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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Distraction not worth the pick

Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Mike from Orange Park, FL:
Can you describe the changes that the new NFL Fan Code of Conduct will bring to current policies at the stadium?

Vic: The Jaguars were already in complete compliance with the fan code before it was announced, therefore, there will be no changes. The way I view it, this fan code announcement was like having your mother wiggle her finger at you and warn you not to be bad or else. Did you need that? Do you need to be told not to get drunk? Not to misbehave? Not to use abusive or threatening language? Of course you did. We all need it. Folks, as you know, I've been on this "we must protect our house" kick for quite awhile. The reason I do it is because I think fans have lost perspective. I think a lot of fans think they're playing the game, too. They've lost sight of who and what they are. I know you want to think you're part of the game. I know you want to think you possess an element of control, but I am wiggling my finger at you, just as your mother would and the league recently did. Don't be bad or else. It's not worth it. Don't embarrass yourself. Don't subject yourself to the possible punishments.

Steve from Jacksonville:
Do you think Matt Jones loves the game? To a lot of people, he doesn't appear to play that way.

Vic: I can't look into a man's heart. I don't know what his feelings are for the game. I agree with you that his body language doesn't say that he loves the game, but body language can be misleading. A player speaks with his performance. In my opinion, a player who loves the game plays hurt. He doesn't miss practice. He goes hard all the time. I'll tell you this about Jones in this training camp: He hasn't missed a practice and I think that says a lot.

Marco from Jacksonville:
If a punter deserves to get into the Hall of Fame, then we better start looking for the best towel boy.

Vic: How about assistant coaches? Do we start putting them into the Hall of Fame, too?

Chris from Virginia Beach, VA:
Art Monk won three Super Bowls. He played in four. It was Darrell Green that only won two and played in three, you quack of a journalist.

Vic: I respectfully have to disagree. Due to an injury, Monk did not play in Super Bowl XVII. He played in three Super Bowls, two of which the Redskins won. As I wrote, Monk played in three Super Bowls and caught nine passes for 179 yards and no touchdowns. Wow! How could they have won without him?

Mike from Boston, MA:
How is Scott Starks doing in camp? Has he basically locked up the "nickel" job?

Vic: Starks had his best practice of training camp on Wednesday, and I didn't think it was possible for him to play any better than he already had. He intercepted a David Garrard pass while covering Mike Walker. It was a textbook interception; stepped in front of Walker and made the pick. I have nothing but the greatest respect for Starks. I don't know how Jack Del Rio and Gregg Williams intend to use him, but I can't imagine that they would have any reservations.

Aaron from White Hall, AR:
If you were Roger Goodell, how would you fix the rookie wages?

Vic: I'm gonna try to answer this one more time and I am asking everyone to please try and understand what I'm saying. Goodell can't fix it. He is powerless to fix it without an agreement from the players union. The league can't just say this is the way it is because the league has a collective bargaining agreement with the players that provides for such issues as minimum wage. Any unilateral action by the league would be a violation of United States labor law. The best thing Goodell can do is negotiate an agreement with the players union that spreads money around in such a fashion that favors neither rookies nor veterans. When you have a system that tilts the financial field toward one or the other, the teams are going to steer clear of the faction of players that represent the greatest cost. We have a CBA in place and it's going to be there for the next three years. It is what it is, for now. When they do a new CBA, then they can address this matter.

Tom from West Falls, NY:
How has Mike Walker been doing while practicing less? Has it helped him recover from any soreness he might have or is he not at 100 percent?

Vic: Walker is back to practice. He's fighting through a sprained ankle.

Chris from Pleasantville, NY:
Favre to the Jets. Any thoughts?

Vic: My first thought is: Is a fourth-round pick worth the horrible distraction this mind-numbing event caused the Packers? In my opinion, it is not. In my opinion, they should've acted swiftly and forcefully right from the beginning. They should've cut him and moved on. That's what committed and courageous franchises do. Mike McCarthy's response should've been, "Brett who?"

Paul from Fayetteville, AR:
What kind of careers are currently available with the Jaguars?

Vic: The Jaguars have an opening for a young, talented, every-downs, pass-rushing defensive end.

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