Karen from Honolulu, HI
Vic, I was just discussing this with my husband and we agreed we need Vic to chime in. It seems the Packers go into a bit of a funk each time a teammate gets hurt, which has been painfully frequent this season. I know they are tough professionals, but they are also human. Could injuries possibly contribute to the inconsistency we are seeing? Mahalo!
Inconsistency? They're 6-0. You're seeking something that is unachievable. Undefeated is as good as it gets. If this isn't good enough, football will only ever be frustrating for you. Please, for your own sake, lower your standards to accept victory as the ultimate achievement. It must be good enough because nothing else matters.
Bob from Orange Park, FL
Looking at our defense, how do we strengthen it?
I'm in Green Bay now, Bob.
James from West Lafayette, IN
What do you think of Jermichael Finley's comments to ESPN about football getting violent?
Compared to today's game, the game I covered in the '70s was a human sacrifice. I'm amazed at how the league has been able to soften the game without cost to its popularity, and I suspect there will be a lot more softening over the next several years. I disagree with Jermichael that the game is getting violent. I see dramatic safety improvements, beginning with a greater sensitivity to injury. Decades will have to pass before we know what the impact of the player safety movement is. I think we all know it's about protecting the head.
William from Airway Heights, WA
Read an article this morning ranking the teams based on starts lost to injury. Green Bay is No. 1 with 78. If this doesn't put to rest the doubters of draft and develop once and for all, then those folks will never get it. Excellent coaching also has something to do with it.
You're right, but I think there's something else that needs to be considered: The Packers so firmly believe in their ability to draft and develop players that it allows them to be extra sensitive to injury and their players' health. This franchise will not put a player at a health risk for the sake of winning a game. We saw that in 2013 with Aaron Rodgers. Didn't we also see that with Jermichael Finley in 2010 and, again, in '13? When you believe in your roster, you're not afraid to turn to it in time of need. The Packers have a rare kind of trust in their players, and their players seldom betray that trust.
Mark from Indianapolis, IN
I read Cam Newton believes members of the media should have to pay a fine for incorrect game predictions and data. I wonder how he would feel if you suggested NFL players were paid per game based on wins or losses and individual performance?
Once upon a time, football was the college game and baseball was the national pastime. The PR mantra that helped make the NFL No. 1 in professional sports is, "Any ink is good ink. Just spell the name right."
Joel from Omaha, NE
Vic, do you see parallels between last year's game against New England and the upcoming game against Denver?
Yes, they'll both have been overhyped. The league won't complain.
Ribert from Harris, MN
No question, just a thanks again for the quote from "If."
Here's another one: "If you can make one heap of all your winnings, and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings, and never breathe a word about your loss." There are no guarantees, folks. If you want to experience the real thrill of victory, you must be willing to lose.
