You can be replaced by noise

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the NFL draft.

Rosco from Oshkosh, WI
Vic, no question, just thanks for the chat, a lifeboat from reality that arrives three days a week. Can you tell us again about the story of the "thing?"
A young member of our division was charged with creating a goody bag of stuff to give to those attending "Ask Vic Day." I looked through the bag of stuff, came upon something odd looking and I asked her, "What's this?" She wasn't sure what it was, what it did or what to call it. I decided to call it the "thing." When those attending "Ask Vic Day" asked me what the "thing" was, I said nobody knows what it is or what it does, but you'll always have it when you don't need it.

Jeff from Miami, FL
Does playing early season MLB games in empty stadiums seem that far-fetched?
I doubt there's enough money in baseball's media deals to make it happen. The owners would sustain huge losses. Do you hear any players volunteering to play for free because they love the game and want to entertain us during a challenging time in our country's history? I don't either.

Joe from Gainesville, FL
How would you rank all the different roster positions in terms of supply/demand?
In order of greatest supply and least demand to least supply and greatest demand: 1) wide receiver, 2) linebacker, 3) tight end, 4) running back, 5) center/guard, 6) defensive tackle, 7) safety, 8) pass rusher, 9) cornerback, 10) offensive tackle, 11) quarterback.

Travis from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, do you have any fond memories of the snow, other than it creating a beautiful spectacle for football?
No.

Dionicio from Albuquerque, NM
Your comment to Chris in the last blog post had me thinking about the possibility of no 2020 season and how it may shape the decisions of some franchises this offseason. In your opinion, what NFL teams appeared to act with this in mind during free agency?
The Packers have been frugal and the Steelers are acting as though they're building a replacement team.

Phil from Marietta, GA
I understand you don't like overuse of the quick count to catch the defense with 12 men on the field. How do you feel about the hard count?
I'm OK with both. A good hard count on third-and-1 is fine. Catching a defense with the wrong personnel on the field is strategy. Too much of either begins to look cheap and becomes a distraction.

Steve from Racine, WI
As Chuck Noll might ask, how do we wish to die? Sickness, starvation or exposure?
I'm gonna go with sickness.

Adam from Columbia, MD
We're in a bit of a conundrum with the lives vs. economy debate. if we continue with the social distancing measures and they're successful in limiting the numbers and blunting the curve, those who oppose the measures will think they were unnecessary. If we lift them and it gets even worse than it's becoming, it will be impossible to reverse the effect.
It's a great debate, the mere existence of which begs this question: Is it moral to place wealth above life? I have a feeling we're going to answer that question next November.

Tom from Charlottesville, VA
Vic, what are your thoughts on the league deciding to hold the draft as scheduled and on Roger Goodell's warning there will be disciplinary action for those who criticize this decision?
I'm OK with conducting the draft, but it'll have to be done in a safe way and the commissioner appreciates the liability to which he'll be exposing the league, thus the gag order to help control criticism.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Do you think the NFC has the strongest, most experienced men playing quarterback?
Most experienced for sure. Brady, Brees, Ryan, Rodgers and Stafford are old-timers. I think the AFC has a much better cast of young stars: Mahomes, Jackson and Watson head the list.

Nate from Neenah, WI
Vic, just read Carlisle vs Army. What a fantastic book! I learned much history about our country and how football shaped many young men like Eisenhower and Thorpe. What is Pop Warner's legacy?
He was an innovator. He was the first to understand how to use speed to spread the field. There have been several fathers of modern offense, but Warner is the first. He also was the first coach to express a talent for promoting the game. He created media day.

Kevin from Texas
Do you have any thoughts or memories on the career of Marcus Allen?
I remember Coach Noll violating one of his draft tenets: Never fall in love with a guy. Coach Noll fell in love with Allen. He was the Steelers' guy, but Allen was selected one pick ahead of the Steelers and it caught them completely off guard. They tried to ease their pain by drafting another running back, Walter Abercrombie, but he was never the player Allen was. Allen would've been perfect for the Steelers' run-first offense. This is another example of how fragile the draft is and what happens when the picks don't fall your way. Without Allen, the Steelers headed into the worst years of the Noll era.

​Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
Who would want to watch games played without fans in the stands? The TV ratings would definitely tank as a result.
Artificial sound makes the fans unnecessary. The game doesn't need their noise, it needs their money.

Joseph from Little River, SC
If one of this year's top quarterback prospects falls to Jacksonville, does GM Vic believe in Gardner Minshew enough to pass on a QB?
The Jaguars are facing a huge decision: Stick with Minshew or use their draft capital to trade up and get a franchise-type guy. It's a decision that could likely determine the Jaguars' future in Jacksonville. I like Minshew. I think he could be "The Man," but I like security at the quarterback position. I'd trade up and get the headline-type prospect. The Jaguars need to create a buzz in Jacksonville. They need to become a hot ticket. A hot-topic competition at quarterback might create the buzz the Jaguars need.

Roger from Auburn, CA
Vic, what do you think the NFL would do for the 2021 draft if the 2020 season was cancelled? It wouldn’t be fair to have the Packers draft at spot 30 two seasons in a row.
If there's no NFL season, there will have been no college season, which means the 2021 draft would truly be a crapshoot. Here's an idea: Determine the first-round order by having each team pick a number out of a hat, and then reverse that order for every round of the draft after the first round.

Jeff from Ogden, UT
Vic, mom passed this week. Because of the virus we had to do things different for the funeral/gathering. It still came together well. Under mom's picture on the front of the printed program was this quote, "Our memories make us rich, even when they make us sad."
The present and the future end. The past is forever. On behalf of the "Ask Vic" community, I extend our sympathy for your loss.

​David from Madison, WI
What's the next big thing?
I have a feeling it's climate change migration and this is a starter course.