Adam from New Haven, CT
Vic, are fans in danger of losing perspective when they obsess over the accuracy of a call and the need for replay review?
As Mark Murphy said, replay review was initially instituted to correct the obviously incorrect call. It was meant to correct the Rob Lytle call, for example. Over time, we expanded replay review's use to the point it was proposed this week that replay review be used on any play. Yes, we've obsessed about the reach of replay review, and it wasn't just fans, it was also the league. We've been forcing the game to change, instead of allowing it to change. I applaud the rules committee for continuing to address player-safety issues, but also for putting the brakes on unnecessary change.
Brandon from Phoenix, AZ
Vic, which team would you rather be a fan of, the Eagles, who have never won a Super Bowl but are consistently relevant, or Tampa Bay, who won it all in 2002 but have been consistently at the bottom of the league since?
I would rather be a fan of a team that is in title contention every year but never wins a title, than of a team that has won a title but is consistently out of title contention.
Mike from Las Vegas, NV
Vic, I enjoyed your piece on Jack Del Rio. He's old school, and I like that about him. What were your thoughts on his attempt to bring suits back onto the sidelines?
It was an attempt to bring attention to a football team that needed to build a fan base. I was with Jack getting ready to play a round of golf when a woman came up to him and gushed about how much she loved the sideline-suit look. I remember thinking to myself, "It's about more than football, Vic."
Armin from Koeflach, Austria
Vic, I read your column daily and want to thank you for your insight. I still don't understand cap moves fully, so I want to ask you to give me insight on the latest case: Watt agrees to restructure his contract from a $10 million roster bonus to signing bonus. How does this help and how is the hit for the future?
Either way, he gets his money in full now, but there's a big difference in how the two designations hit the Texans' cap. Roster bonus is declared in full in the year in which it's paid; signing bonus is divided evenly over the life of the contract. So, what the Texans did was push a significant amount of money out of 2015 and into future years. All aboard!
Jerry from Wausau, WI
I agree, Vic, about your assertion of L.T. being the best defensive football player, however, is that really a fair way to judge? I look at the best ever pertaining to positions and not, in fairness, to the entirety of defense or offense. I would be more comfortable if we talked about positional greatness. Reggie, Deion, Deacon were all super. L.T. couldn't have played corner as Deion, and vice versa, so let's limit it to position when grading best-ever players. Your thoughts?
I'm not going to do that. Here's why: I don't care enough to do it. I was asked a question and I answered it, but the topic is of no meaning or concern to me. People like to create issues, so I gave them one. For me, it's no issue. All this best-ever stuff is silly. Reggie White was a great football player; so were hundreds of other men. To say you favor one guy is not disrespectful of another. Why do we obsess with this silliness?
T.J. from Muncie, IN
At the dawn of free agency and the salary cap, it seemed that everyone was learning on the fly by trial and error. How long did it take for you to grasp the nuances of taking care of the cap? Was there a particular occurrence that turned on the light for you?
Yes, there was. I was bound and determined to avoid this salary cap stuff I was hearing about; this was in the year 1993. I was sitting in the lunch room at Three Rivers Stadium when Dan Rooney sat down next to me and we began to talk about how free agency and the salary cap were going to change the game. I proudly told him I wasn't going to bother with that cap stuff. He got up, walked to his office and then returned with a thick book. He said I better read it and learn it, because if I didn't, I couldn't cover the game anymore.
James from Orlando, FL
Vic, haven't heard anything in a while about Deflategate. What's going on with that?
It seems like the air has gone out of it.
Mitch from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, you say replay review has had a devastating effect on the game. I disagree with you. You talk so much about how the game is geared toward the casual fan, and I believe replay review has made the game much more popular.
It absolutely has, and that's a good thing, but I think we've reached a point of excess. I think we've lost flow to the game.
Kyle from Santa Cruz, CA
What have we learned from the veteran combine?
That players get slower as they get older.
Gary from Marshalltown, IA
Vic, do you ever run out of time and just use the first 15 questions to hit your inbox?
If I was going to do it, this would be the week I'd do it, but I haven't. Why this week? Because this column is being written at 3:30 in the morning. That's what the time difference has caused me. The Arizona Biltmore is a magnificent hotel and resort, but I wish they'd put those little coffee makers in the rooms. I don't think I had ever previously written an "Ask Vic" without having a cup of coffee next to me. I didn't think my fingers were going to move.
David from College Station, TX
Vic, if you could pick any player in this year's draft for the Packers, who would it be?
I think Leonard Williams is the best player in this year's draft, so I'd pick him.
Kyle from Spooner, WI
Vic, what is the easiest way to get you to delete/ignore my question? Is it asking the same thing hundreds of others have asked? How about typing in all caps?
All caps is an immediate delete. I don't like people screaming at me, especially at 3:30 in the morning.
Matthew from Racine, WI
Where is the credibility in reporting these days? Crazy stories, like rumors of Brees or Rivers being traded, have no merit due to the reporter not being able to reveal sources. How can reporters falsely fabricate these stories without any reprimand from their employer?
It's because their employer wants unique visits, and those kinds of rumors deliver unique visits. I miss the credibility the newspaper industry has long represented.
Brandon from Helena, MT
Vic, I agree with you about replay. The NFL just changed the definition of a catch again for the benefit of replay.
Here's my suggestion: After a receiver catches a pass, he should be required to eat the ball to complete the catch. At least we'll all know what a catch is then.
Lorenz from Berlin, Germany
Vic, you have said many times you don't think fans get what it means to be a reporter, but I don't think you get what it means to be a fan. With regard to replay reviews, you don't mind a team getting robbed of a win because of a bad call. As a reporter, you actually enjoy the controversy because it's a good story. Fans don't. We don't see games in terms of stories, we see them in terms of wanting our teams to win. We agonize over our team losing because of a bad call. Replay review helps with that. It increases our enjoyment of the game because there are less bad calls.
What was your level of enjoyment following replay review of the "Fail Mary"?
