Manny from Princeton, NJ
Vic, I get it that we fans know nothing and the Packers staff knows everything; you remind us daily. The fact remains we have about similar overall talent and QB talent as New England. They have six super Bowls, four wins and look good for a seventh appearance. So some openmindeness would probably not hurt.
Since Aaron Rodgers became a starter, the Packers and Patriots have each won one Super Bowl; the Patriots have appeared in two. First of all, I don't think we fully appreciate where Tom Brady fits on the list of all-time great quarterbacks. He might be the best ever. Secondly, we're only halfway through this season, and there are no guarantees. Your Super Bowl scoreboard could change dramatically.
Jake from Waukesha, WI
Vic, Lombardi set the standard. Anything less than a world championship is considered falling short of your goal, whether you're a coach, a player or a fan of the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi said "you're either first or you're last," meaning you're either world champions or you're losers. It's harsh, but Lombardi stated that if you didn't continue to win in this business, neither you nor your players would be around for long. McCarthy understands it, as he's stated numerous times "everyone knows it's about winning championships in Green Bay." Rodgers has stated the same thing. When you understand that, you'll fully understand the fans, the city you live in and the team you cover.
I'm not comfortable with that kind of thinking. It doesn't fit my personality. It works for you, but it doesn't work for me. It's the pride goeth before a fall thing. "It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Brian from Albertville, AL
The Sid Bream slide is my favorite sports memory while watching with my dad. Your son got over it, right?
It took a while, but he got over it. He was only 12 years old. I spent some time telling him about my disappointments. I remember him saying, "He played for us, dad." My son felt betrayed. That's a tough one to explain. The experience is something we shared and it bonded us as father and son. One of the things from that event I'll remember is having done a conference call with Marty Schottenheimer the next day, and listening to Schottenheimer explain that he was on nearly no sleep. He said he was watching the game on TV in his office – it must've been game-planning day – and he just sat at his desk much of the night, frozen by the despair he felt at the loss. Sports touches us in strange ways.
Martin from Tisovec, Slovakia
Vic, what do you do on Saturdays when you've finished the "Ask Vic Saturday"?
I watch college football all day and all night. When I go to bed disgusted with myself for having wasted a whole day sitting in front of a TV.
Del from Sterling, IL
What's the greatest life lesson you've learned from football?
You have to get back up if you want to play.
Heather from Stanfield, NC
What do you think the Packers need to do to do to improve their offense dramatically?
Convert third down, but it's not that simple; a lot goes into converting third down. First of all, you need to put yourself into favorable third-down distance. Running the ball will do that.
Justin from Trabuco Canyon, CA
Vic, your two sleeper teams in each conference are going head to head this weekend: Vikings vs. Raiders. Who will pull this one off in your eyes and why?
I'll pick the Vikings because I think they're the better team.
Rodney from Salt Lake City, UT
I know it's early but since I've already seen Christmas decorations in the stores, I wanted to be the first to say Mele Kalikimaka!
Drum roll.
Terrance from Springfield, MO
Gary Pinkel gets it. Football is a game; life is more important. Just live, baby.
We lived in the same dorm complex. I'm proud to say that. Coach Pinkel's time at Missouri will be remembered for winning and for supporting his players.
Lynn from Rockford, IL
I'm a huge fan of "Ask Vic," but what are your thoughts of McCarthy unplugged?
It's a wonderful new feature on packers.com, and it's a shining example of what can be accomplished when there is trust between the interviewer and his subject. It was that way when I first began covering the NFL, and I miss it terribly.
Frank from New Berlin, WI
Vic, can you explain the "I don't have that list in front of me" line? I think it's from a press conference, but I'm not sure.
Coach Harbaugh used that line during one of his terse and unaccommodating conference calls. I miss Coach Harbaugh. He's my kind of guy.
Brandon from Saint Paul, MN
I recall a story about the residents of Green Bay keeping their porch lights on during road games so the team was welcomed home to a bright city as the plane was arriving. Is that still true?
I'll check on the way back from Minnesota next week. I love that story. It has a kind of Whoville feel to it. If it's not that way anymore, maybe we can re-start the tradition. Let's talk more about this next week.
Paul from De Pere, WI
Vic, the current Packers team is not as good as the one that lost to Seattle in the playoffs. What makes you think we can get there from here?
What were you saying about last year's team at this point in the season?
Nicholas from Escanaba, MI
Vic, you can do no wrong. Can I please be banned?
Aren't you the guy whose question was the subject of the "Video Ask Vic" I did from the beach at Edisto last winter? I've got a good memory. You're banned.
Kevin from Minneapolis, MN
Vic, if Fred Taylor, why not Corey Dillon? How about Steven Jackson? How about Edgerrin James? Some might even want Rickey Watters; he was really good. Ditto Warrick Dunn. Where do we draw the line?
The Jaguars don't have a representative in the Hall of Fame. They need one. Fred is deserving.
Trevor from Wausau, WI
Mike McCarthy said the team's theme for the week is perspective. Are you gonna be the guest speaker?
Perspective is important for everyone because it creates a sharp focus on the task at hand. The proper perspective, in my opinion, is the Packers are 6-2, tied for first place in the NFC North and playing to retain a share of the lead. I don't think we need to look beyond that.
Nathan from Portland, OR
What is the very first memory you can recall? Mine is sitting with my late grandfather listening to a Packers game on the radio while driving through a blizzard in Wisconsin back in the early '90s. I remember the excitement in the voice of the announcer, and I remember cheering when my grandpa did, not actually knowing what was happening. I felt a part of something greater than myself. This is why I'm a Packers fan.
One of my first memories is of lying across my parents' lap at a high school football game, and of my mother wrapping a blanket around me. Cookie Gilchrist played in that game.
John from Leesburg, FL
I know Jonas Salk very well. His vaccine came out the year after I contracted polio, and I've been confined to a wheelchair since 1954.
I'm so sorry. I've often thought of the kids who contracted polio in the days before inoculations began. Neither Salk nor Pitt patented the vaccine, which meant there would be no delays in beginning inoculations. Salk said, "How do you patent sunshine?" Within weeks, polio was virtually eradicated. It's been estimated $44 billion in patent money was sacrificed. In my mind, Salk is the greatest man of the 20th century. Thank you, John, for sharing your sobering story. As I watch college football today, I'll remember who our universities' real heroes are.
