Q: Are this year's Chargers the best team to never win the Super Bowl?
— Bob, La Jolla, Calif.

A: In the modern era of futility, I like the 1998 Vikings, who were 15-1 and scored 556 points, still the record. They lost the NFC title game at home to Atlanta.

A statistic that characterizes great teams is a 200-point gap between points scored and points allowed. These Chargers were close to the magic 200 with 492 scored and 303 given up, but the 1998 Vikings gave up only 296 points. That 260-point difference, over 16 points a game, was two points better than the 1985 Bears and only one point off the 1991 Redskins. The Bears and Redskins won those years while the Vikings didn't even make it to the Super Bowl.

For all time, however, I think the 1942 Bears, undefeated at 11-0 after outscoring opponents by 292 points, 376-84, take the cake because they lost the title game 14-6 to Washington. Before the Super Bowl, of course.

Q: Is this finally the year for Art Monk and Ray Guy to get into the Hall? Art Monk owned all those records that Jerry Rice broke. Without him, the Redskins don't sniff the Super Bowl in the '80s. It's time he went in. As for Ray Guy — I'm a Chiefs fan and always hated him. He was simply the best punter ever and seemed like a one-man guarantee that the Raiders would win the battle for field position. He didn't just put the ball farther than anyone else, he punted it higher and could seemingly place it anywhere he wanted. Forget trying to block the kick. Plus, as a former college quarterback, he could throw it too. He was the best punter in NFL history, period. That's why the best college punter each year wins the Ray Guy Award. If the best player at any position can't get in the Hall of fame, then the Hall's a sham.
— James Ice, Cabot, Ark.

A: I think Monk might have a better shot than Guy this year, although I don't disagree that both have significant credentials. Guy would be the first punting specialist and I'm not convinced he was the best ever, since Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh still holds the records for most seasons leading the league (four), highest average for a second (51.4 yards), and is still second in career average (45.1).

Monk's main contribution was as the common denominator in all the Gibbs' Super Bowl wins, enough to get my vote, although he didn't make signature catches in big games, like Lynn Swann, to establish himself as the kind of impact player the Hall of Fame likes to salute.

Q: What impact will defensive coordinator Zimmer's leaving have on the Dallas Cowboys' defense? What 3-4 defense experts are likely to be approached about the job?
— Don F., Brentwood, Calif.

A: Since Zimmer is a 4-3 coach, the impact of his leaving should be positive, especially if whoever becomes the new defensive coordinator brings more linebackers and pass rushers with him.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

The teams that play the 3-4 best-Ravens, Chargers, Patriots, Steelers-are the first places the Cowboys should look for a replacement. Linebacker coaches like Keith Butler from the Steelers, Greg Manusky from the Chargers, Matt Patricia of the Patriots or Jeff Fitzgerald of the Ravens would know what to do. But more importantly, the Cowboys need to find more front seven players like Demarcus Ware who can handle the alignment.

Q: This question may be stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway. When they announce a player, why do they mention the college they went to? Is it a money thing or a promo for the school? What if he came from a high school? Would they do the same? Thanks
— Paul Lafond

A: There are no stupid questions, as we say in our business.

Announcing the colleges stems from a time when the colleges were more popular and more familiar than the pro teams. Early NFL fans would come to the games to see the great college stars. So it was practical for the NFL to exploit that angle.

More recently, now that the colleges have become in large part a minor league for the NFL, the NFL continues to give the colleges publicity. I don't think I've ever heard a public address announcer name a player's high school during introductions, but you do hear players mention their high schools on occasion when the networks allow them to introduce themselves early in telecasts. Since more teams are choosing to bypass individual introductions in favor of introducing entire units, such as the offense, defense or special teams, the tradition of hearing colleges over the PA may eventually die out.

The idea of players running onto the field en masse without individual intros was popularized by the New England Patriots. Anytime a team wins three Super Bowls in five years, other teams are bound to copy their ways.