Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Michael Watkins from Jacksonville:
Is there a schedule with the times for training camp yet?
Vic:
Here's the training camp schedule: Practices at 8:40 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. on July 26, 27, 29 and 30, and on August 4, 5, 7, 12, 14 and 19; practice at 8:40 a.m. only on August 1, and practice at 3:20 p.m. only on July 31, and on August 6, 11, 13 and 18. The Jaguars will conduct a combined practice with the New Orleans Saints at Alltel Stadium on Friday, Aug. 2, at 8:30 a.m. and at 2:30 p.m. All of the above is open to the public, free of charge, with free parking available adjacent to the practice fields on the east side of Alltel Stadium. Video cameras, horns, whistles and other noise-makers are prohibited. Still-photography cameras are allowed. Autographs will be available to fans as the players leave the practice field following each practice.
Eric Salter from Jacksonville:
Do you think the Jags could be interested in Levon Kirkland if he is available for the minimum salary?
Vic:
The Jaguars will probably have interest in bringing Levon Kirkland in for a workout, at which time Kirkland would have to prove to the Jaguars he still has enough left in his tank to help the team. Because Kirkland is one of the great linebackers in NFL history, his availability excites people, but there are reasons for a player being cut by two teams in two years. Kirkland's weight and an ankle injury from a couple of years ago are said to have robbed him of the speed he once used to cover tight ends 40 yards downfield. Maybe we should temper our excitement.
Ed Smith from Jacksonville:
What are the Jaguars going to have to do to fill the stadium and avoid blackouts all year? They were voted the most popular sport/activity in Jacksonville.
Vic:
They're doing it. The Jaguars have responded to their fans' complaints by offering affordable season-ticket packages, and by making themselves more accessible and attentive to their fans' needs. In time, that kind of response will fill Alltel Stadium, but it may be impossible to bridge the gap for this season. Wayne Weaver announced last week the team must sell 14,000 season tickets just to get into the "low 60's (60,000)," to have any chance of massaging the TV blackout situation. That means the Jaguars would have to sell nearly 2,000 season tickets per week to get into the "low 60's" before the start of the regular season. I'm encouraged the team and its fans have finally admitted a problem exists, and I'm confident time and effort will solve this problem. Patience is the key. Successful sports franchises are all about tradition, and tradition requires time.
Ryan Glenn from Atlanta, GA:
What are your thoughts on this year's schedule? I don't see too many push-overs. I miss the years when you could automatically give the Jags four wins, thanks to the Bengals and Browns.
Vic:
It's not a killer schedule, but it certainly has flavor; especially the home schedule. Two games are against the expansion Texans, and the AFC South is without a truly dominant team. Games against Philadelphia, Washington and Pittsburgh would seem to be the toughest tests, and all of those games will be played at Alltel Stadium. It's a perfect schedule for a team in flux. The AFC South offers the Jaguars the chance to be competitive, and the high end of the schedule provides the Jaguars with the chance to measure themselves against teams that are expected to represent the elite of the league.
