What's new about Rodgers tilting the field?

Beau from Lancaster, PA
How was your Master's Sunday? Did you watch with the sound off?
It was a good tournament. Patrick Reed turned in a gutty performance the equal of his Ryder Cup dramatics. Rory McIlroy was a disappointment. He melted down again; Reed owns him. I didn't hear nearly as much whiny music. The next improvement I would recommend is pinching the fairways. There isn't enough penalty for wayward tee shots.

Doug from Saint Germain, WI
I agree with your concept the facemask needs to be reduced or redesigned for safety. Don't you feel, though, the process will have to begin at lower levels than the NFL? A player would have been coached and developed one way his entire life, and then would be expected to change his entire skill set and body movements just when he's about to hit the big time.
The evolution of the game is trickling down from the top. The NFL has become the conscience of the game and I think the NFL needs to take the lead on this issue.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
While Tiger Woods is an all-time great, I do not understand, given his current game quality, the intense media coverage whenever he finally makes the cut.
He's a story. People who know nothing about golf know about Tiger Woods. His fame transcends golf.

​Mike from Somerset (wherever that is)
Vic, what’s your take on the quarterbacks in this year's draft? Do you see this being a repeat of 1983 that warrants four quarterbacks in the top five?
I don't see any Elways or Marinos in this draft class but, as the pool of prospects shrinks, the demand increases.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what is your opinion of NFL mascots and cheerleaders? Why don't the Packers officially have either one?
Mascots and cheerleaders help promote the game and the team. In Jacksonville, the team mascot was out in the community all week. He was a big hit at school events and attracted young people to the Jaguars before they ever threw a football. The cheerleaders were the favorites of girls attracted to modern dance. The mascot and the cheerleaders helped sell pro football in Jacksonville. The Packers don't need to sell themselves. They have one of the largest fan bases in all of professional sports.

Pete from Rescue, CA
Is this the year the wheels come off the Steelers? Big Ben is aging, Tomlin looks tired, egos seem much greater than team, the defense lost a lot when Shazier went down. What is your take?
They're in hang on mode. They might be able to do it for another year or two, but being new is right around the corner.

Chenc from Gent, West-Vlaanderen Belgium
Why do you think the Rams are on a win-now mode?
They need to build a fan base and this is a golden opportunity to do it.

Tom from Eau Claire, WI
Football aside, what did you like most about living in Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Green Bay? What did you like least about living in each?
Pittsburgh was my hometown. I liked being surrounded by friends and family. Jacksonville was new and exciting. I loved the smallness of Green Bay. Rush-hour traffic was never a concern and I lived close enough to the stadium to go home for lunch. The bad stuff: Pittsburgh -- the traffic, Jacksonville -- hurricane season, Green Bay -- winter.

Bob from Kennesaw, GA
Bill Walsh said a head coach should remain with an NFL team for no more than 10 years. Many long-time coaches have seen their records drop around 10-12 years. Do you think that's a function of a team needing to be new again, or is it their prolonged success has had their teams drafting late and it just caught up with them?
Coaches who stay with a team for 10 years usually have a quarterback who allows it to happen. When that quarterback ages, the coach's record declines. Bill Belichick's success has lasted nearly 20 years because Tom Brady is setting records for longevity.

Pat from Seneca, SC
You are given a chance to play one hole at Augusta National. Which do you choose?
I'd play No. 13. I love par-5 holes and I think No. 13 is the most beautiful hole on the course.

Barry from Hayward, WI
The Patriots' dynasty must some day end. Who replaces them when that time finally arrives?
I don't see another Tom Brady on the horizon. Over the next 20 years, I think more teams will win the Super Bowl than over any 20-year period in Super Bowl history. Parity has never been more distinct.

Mike from Stevens Point, WI
Were you part of the contingent that made the trek to the Cheese League for the Jags' first training camp? Any Stevens Point stories?
It was the summer of 1995 and I was there. It was the hottest summer in Upper Midwest history and we were living in dormitories that didn't have air-conditioning. It was the Jaguars' inaugural season and we were all new to each other; guys from teams all over the league. I remember hearing this low-pitched hum coming from the room next to me, and I could feel cold air blowing out from under the door. I knocked on the door and introduced myself to a man who had rigged up an air-conditioning unit sitting on top of a garbage can. We became the best of friends. For me, football has been much more than a game I watch.

Jeremy from Lethbridge, Canada
Vic, what was your ultimate “you had to be there” moment from your career?
It's probably the Immaculate Reception. Stuff like that just didn't happen back then. Plus, it wasn't your standard Hail Mary kind of play. It possessed genuine intrigue. It'll soon celebrate its 50th anniversary, and still no one is sure what happened.

Leif from Frederic, WI
Vic, the weather in Wisconsin has been awful this year and I am seriously considering moving to Florida. What's your take?
You live where you work. It's that simple. I went from Florida to Wisconsin. Why? Because my job demanded it.

Steve from Phoenix, AZ
The Packers look they have embraced the mantra it's time to be new. I'm excited about the possibilities but the word rebuilding is haunting me. I want to be new and I want to win now. Can Rodgers tilt the field enough to take the growing pains out of a rebuilding project?
Yeah, he can, but I don't think that should be the expectation. Frankly, that's what he's been doing for most of his career; tilting the field to overcome deficiencies in other parts of the team. What's new about it?

Blake from Normal, IL
Vic, how would you measure Mitch Trubisky’s success this year? Like you said on Thursday, he was very steady this past season. How will we know he’s succeeding in year two?
I'll judge him by his impact and the expansion of his role. As he does more, he'll be asked to do more.

Clay from Des Moines, IA
Was the Matt Jones pick a case of a team falling in love with the numbers instead of the tape?
It was a case of the team throwing receivers at a quarterback in whom they had invested their future. The Jaguars had picked Reggie Williams the previous year. Both receivers were wild reaches. In 2004, the Jaguars passed on Ben Roethlisberger to draft Williams. In '05, they passed on Aaron Rodgers to pick Jones. You just can't make those kinds of mistakes and expect not to pay for them.

Pete from Minneapolis, MN
We “require” sports now. What do you mean by this?
Sports are integral in our lives. It wasn't that way when I was young. A high school football game was a big deal back then. Now, the sports calendar is without a blank day. It's planned out so every day features some kind of event. Sports is an industry now. ESPN did it by providing the every-day platform sports needed. ESPN is the greatest thing that's ever happened to sports. I can remember watching the UCLA-Houston (Lew Alcindor vs. Elvin Hayes at the Astrodome) basketball game on TV at 11 o'clock at night. The telecast was horrible. Imagine what ESPN would've done with that game.

Jeff from Houston, TX
You stated, "Every man in that locker room is an independent contractor." Was it that way before free agency?
Not to the degree it is now.