Tom from Neenah, WI
Vic, I watched the Ice Bowl recently (again) and noticed how the secondary usually stopped the runner with a hard tackle, using those gigantic shoulder pads as a weapon. Would a return to the league requiring all players to wear full pads slow down the game and decrease injuries while leaving the violence we love intact?
In other words, could the league mandate a return to the style of the 1960s? Sure, by changing the rules to favor that kind of game: offensive linemen can't use their hands to block, holding is a 15-yard penalty and the quarterback is live to the ground. That's not going to happen because the league doesn't want to return to the game of the '60s. The league wants a more wide open, higher-scoring game that features the passing game. It wants points.
Vern from Sherwood, OR
Vic, I like Coach Belichick's philosophy to take away what they do best. If you play to not give up the big play, aren't you in a sense playing scared, if that's what's in the back of your mind? If you can't take away what they do best, then you need to find someone that will since you have to beat the man in front of you.
Who doesn't want to take away what the other team does best? Every defense tries to take away what the opponent does best. It's a great philosophy, if you have the players to execute it. What opponent didn't want to take away the Packers' sweep, the Steelers' inside trap, the 49ers' sprint right option, the Cowboys' lead draw with Emmitt? How many did take it away? Here's another question: In how many games would that philosophy have succeeded without Tom Brady at quarterback? It didn't work in Cleveland.
John from Ashburn, VA
Has your reporting ever gotten you blacklisted?
I once had a high school basketball coach refuse to talk to me after a game. He was upset at something I had written. I gladly left his locker room. Why? Because when a coach declines to be interviewed, he forces the reporter to write only what he saw. Whose spin do you want, yours or the reporter's?
Jordan from Nevada, IA
I'm stubborn, so I am going to continue to write until my dream comes true for the rest of Vic's top NFL 100. Who is 11-20?
Do you understand how easy it is for me to simply delete your question?
Eric from St. Louis, MO
We are one month from the first preseason game, which is when it really starts feeling like football season to me. What is your unofficial start to the season?
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The Packers Hall of Fame induction has become the unofficial start to the football season for me. This year, it's special, and this column will celebrate Brett Favre's induction this Saturday by making Favre the subject of Friday's and Saturday's columns. If you have a question about Favre, save it for Friday and Saturday.**
Mark from Roseville, MN
Did you prefer writing before the Internet allowed people to spew hatred from behind anonymous user names, or do you like writing online with instant interaction and feedback with fans?
I like instant hate.
Ed from Henryville, IN
Vic, I know it's too early for anyone to make an accurate prediction, but I've read quite a few predictions that put the Packers in the Super Bowl. Most predict them to win. I've seen predictions that put Packers vs Colts. I think that would be a great game. Opinion?
I haven't seen one prediction for injuries.
Scott from Memphis, TN
Does a three- or four-point stance really make that much of a difference in safety? Help me understand why that change would have a large effect.
It would decrease contact to the head.
Tony from Burbank, CA
Vic, I enjoyed last week's "Video Ask Vic" segment, comparing players to animals. What kind of animal would represent a packers.com editor?
Something repulsive but skilled in the art of survival. A rat would be good.
George from Manassas, VA
Vic, in Cliff’s recent article with Pat Peppler, he quoted Lombardi as saying, "If we would have had Sonny Jurgensen in Green Bay, we'd never have lost a game." Your opinion of Starr seems higher. Would you elaborate?
Lombardi had Starr in Green Bay, and the Packers only ever lost one postseason game, and Lombardi blamed himself for that loss for not having kicked field goals instead of going for it on fourth down.
Matt from Waunakee, WI
Why is the season starting later than usual this year?
The start of the season is determined by where Labor Day falls on the calendar. The league started the season on or prior to Labor Day some years ago, and it was not popular among season ticket holders.
Paul from Whitefish, MT
I was digging around on the Internet, looking for old Vic Ketchman articles, and found profootballresearchers.com. Your farewell to Jack Lambert is buried in there somewhere, along with the most extensive and informative writing on the history of the NFL and its players I've ever found. I could, and will, spend hours reading here after the kids go to bed. Have you been hiding this site from your readers?
No, I've been promoting "Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the NFL," which is the pro football researchers' book. If you want to learn about this league, read it. The men who wrote it did a wonderful service to the game of pro football, which has not been very good at chronicling its history.
Ken from Des Moines, IA
What's the best training camp fight you ever witnessed?
Ray Mansfield vs. an unknown rookie linebacker named Jim Rosecrans in the Oklahoma drill. The attention Rosecrans received from the fight probably kept him in camp longer than his talent dictated. Infamy is a good thing in football.
Andrew from Wichita, KS
Vic, who is the most underrated QB in the league? I've always felt Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan don't get the respect they deserve.
I'll say Joe Flacco.
Alex from Brisbane, Australia
The Packers to play in London? Have you ever been to London, Vic?
I have not, and I'd love to go there. A game in London would promote the Packers' brand and, hopefully, make some fans for the team and our website.
Mitch from Sheboygan Falls, WI
Vic, I know you are hesitant to give fans credit for influencing the outcome of a game due to the fact they may become overzealous, which could result in violence. I respectfully disagree. While reading Reggie White's autobiography, "Reggie White in the Trenches," he states fans cannot comprehend the amount of impact they have on a player's morale. He said players feed off the emotional charge given by fans (specifically Packers fans). I fully understand any violent act as a result of a game of football is ridiculous, however, I think a passionate fan base has more to do with a team's success than you give them credit for. Thoughts?
I completely agree. Please do it peacefully.
