Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Wayne from Jacksonville:
With all the great players that have played for the Jaguars, who holds the Jaguars record for most sacks in a game?
Vic: The record is three sacks in a game and it is shared by Kelvin Pritchett (10-5-97 vs. Cincinnati) and John Henderson (10-6-02 vs. Philadelphia).
Kel from Santa Rosa, CA:
I just read about the Del Rio Family Golf Tourney and I have to ask, how did Jack shoot? And did you play?
Vic: The coach brought in a couple of ringers for his team, then proceeded to shoot 59 and win his own golf tournament. The coach later remarked that good coaches learn it's important to select good players. I played in a group with Paul Vance and we, obviously, did not have enough good players.
Dr. Witherby from Oxford, England:
I enjoy your "Ask Vic" section. However, please refrain from using words like "wanna" in place of the correct "want to." To a fan of English, it is more upsetting than seeing our kicker miss three from inside the 30 in a seven-point loss.
Vic: C'mon, Doc, don't be an ol' poop.
Greg from Peabody, MA:
Hey, Vic, I am relocating to Jax in June and have bought season tickets. As a Pats fan, how will I like the team/stadium game experience?
Vic: You'll find it very different than Foxboro. For example, the crowd at Alltel Stadium doesn't sing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." But I think you'll like football north Florida style, especially late in the season. November and December bring sunny skies and crisp air; perfect football weather. That's when Alltel is at its best.
Thiago from Madrid, Spain:
Besides his defensive mentality, what do you think of Del Rio's job with the team?
Vic: Jack Del Rio often refers to his days in Dallas under Jimmy Johnson. What Johnson did in Dallas to turn the Cowboys into the team of the '90s would seem to be Del Rio's most significant point of professional football reference, and what Del Rio did with the Jaguars last season bears a lot of resemblance to what happened in Dallas in 1989: new philosophy, new style of play, major roster turnover, new quarterback, etc. What we saw last season was the complete re-shaping of the Jaguars football program, and I'm impressed that Del Rio had the courage and conviction to move as quickly as he did. I've covered three other head coaches – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tom Coughlin – in my career. They were all dynamic in establishing their programs and they all experienced major success. What I like most about Del Rio is that he didn't waste any time establishing his program.
Scott from Reynoldsburg, OH:
I jumped ship as a Bengals fan. The Jags were about to begin their first year and I knew I could not be labeled a bandwagon jumper by choosing an expansion team. It has been fun following the Jags and the work you do on the website really helps the out-of-state fans. What do you think of Wayne Weaver as an owner?
Vic: My opinion of Wayne Weaver as an owner shot up dramatically when he took control of his team's salary cap situation. He has made all of the right moves in correcting what was the worst mess in salary cap history, and what that does is give me a strong sense of security Weaver won't let it happen again. I believe very strongly that if you take care of your cap, you'll never get too far away from winning. In my opinion, Weaver believes the same and he's committed to taking care of his team's cap. That's what a strong owner does. He protects the future of his franchise.
Steve from Jacksonville:
"Ask Vic" seems to be growing and growing. Do you think it's because of the fans' offseason boredom, or is there a definite trend? Either way, I love it and read it daily. Have you ever thought about bringing "Ask Vic" to the airwaves via the Jaguars radio or TV partners? I think it would be great to have you answer fan questions from live phone, e-mail or even an audience. Perhaps you could have a weekly guest to assist: Jaguars players or staff members, local sports media, etc. What do you think, Vic, and what are the possibilities?
Vic: I think we need to do something like that.
Patrick from Jacksonville:
I just read your piece on Paul Spicer. I've always liked him as a player and thought he was one of the better free-agent signings the Jaguars have made, considering the solid production/low salary cap figure. Do you consider his non-flashy style and team-first attitude a refreshing throwback to earlier times? Can his determination pull him up into the ranks of the elite defensive ends, or do you think he is just a better-than-serviceable backup?
Vic: I've always loved doing stories on the longshot guys; players who succeed beyond all odds. Tom McManus, Brant Boyer, Tom Myslinski were such players in the first era of Jaguars football. Years ago, I did a story on a cement-truck driver who got a tryout and made the final roster. One of his tricks was falling out of sight on cutdown days. "They can't cut you if they can't find you," he told me. Well, one day the "Turk" went to the player's dorm room, where the player sat inside with the curtains pulled shut and the lights out. The door was cracked open just a bit so the player could see who was knocking on the door. He didn't answer and the "Turk" went away. The delay in cutting the guy bought him some time, then a player got hurt and the cut was further delayed. Then he had a big preseason game and made the roster. I love those kinds of stories and Paul Spicer is one of them. This season, he'll get a chance nobody thought he'd ever have.
Alex from Winter Springs, FL:
Great work on the "Salary Cap 101" and the "Defense 101" series. It really helps to inform the fans about the finer points of the game. Will there be a "Defense 101" final exam?
Vic: There will be no "Defense 101" final exam, largely because I think you can test yourself. At the end of the "Part 4" story I provided some down-and-distance/offensive-formation scenarios, and asked what defensive strategies should be employed. Make up your own circumstances – score, yard line, down, distance, personnel groupings, etc. – and decide what defense you should use. In many cases, there will be multiple answers.
Nick from Jacksonville:
I wanted to ask you about training camp. I wanted to know if it will be open to the public and I also want to know if there's a charge or a fee.
Vic: Training camp will be open to the public, again, at no charge. The schedule will be released this summer.
Willie from Jacksonville:
I love your column. Where do NFL teams acquire their opponent's game tape? Do they record the game off TV, or does the advance scout sneak a camcorder into the press box?
Vic: The NFL provides for an elaborate system of video-taping games, and each team's video department is responsible for providing a tape of their team's most recent game to their next opponent. That tape is to be put on the next flight out of town. Failure to provide a quality video tape or to ship it in a timely fashion will incur the league's wrath.
