Vic: I’m not sure if you mean until they first made the playoffs or since they last made the playoffs. I’m going to go with the latter and the answer is the Arizona Cardinals, who last played in the postseason in the 1998 season.

Vic: I was just testin’ you. I wanted to see who was awake out there. You were the first one to catch the error.

Vic: You may elect not to use the transmitter, but that could be dangerous in a game against the Patriots, who no doubt have stolen your hand signals. Of course, they’ll probably steal your transmission signal, so maybe it would be a better idea to use hand signals and have everybody on the sideline making hand gestures, that way the Patriots wouldn’t know who the real signal guy is. You could do that, or you could do what the Giants did: Rush the quarterback and rush the quarterback hard.

Vic: Yes, it’s a good-lookin’ site. I suspect my wife goes there a lot.

Vic: The offense must have seven or more players on the line of scrimmage. The two bookend players on the line of scrimmage are referred to as ends. One of them is usually tight to the formation, hence, the designation tight end, and one of them is usually split from the formation, hence, the designation split end. In most cases, the other wide receiver in a two-wide receiver alignment is actually a backfield refugee; he was a halfback in the T formation or single wing or a wingback in the wing T, etc. In a pro-set formation, he has been moved into the flank to become a pass receiver, hence, the designation flanker. To avoid “covering” one of the ends, he must line up off the line of scrimmage. Should he make the mistake of lining up on the line of scrimmage, he would then become an end, which would “cover” – they no longer would be at the end of the formation – either the split end or tight end in the formation and make one of them an ineligible receiver. Some people just refer to split ends and flankers as wide receivers. Just remember, you may only employ two ends who are eligible receivers. In coach’s parlance, the terms are X (split end), Y (tight end), Z (flanker, slot receiver).

Vic: Urlacher? The Jaguars have two middle linebackers better than him. Peppers has fallen off his game.

Vic: You could make a case for Allen.

Vic: Just think what it would be if I could lower gas prices.

Vic: The big difference is immediacy. When I worked for a PM newspaper, I was always having to featurize my leads and stories because by the time my newspaper hit the streets, the news was old. I kind of liked working for a PM because it allowed and encouraged a degree of analytical freedom the AM guys didn’t have. Writing for jaguars.com, however, is the complete opposite of PM writing. My story is up on the site within minutes after writing it. For the first time in my sportswriting life I can actually break the news. If I had never enjoyed this luxury of “old-time” reporting, I would’ve missed out on something important. Web reporting is deadline writing in its truest sense and I love it. It rewards speed and that’s the thing that separates writers. Good writers can pound out 20 inches in 20 minutes and not sacrifice accuracy. The other thing I like about web reporting is my lack of involvement in design. Hey, I just write the words. The design part of web composition is too high tech for sportswriters. We’ve been given a pass on layout and that’s fine with me. At my old job, I would spend three hours early every morning clearing the wire, editing the copy, sizing the copy, selecting the pictures, cropping and sizing the pictures, designing the page dummies, writing the headlines and then, finally, directing the person who was physically responsible for putting the cold type in place on the page. When I left that job, I brought with me the line gauge and percentage wheel I had used for 23 years and I’ve used neither since. What do I like better? I think I like web reporting better. What I miss most from the newspaper business is the strict code that was enforced. I miss the structure and the fraternity of newspaper people who enforced it. It is the most honorable of professions. I welcome, however, the freedom web reporting has afforded me. I try to marry the two.

Vic: You can see his original remark as racist, or you can believe his explanation, or you can ignore everything Imus says. I choose the latter.

Vic: That’s what he’s considering.

Vic: Sweat a lot.

Vic: The dot must go down and the dot must go down hard.

Vic: The number five thing is drinking a glass of refreshing lemonade after a friendly round of golf. Number four, rolling down the windows and playing the music loud as we drive down the road. Three, grillin’ kielbasa for dinner. Two, debating the state of the economy and why he needs to pay more taxes. And the number one thing I like to do with Snoop, especially when I’m on vacation, is: sitting in the rockers on the deck, smokin’ cigars and lookin’ at the mountains as we listen to my favorite Tony Bennett CD.

Vic: Center.

Vic: Only the ones with hammers.