Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Jim from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
If Jimmy Smith decides to sit out, do I have any recourse legally to force him to play? I am a season ticket holder and I pay quite a bit of money to see "the show." In this day and age when someone can sue McDonalds for making him obese, surely some lawyer can find a way.
Vic:
You can sue anybody for anything, but that doesn't mean you're going to win. I would hate to think any of us can be forced to work. Jim, you may have lost perspective.
Craig from Jacksonville:
The Jaguars hope to have a New England kind of year. Their star quarterback didn't win games and their young backup (Brady) did. In Brunell and Garrard, could we be facing the same situation? I could care less who's at the helm; fans want a win.
Vic:
The Patriots are the new example of how to do it. The Ravens were last season's model and the Rams were the previous year's model. The problem with imitating the previous year's Super Bowl champion is that you're always last year's model, and if last year's model was so good, why didn't it win the Super Bowl again? There is very little resemblance between the 2002 Jaguars and last year's Patriots. Yes, the Patriots plugged in some stop-gap players on offense, but their defense was loaded with first-round draft picks, and the Patriots won with defense. The Jaguars are the total opposite. Their big names are on the offensive side of the ball and their plug-ins are on defense. If the Jaguars win the Super Bowl this year, they will have done it with their own blend of football styles, and that's the way it has to be. Champions are not born of imitation.
Kevin from Kansas City, MO:
I know the wide receiver position is relatively weak this year compared to prior years. A few spots are open at this position and it has been one of the most interesting to watch so far in camp. Could you please provide some insight on some of the young talent fighting for these spots? Of much interest is Jimmy Redmond from NFL Europe. What are his chances of making the team?
Vic:
Jimmy Redmond is one of those bubble players whose chance of making this team depends on so many factors, including Jimmy Smith's holdout status and Tom Coughlin's use of the waiver wire. Redmond and Henry Douglas, another bubble wide receiver, have routinely followed a step up with a step back. They each need to hit a "home run" this Thursday in the preseason finale, then rest on that statement. Of the wide receivers currently practicing, the top guys are Bobby Shaw, Patrick Johnson, Damon Gibson and Darnay Scott. Coughlin is likely to keep five wide receivers. You can do the math.
J.D. from Kingsland, GA:
I am a very loyal Jags fan. I get crap because they suck. I know they're not the best team in the world, but they're still my team. I watched something on the TV and some guy actually said the Jags could win a wild-card spot. Although, I totally agree, I don't wanna get my hopes up. But do you think with Brunell, a healthy Fred, hopefully Jimmy, and a young and decent defensive side of the ball, we can compete? Just give it to me straight.
Vic:
J.D., I, too, get a lot of crap when the Jags don't play especially well, and I, too, have resisted getting my hopes up. Nobody wants to be disappointed, right? I think a conservative approach to expectations for this season would be a wise path for you and I to follow. I have hope, but I also see things that greatly concern me. I've decided on this approach: The 2002 season is logically a rebuilding year; maybe the Jaguars will surprise me.
Mark from Jacksonville:
Do you think the people of Jacksonville will ever get rid of their college mentality and back the Jaguars, win or lose?
Vic:
The NFL always wins. Once upon a time they may have asked the same question about Dallas football fans. Forty years later, the Southwest Conference is out of business. Who would've ever thought that possible?
