Join Jaguars Inside Report Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Jon from Jacksonville:
All right, Vic, here's another question about football rules forgotten. Is the drop-kick still a valid play? Is it not used due to the current design of the ball and when did teams stop attempting this means of scoring?
Vic: The rules still allow for the drop-kick, but you may have trouble finding someone who can execute it. The drop-kick left the game with the single wing and is not likely to return. The design of the ball may have something to do with the drop-kick not being used any longer, but mostly it's the result of the quarterback stepping under center.
Mike from Jacksonville:
Hey, Vic, I liked your comment about the 'best players are the ones who play hurt the best." I was wondering what Green Bay's stadium capacity is?
Vic: Renovations concluded this year have taken Lambeau Field's seating capacity to 72,515, an increase of nearly 12,000 seats since renovations began in 2001.
Denton from St. Augustine, FL:
I'm a little upset with you. It concerns the answer you gave Jon from Orange Park, Fla., concerning blackouts. You said in your youth all home games were blacked-out. Well, why did the NFL change that rule? The same reason they need to change their current rule. In today's TV age, as opposed to the time of your youth (no offense), there's no reason the game shouldn't be on TV. Doesn't the local CBS affiliate lose advertising revenue? Is there any other major sport that blacks-out home games?
Vic: Let's start with your last question. Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL do not have a blackout policy because none of those three leagues televise all of their games. MLB, NBA and NHL teams pick and choose what home games -- if any -- they want to show to their home TV market, and those games may or may not be sold out. In other words, MLB, the NBA and the NHL are not bound to televise any of their home games to their home markets. They may black them all out, and that includes those that are sold out. In contrast, the NFL televises all of its games and agrees to televise all of its sold-out games to its home markets. Why does the NFL agree to do that? Because they were ordered to do so by an Act of Congress in 1973. That act expired a few years later, but the NFL has voluntarily maintained the policy Congress initially set forth. The other sports have never encountered that kind of legislative meddling and, as a result, are free to black-out any game they so choose.
Bharat from Jacksonville:
I truly believe in patience and I'm certainly trying to spread the word. I was at the game yesterday and I was actually left wondering; I saw no positives. To make matters worse, on the interception by Robaire Smith, I swear I saw Mike Pearson give up and not even attempt to bring him down. Is there anything I can take solace in? Perhaps, it's the resolve Del Rio showed.
Vic: I was horribly disappointed by the Jaguars' performance and effort against the Titans. I truly believed the Jaguars would put their best foot forward, especially coming off a bye week, and I'm not going to tell you to look for any silver-lining material. But please don't confuse patience with looking the other way. I'm not asking you to ignore the hard facts. You have reason to be disgusted with the Jaguars' performance and I have no problem with fans expressing their disgust. When I say be patient, I say that for your good. We're all innocent bystanders in this. All we can do is watch. Why fly off the handle about something you can't control?
Jon-Michael from Starke, FL:
Do former players make good interviewers of current players? Watching Michael Irvin interview Warren Sapp, I felt he wasn't challenging Sapp.
Vic: There's no reason a former player can't develop into a credible media person, but he must embrace his new career with the same respect and ambition with which he played the game. And he must stop being a player or he will never achieve true credibility. The moment I see a former player turned reporter do the buddy-buddy thing, I take him out of the category of reporter and put him into the category of entertainer. It's not likely I'm ever going to consider Michael Irvin to be a source of credible information.
Eric from St. Augustine, FL:
I will attempt to ask this question without the use of expletives: Why, oh, why, were the Titans wearing home jerseys in our stadium this Sunday? Did they really need that much more ammunition? Did we really need that much more embarrassment?
Vic: Eric, the Jaguars have always worn white jerseys at home for daylight games in September and October. I didn't hear anyone complain when the Jaguars made the Bills wear their navy blue jerseys at one o'clock on Sept. 14.