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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

They sold out

Join jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Stephen from Jacksonville:
Brian Cushing tested positive for a female fertility drug. This is absolutely hilarious. Would you please use your fantastic writing skills to illustrate the comedy of a pro football player using such a substance?

Vic: Nobody suspected anything until he started hitting from the ladies' tees.

Alan from Orlando, FL:
I just hope Tebow makes it to the Pro Bowl. Man, the backlash against you will be awesome to read.

Vic: What if he doesn't make it to the Pro Bowl?

Stephen from Jacksonville:
What are your thoughts on Big Ten expansion? Wouldn't Pitt be the most logical choice, considering all of the circumstances surrounding Notre Dame and the Big 12 teams?

Vic: The expectation is that Big Ten expansion into the East will be all about TV sets in New York for the "Big Ten Network." Everyone has already conceded that Rutgers will be invited and some have speculated that Syracuse and UConn will be invited, too. What if New York continues to watch "All In The Family" re-runs instead of college football? That would be a lot of teams for no TV sets. The Big Ten better be careful in how it expands. The ACC is waiting to scoop up the left-overs. I thought ESPN did a really good job of arranging conferences in a mega-conferences idea recently. If we're gonna do it, that's how it should be done.

Josie from Jacksonville:
I know a team cannot contact a player under contract, but can a player under contract contact a team about a potential deal for the future while still under contract?

Vic: There's no rule that says the player can't call another team, but that team better not answer the phone.

Greg from Carlsbad, CA:
"OTAs are a meaningless measuring stick for evaluating a player's ability to play football." What, then, are their purpose?

Vic: Their purpose is to teach the players how to play football. The real evaluation will occur later, after they've been taught how to play.

Andy from Saint Johns, FL:
Are there any current plans for the Jaguars/city of Jacksonville to bid on a future Super Bowl?

Vic: No.

Paul from Palm Beach Gardens, FL:
Was the hiring of Shack Harris independent of the hiring of Jack Del Rio?

Vic: They were completely independent of each other. In fact, when Del Rio was hired, it was expected that Phil Savage would become the team's personnel director.

Frank from St. Augustine, FL:
When a restricted free agent does not sign his tender and becomes unrestricted, does the team that signs him lose anything?

Vic: He can't become unrestricted unless the team cuts him. Failure to sign a tender doesn't extinguish a team's rights to that player. Until they cut him, he belongs to them and to nobody else. It's called being an exclusive-rights free agent, which is what a restricted free agent is.

David from Jacksonville:
I was deeply troubled to see the AP re-vote gave defensive rookie of the year to Cushing. I had hoped that while fans could be fooled, reporters would be smarter. Cushing got caught doing something, had his appeal and lost. From your perspective as a journalist, please explain to us why reporters believe he should keep the rookie-of-the-year award and teach our kids that cheating is OK?

Vic: Let's leave the kids out of this, please. Everything is not about the kids. This issue is about the integrity of the game and I am greatly dismayed by the message the re-vote has sent. The message is that what Cushing did is no big deal. The message is that a lot of sportswriters believe that what Cushing did is nothing more than what a lot of other players do, and that message greatly disappoints me. This kid had the look coming out of college. Everybody knew it but we all turned our back on it. The use of performance-enhancing drugs sickens me. It is, in my opinion, the ultimate in cheating. This is far worse than what Bill Belichick did with a video camera. As everyone knows, I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of innocent until proven guilty. In Cushing's case, he's been proven guilty, yet, he's being suspended for two games fewer than a guy who wasn't even charged with a crime. Worse, yet, my media brothers are allowing Cushing to keep his award. Shame on them. They sold out.

Brad from Jacksonville:
What do you think the fallout would be if the Jags drafted Ponder next year by the Tebow-spurned fans? I am a Seminole homer but I have heard you say he is a good quarterback.

Vic: I didn't say he's a good quarterback, I said he has a chance to be a great quarterback. I'm not worried about fallout.

Dennis from Jacksonville:
Have you already ordained Mike Sims-Walker as the number one receiver for the Jags this year? Does this mean he can slack off in OTAs and also in full-pads training camp later this summer?

Vic: I don't have to ordain Sims-Walker number one; Jack Del Rio has. He did it last week in the "Fan Forum" with season-ticket holders. "I think the one guy we have that is clearly the best guy in the group is Mike Sims-Walker," Del Rio said. As far as slacking off, I'm not sure what your point is there because I think everyone knows that slacking off in this league will get you demoted and cut very quickly. What's with the venom for Mike?

Brett from Jacksonville:
Would you have changed your vote?

Vic: Without hesitation. The use of performance-enhancing drugs is strictly prohibited by the NFL CBA. Once upon a time, they weren't prohibited. Once upon a time, steroids were seen as a wonder drug that facilitated healing. Then we found out about their long-term ill effects and how they could be abused, and then they became forbidden in a joint action between the league and the players' union.

Filip from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
So what don't you like about the World Cup?

Vic: The sport. It's almost as boring as tennis.

Sam from Pensacola, FL:
So when is the time to evaluate players with some sort of meaningful basis?

Vic: Are you serious? You don't know that training camp is the time for hard evaluation? OTAs prepare players for training camp. OTAs prepare players to be able to compete.

Pat from Jacksonville:
What effect do you think Jacksonville being a largely church-going town has on Jaguars game attendance? It seems to me a lot of the people in Jacksonville with enough spare change for season tickets may find it hard to make a one o'clock game when church doesn't let out until noon.

Vic: Blame it on God? I don't think he'd like that.

Chris from St. Augustine, FL:
I read your OTAs editorial. What happened to Charles Sharon? He seemed like he had a lot of promise. Where is he now?

Vic: He won the 2007 Underwear League MVP and then retired.

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