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homebiscuit · 12-22-2021, 11:46 AM

I didn't always agree with him, but he was a good storyteller.

Ask Vic - Blog

Today's column is the final "Ask Vic."

A voice came to me in the night. "It's time to stop, Vic." It's the inner voice that must be obeyed. It's the voice of truth and reason.

All good things must come to an end or they'll die. The timing is good. "Ask Vic" is going out on top, and I don't have to worry about leaving money on the table because there's no money to leave.

Willie Mays played too long. Roberto Clemente got his 3,000th hit and then he died. I'd prefer something between those two extremes. I think this is it.

Readership is vigorous. Me? Not so vigorous. In what is the 50th season I've written about the NFL, I wore out. Blame it on the Steelers and Packers for playing so many night games. Hey, I have to take my back pills. The Jaguars play in a one o'clock world. I needed more of that.

"Ask Vic" is 20 years old. It was created to help Jaguars fans understand the salary cap, which was about to gut their football team. "Ask Vic" quickly mutated. Subject matter included fighting crows, guy wires, invisible paint, FULL CONSISTENCY and 998 Oaks. Fred Taylor even penned an "Ask Vic" while I was on vacation.

A rookie linebacker from North Carolina State once stared at me from the other side of a salad bar and asked, "You Ask Vic?" I nodded. Mike Peterson burst into laughter. I was "Ask Vic." It was my new identity.

In Green Bay, "Ask Vic" evolved into "Ask Vic Extra," "Ask Vic Saturday," "Ask Vic Halftime," and I even think there was an "Ask Vic Postgame." I think I could've done an "Ask Vic Bathroom" and people would've read. The column was killin' it.

It was a great run.

More recently, the column got a little angry. It was unavoidable. America is an angry place. It's a place I want to avoid so I'm going to sit on the dock and listen to the pluff mud pop as the tides come and go at the turn of Scott Creek where I live. I'm at that stage of life. I love it!

I can't help but think of what Joe Greene said that night in 1980 when the Steelers were eliminated from playoff contention, effectively ending one of the greatest dynasties the game has ever known. "They put the second number on our tombstone. Now we can rest," Joe said.

Today is that day for "Ask Vic." This is the second number. Now it can rest.

Thank you for reading the column. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for making me rich.

One more time, let's do it...