JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Brian from Gainesville, FL
Big O, every time you or one of my fellow Zone enthusiasts writes "Myles Jack wasn't down," I get angry, frustrated and my heart hurts. But I'm going to power through to ask a couple questions about Jack not being down. First, did the officials or the NFL ever comment on that specific call? Did they recognize the hasty whistle or admit wrongdoing? Second, is Jack himself able to talk about that call or does he prefer to leave it in the past? If the latter, what's his technique for leaving it in the past?
The Myles Jack play in the AFC Championship Game was like many "whistle-centric" plays that went against the Jaguars last season in the sense there wasn't much to discuss or admit after the fact. When an official inadvertently ends a play, that pretty much ends the issue in the NFL's view. There's no rule change to discuss, and there's no philosophical wrongdoing; it's an error that is painful to a team and its fans but there's nothing to be done to change what went wrong. As unsatisfying as that may be, that's the fact. I did talk to Jack about the call a few weeks back. It's clear it remains painful, though he is able to discuss it and even smile about it now. And yes, he's aware of the whole "Myles-Jack-Wasn't-Down" movement. As far as moving on from the miscall, I can't imagine Jack having a problem doing so. It wasn't as if he made a mistake on the play that will haunt him. He made an unbelievable play that was wrongly taken away. He's young player with a bright future. There's no reason he shouldn't move on.
Chris from Mandarin
Oh boy John, if Colin Holba sees Friday's O-Zone, you might be in big trouble, implying that he may only have a 50/50 shot at making the team.
Fair point.
Jerry from Jacksonville Beach, FL
Hey, one fer Tony Khan and Fulham!
Fulham Football Club indeed gained promotion to the Premier League Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Championship playoff. It capped a remarkable turnaround season for Fulham, which at one point had a 23-match unbeaten streak. Tony Khan had major influence on Fulham's approach to player acquisition and his presence has been vital to the turnaround there. It was good to see him and Jaguars Owner Shad Khan celebrating Saturday afternoon. In the span of a year, the Jaguars and Fulham have undergone remarkable on-field transformations. Few observers year ago would have predicted the Jaguars coming within minutes of the Super Bowl or Fulham gaining promotion. It's a remarkable story that probably hasn't gotten enough notice.
Al from Orange Park, FL
Your excuse for not being able to outrun Marcell Dareus was age. Sooo, can you outrun TC?
I like my chances over a long distance. I'm not so sure about beating him in a sprint. He's sneaky fast and my knees aren't what they once were.
Bruce from Green Cove Springs, FL
I believe in speaking out against social injustice. I have no problem with professional athletes leveraging their fame by supporting any causes they feel passionate about. My problem isn't with them making a statement, but rather, how they do it. Memorial Day is meant to remind us of the ultimate sacrifice made by so many patriots. They fought and died for our country, our values and our freedoms. All that is represented by our flag. Kneeling during the anthem may get attention, but it also disrespects our fallen heroes. I just hope that our Jaguars have the courage to speak out against injustice but also the wisdom to pick an appropriate way to do so.
This is a tough issue. Many people feel strongly on both sides. I don't anticipate kneeling during the anthem to be an issue around the Jaguars moving forward. It wasn't an issue after Week 3 last season. We'll see.
Andrew from Matoon, LA
Question about Fournette … ack! Look out! Here comes an ad!
It's a thing. That is true.
Dave from Orlando, FL
O: When Tom Brady cut his hand before the AFC Championship Game against the Jags, no one outside the organization knew the extent of the injury. I think many believed it was a minor scratch that was being played up by the media to add drama to the game. What I feel was unreported is the extent of the cut on his hand. If you google "Tom Brady's cut hand" you will see a surprisingly deep gash on his throwing hand. Who knew that we were one Yannick Ngakoue karate chop to the hand away from finding out who played backup quarterback for the New England Patriots?
Well, the Patriots certainly knew – and I for one never bought into the idea that the "media" was playing up the injury to add drama to anything. The "tell" about the seriousness of the injury in this case was Brady missing practice during the week because of the injury leading to the game. Teams and quarterbacks take practice far more seriously than many fans and media. When Brady didn't practice that week, that was a major sign the injury was serious. As he showed, he was capable of playing through it, but there was no doubt it was an issue.
Raymond from Englewood
This is more of a statement than a question "I LOVE THE JAGS"!!!!!!!!!!!!DUVAAALLL!!!!!
That is quite a statement.
Adam from Jax
I'm not a huge Metallica fan but when I hear Enter Sandman the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
I'm not a huge Barry Manilow fan, but do I sing along in my car on the chorus of Mandy? Well, who doesn't, I ask … who doesn't?
JagsCheerleader
Hey Oehser, u r a q t. Wanna go out?
You've got the wrong guy. I'll forward you to Shadrick.
Jordan from St. Augustine, FL
From the FA Chairman on the sale of Wembley Stadium: "The Jacksonville Jaguars have been long-term users of Wembley Stadium for one or more of their regular-season NFL matches over a number of years. As that relationship has developed they have made no secret of their ambition to bring the franchise to London." "We would face limits on the use of the stadium in the autumn and winter months..." "If the Jaguars move permanently to London the autumn internationals will be taken around the country which will enable more supporters to watch the team." I'm not one to get worried about the Jags moving. I've been telling friends and family for years that the Jags wouldn't be moving to London or Los Angeles. This is pretty ominous coming from the Chairman of the FA when Khan is in talks to purchase Wembley. Say it ain't so John.
I'll address this in a rather lengthy answer, because this Q&A did cause a stir this week among some Jaguars fans. Look, I understand that everything written or said along these lines is going to cause concern about Jaguars fans. As President Mark Lamping often has said, the fans of this team and people in this town have been subject to these sorts of rumors for so long that it's understandable Shad Khan's move to purchase Wembley Stadium is going to refresh a lot of longstanding feelings. And when reading opinions of many overseas, there often is talk of the Jaguars moving. It's very important when reading these opinions to remember the words of those running the Jaguars that also have been and will continue to be backed by actions regarding the team's commitment to Jacksonville – commitment that can be seen in existing and pending development around EverBank Field. Remember, too: the Jaguars are not affiliated with the FA and the FA has no better understanding of the Jaguars' intentions than many national media or "observers." The Jaguars have made no secret in recent seasons that they want a presence in London and at Wembley Stadium. Khan and Lamping have stated publicly on multiple occasions they believe they need a strong presence there to make the Jaguars work in Jacksonville for the long term. Khan also said upon news of his interest in purchasing Wembley that protecting the Jaguars' presence there was a reason for the purchase. Does that mean the Jaguars playing an annual game in London for the long term is likely? Absolutely. There seems to be no question about that. And I don't doubt that you'll see a lot more NFL games in Wembley if Khan indeed purchases the stadium. But does that mean the franchise moving there? No, it does not.
Billy from Los Angeles, CA
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.
I googled this. It turns out you're right.
