia native and would explode ticket sales. It would be a no-brainer.

David from Stockholm, Sweden
This looks really bad. Could the whole season be in jeopardy?
The NFL is doing a sensational job of managing the Covid threat, but the potential for a shortened season is expected to increase as the weather turns colder. Let's be thankful for what we have.

Kyle from Phoenix, AZ
I watched the first presidential debate ever between Kennedy and Nixon on YouTube. It was alarming the contrast to what we see today. Respectful and discussing policy. When did we lose our way?
It was Oct. 7, 1996. That's when the anger began. Now there are multiple cable news channels fanning the flames of division. Apparently, there was a market for it.