Ken from Nekoosa, WI
After listening to Mike McCarthy's last press conference, I was actually appalled at the one guy who kept badgering the coach. Do you think those type of questions are the things a reporter should ask? I feel he was being very unprofessional.
The reporter/coach relationship is problematic. If the reporter doesn't ask the tough question, he's accused of not doing his job. If his question is perceived as insulting the coach, the reporter is vilified by those who support the coach. If you're going to be a coach or a reporter, you better have very thick skin. I talk about this column being able to take a punch and not being afraid to throw one. What I'm describing is the personality trait that's common to my profession. I am forever indebted to Coach Noll for suffering fools gladly. He taught me press conference etiquette.
John from Melton Mowbray, UK
Should we expect to see a new Mike McCarthy this year? To me, his press conference yesterday seemed very different from past years.
I don't want to see a new McCarthy. I like the old one, which is the current one. I sensed nothing different yesterday. He was the same guy that promised an improved running game in 2013, improved defense in 2014 and improved special teams in 2015. He was the same bold coach I've come to know when he's identified something as needing to be fixed. It's unrealistic for fans and media to think a coach is going to make the same kind of proclamations during the season that Coach McCarthy made yesterday. The season is over. Yesterday's press conference was a time to set the record straight. He did, just as he always has, when it's been appropriate to do so.
Kelvin from Kenilworth, UK
Vic, if Brady wins, as many expect, that will be seven Super Bowl trips in 14 full starting seasons. It seems the NFL has only achieved parity if you have "The Man." Will college football ever be able to provide enough to go around?
The answer is no, if college football continues to play drop-back-and-run offense. I'd hate to be a team in need of a franchise quarterback.
Gary from Reno, NV
So which coaches need to be fired according to Sybil, now that the loss has sunk in?
My inbox is surprisingly calm. It's as though it wants to comfort a fallen comrade. More on that later.
Nate from Pueblo, CO
Since moving a team to L.A. will increase the salary cap, did that help bail out teams with salary cap issues?
No, because it'll be years down the road before having teams in L.A. spike leaguewide revenue. They haven't broken ground on a stadium, yet. If two teams begin playing in a new stadium in Los Angeles in 2019, which is the projection, the spike in revenue won't hit the cap until 2020. By then, the train will have run over the teams currently walking on the tracks.
Tony from Charlottesville, VA
Vic, Coach McCarthy has always seemed like a guy who likes to keep things in house. In his postseason press conference, he challenged the middle linebacker corps by stating his desire for Clay Matthews to move back outside, as well as mentioning Eddie Lacy's preseason work ethic. Any idea why he decided to make these challenges public?
He wanted to share the truth with Packers fans. There's no other reason to talk on those subjects. I promise you, he had already spoken to Matthews about moving back outside, and to Lacy about his offseason training regimen. Coach McCarthy wasn't sending messages; the messages had already been sent. He was being respectful of Packers' fans right to know. Appreciate it for what it's worth, but don't expect those kinds of proclamations in the middle of the season. Giving your opponents a free scouting report isn't conducive to winning.
Isiah from Portland, OR
I hope McCarthy's emphasis for the next season is winning at crunch time.
Your question intrigued me, because I am a big crunch time guy. So, I looked back over the schedule and did a crunch time scoreboard. By my count, and according to my definition of crunch time, the Packers were 6-5 in crunch time in 2015. I consider at Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, at Minnesota, at Detroit and at Oakland to be wins, and at Carolina, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota and at Arizona to be losses. I'd like to see some improvement there.
Jonas from Tromso, Norway
"Ask Vic Extra!" is gone, but what about "Ask Vic Chat?"
"AVC" replaced "AVE!" on Fridays during the season. They'll both be gone during the offseason, but a special edition chat might be a good idea every so often.
Ryan from Platteville, WI
Do you think 2015 was a reality check type of season? It seems McCarthy is going to be more demanding of his players not only next season, but in the offseason.
I didn't get that sense, either. Coach McCarthy was demanding right from the start of the 2015 season. The whole fast start thing was about being demanding. There was nothing wrong with the 2015 Packers a healthy Jordy Nelson wouldn't have fixed. I knew it was a big loss but, frankly, I didn't fully appreciate how big it would be. Nelson is the big receiver the Packers didn't have in 2015 and spent all season trying to find. Defenses easily identified the absence and then loaded up against the run. It was a domino effect that caused the offense to struggle all season. How does a coach make a big-letters promise his players won't get injured? He can't make that promise.
Jeremy from Duluth, GA
Vic, you're an idiot. How can you say the Packers were playing their best football? They collapsed at crunch time in epic fashion, yet, again. It was deserving of no such superlative. Do everyone a favor and just stop talking.
Request denied.
Owen from Tampa, FL
I believe the fans' positivity is a result of decreased expectations. When the playoffs started, we had very little hope, however, we were able to enjoy an offensive revival and a win in D.C., and then our team went toe-to-toe against the Super Bowl favorite. The season is only a success for one team, but the playoffs successfully got us out of our rut. The emergence of Janis and Abbrederis, the late surge by Adams and the imminent return of Jordy have most of us feeling better about the direction of the 2016 Green Bay Packers.
Here's what I think: Jeff Janis did it. His emergence on Saturday has Packers fans gaga. This fan base has gone Jeff Janis crazy. It's Janisitis and it's a full-blown Wisconsin epidemic. The fans are so overjoyed by Janis' emergence on Saturday, they're accepting one of the most heartbreaking defeats in franchise history with relative ease. If I was Janis, I'd tell my agent to start working on some endorsement deals.
Nick from Seattle, WA
If Eddie Lacy comes back leaner and determined, is he the x-factor this offense needs?
When he breaks the line of scrimmage, there's a feeling it'll take at least 20 yards for the defense to get him to the ground. He needs to break the line of scrimmage more often, and that's where quickness and being lighter on his feet are the issues. Jerome Bettis experienced a similar challenge early in his career.
Art from Edwardsville, IL
What should we take away from Coach McCarthy's press conference yesterday, and how does that begin to set the tone for next season?
There's going to be an emphasis on the offensive side of the ball. That's my expectation. That's what I'm taking into the offseason.
