Join me, please, at noon on Monday, June 30, for a live chat on packers.com.
Chad from Virden, IL
If the Steelers are your first love, why leave?
Mr. Przywojski from La Crosse, WI
Tom Johnson is mine. Worst I've ever heard: Perschnoffski.
You've got an eye chart name. Drop everything and go down to the courthouse. Make this pain and suffering end now.
Austin from Ashwaubenon, WI
Vic, I love your column. You have covered other teams in the past. Did you come to the Packers as a fan?
First answer today, 10th answer yesterday. When will this insanity end?
Cooper from Haggard, AZ
Vic, would you consider Lacy a utility back in the '60s, '70s, '80s, like you do McCoy? Does he not have the speed they did? You have described Lacy as a pounder. Could he have had the same success back then?
He's a pounder now and he would've been a pounder then. I've already written that he reminds me of Ickey Woods. Eddie Lacy is a throwback, which is exactly what the Packers needed because, in my opinion, if you're not running the ball between the tackles with power, you're not running the ball.
Larry from Fairfield, CT
When we watch a Packer being interviewed, most of the time the reporter is trying to keep his microphone in front of the player and we don't hear the question. The player's answer sometimes is lost with us not knowing what was asked. If you could pass it on, thanks.
Here's the deal with what you're describing. There are media outlets from all across the region that cover the Packers, and they conduct group interviews with players and coaches, but they want the audio of their questions to be their exclusive property. Here's a real-life example of what I'm trying to describe. During my years covering the NFL, head coaches have always done a day-after-the-game press conference; some coaches do it two days after the game, but it's essentially the same thing. Chuck Noll did his in a small room with print media only, and then he would do individual standups outside the room with the various TV and radio stations that covered the team. One day, we were informed Chuck's press conference with the print media would be broadcast live on the official team radio station. Whoa, we said. That was information we had to take back to our editors, which we did, and they instructed us to not participate in the press conference. Why did they do that? Because we'd be scooping ourselves. So, the press conference began and no questions were asked. Chuck looked at us with a wry smile on his face, and we stared back. Dead air. That's why you're only hearing the answers. The media is part of the business world.
Jerry from Kent, WA
I am a little sad and nostalgic about the change of the running back position. I don't think he is the best all time, but my favorite is Marcus Allen. Are there any running backs from NFL yesteryear that you would love to see run the football one more time?
There are lots of them. I loved to watch Earl Campbell run with the ball. I loved Jim Taylor's pads-down, high-knees style. Gale Sayers and Tony Dorsett were the same guy; they were electric in how they could split a defense and be gone. Hugh McElhenny was magnificent. I could go on and on. Marcus Allen might be the best goal-line runner I've ever seen. At the peak of his career, he had it all. He could pound, he broke long runs and he could catch. This is not the golden age of running backs. Adrian Peterson could play in any era, and so could Eddie Lacy, but most of today's backs not only wouldn't have fit during the golden age of running backs, they're just not good enough to have played back then. I'm a devotee of running backs. I miss the great ones terribly, and that's why I love Peterson and Lacy so much. I get to see one twice a year and the other one all year.
Gerald from Cincinnati, OH
Sorry to beat a dead horse, Vic, but I think it's important to state that dynamic stretching and static stretching are different things and it's important to lightly jog while doing some rotative motions in arms and legs, not sit on the ground and try to grab your toes.
I'm against all forms of stretching. The old guys warmed up for practice and games with a cup of coffee and a cigarette, and there weren't nearly as many soft-tissue injuries. Yeah, I'm being sarcastic, but not totally.
Maximillian from Sydney, Australia
Vic, I just wanted to know if you ever answer questions that are old or were asked to you a few days earlier. Do you wipe the slate clean every day and start over, or sometimes do you revisit questions that were asked a while back?
It's a secret.
Dave from Des Moines, IA
I'm seriously considering using your Bill Smith tactic. My last name is Van Englehoven. It seems that it's just too much for common folks' mouths.
You strike me as a Joe Smith. Go down to the courthouse. End the pain.
John from Austin, TX
I can't disagree with your top five QBs never to win a Super Bowl, but how about including at least one that isn't in the Hall of Fame, Randall Cunningham?
You should disagree with my top five to never win a Super Bowl because I left one out and I can't believe I did it because he's not only one of my all-time favorite quarterbacks, he's a friend. I'm talking about Kenny Anderson. If Pete Johnson had gained one more yard, Kenny would be in the Hall of Fame. He belongs there. It's a shame he had to play in the same era with the great Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders teams. Anderson had it all. He could throw short to Myers and Trumpy, and he could bomb to Joiner and Curtis. Kenny also had Bill Walsh as an offensive coordinator. I would revise my top five never to win a Super Bowl to make Kenny No. 4 and Dan Fouts No. 5. Sorry, Warren.
Brian from Chetek, WI
What player currently on the Packers roster do you feel best mirrors your personality?
I definitely see some Vic in Aaron Rodgers. I got a strong whiff of Vic in the first game I covered after joining packers.com. I'm talking about Rodgers' press conference following the win over the Saints in 2011. He nailed the ex-jockos that had been pounding on that voluntary workouts theme throughout the lockout. It was ridiculous for the ex-jockos to advance that opinion. They were being egregiously disingenuous. They knew nothing could be gained without the coaches being present, and Rodgers called them on it in his press conference. I remember thinking to myself, "I like this guy." I would've been waiting all summer to say what Rodgers did.
Jocelyn from Red Bank, NJ
Vic, I just had an epiphany on your stance pertaining to replay in baseball. I was on the fence before, then I thought about the Tigers pitcher that lost the no-hitter and I think perfect game due to the poor call. The next day, Jim Joyce was the home plate umpire and the Tigers pitcher brought out the lineup card and handed it to Joyce. The human error gave way to a great moment that transcended sport and we would have missed that opportunity had replay overturned the call at first base.
Life doesn't define us. We define life.
Scott from Fitchburg, WI
Vic, how do you coach a player with seemingly no weakness in his game?
You ask him what play he wants to run.
Chad from Minneapolis, MN
Vic, I actually find it sad that your football experience doesn't feel the lows that I feel when my team loses. The gut-wrenching losses make the victories incredibly personal and powerful. You may actually be the most winsome of all.
I don't need to feel lows in a football game. I get all the gut wrenching I need from opening the mail box. I watch football to get away from the gut wrenching. You must either be rich or young.
Justin from Delavan, WI
Why are American football coaches mostly fat and World Cup football coaches are in great shape?
Because the NFL doesn't play in Paris and Rome.
Tim from Normal, IL
Vic, you mentioned the Raiders called Lynn Swann soft. I recently watched part of the 1975 AFC title game that still troubles you. Swann caught a 20-yard crossing route and George Atkinson cold-cocked him with a clubbed forearm. Swann was out cold before he hit the ground and fumbled. It was a brutal cheap shot. I would rather be called soft than be called dirty.
There was no penalty for the hit. Swann was out cold and fumbled the ball and when Jack Tatum recovered the fumble, the Steelers held him to the ground and speared him, but there was no penalty for anything that happened on the play. Joe Greene came onto the field, picked up Swann and carried him to the bench, which made for one of the most poignant photos I've ever seen. That was in the first half. After the game, as we stood outside the locker room waiting to enter, Swann was wheeled past us on a stretcher. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. Two weeks later, he was the MVP of Super Bowl X. Baseline test? Not in those days. It was a completely different game than the one that's played today. It was all about toughness.
Jesse from Blue Point, NY
Vic, for "Ask Vic Day," is the limit of 80 in regards to online registration? Does registering online guarantee me a spot?
It's first come, first serve. If too many people all attempted to register at the same time, somebody would have to be denied, unfortunately. We're down to a final few spots. If you want to attend, I'd register soon.
Mike from Rapid City, SD
What team has the least winsome fans?
The Eagles. The Santa Claus thing can't be overcome. Thousands of children were irreparably damaged. It's the kind of thing a lifetime of therapy can't repair.
Mike from Seattle, WA
Why do so many of the so-called NFL experts refer to Peyton Manning as arguably the best QB ever?
His body of work is sensational. No quarterback has ever made moving the football look easier. Here's how I evaluate quarterbacks. First, I separate them into two categories: 1) the Jim Hart types that don't have a lot of postseason performances to define them; 2) the Tom Brady types that have a lot of postseason performances to define them. Quarterbacks such as Brady and Manning have played enough postseason games for them to represent a full season or more. So, how would their playoff stats compare to their regular season stats? In Brady's case, his 43 postseason touchdown passes are significantly better than every regular season of his career except one. Joe Montana's, Bart Starr's and Terry Bradshaw's postseason stats would represent the best season of their careers. That's what resonates with me: When the competition and the pressure were the greatest, they played their best. In Manning's case, he played his worst.
Chris from Veghel, The Netherlands
In Mike Daniels' interview, he definitely wants to bring to a nastiness to the defensive mindset. In his words, it's a violent sport and someone may need to get smacked in the mouth. In your opinion, is this what the defense has been lacking all this time?
Swagger is the result, not the cause. We'll see.
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