MAILBAG Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

• DON STILL WANTS TO TALK ABOUT LABOR. From Don St. John of Amherst, Mass.: Two questions. First, why are you apologizing up front for writing about labor issues? That's part of the turf in covering the modern game of football, and some of us who appreciate that this is a really big business actually enjoy reading about that aspect. Second, what part in the potential labor shakeouts is the presence of Gene Upshaw likely to play? He's gotten criticism from many quarters for being owner-friendly (although he's also the voice saying owners will never get a cap back if they abandon it). But union directors don't often survive if their players aren't happy, and he's managed to thrive, so I assume the union members are happy with him. Is he likely to help create movement here, or to stymie it?

Good point. That is a part of the NFL landscape in the next few years and we're all going to read a lot about it. My only point was I've not heard a single fan on a talk show call and ask a host recently, "Hey, what do you think about that uncapped year in 2010?" I've only heard people wonder vaguely if the NFL will be on strike. It's just not something the average fan wants to read or hear much about in my opinion. Having said that, I do think it's important, as you point out, to make sure that the substantive baseline issues of a topic that's going to get dragged through the court of public opinion the next three years gets flushed out with the requisite facts at the beginning.

I think Upshaw's role will be vital. At the beginning and maybe for the next couple of years, I think he'll talk exceedingly tough about not giving back a dime from the 2006 agreement. But part of the problem in this entire issue is the NFL is spending more money to make money these days than it did 10 years ago. I know that sounds like negotiating gobbly-gook but it's true. I think it's going to take some realization by Upshaw that the players got a clear and decisive edge in the agreement in 2006 and there are some teams and owners getting hurt by this agreement.

• NFL SHOULD TAKE CLUES FROM THE NHL. From Jeff Kraus, of Richmond, Va.: As a big NHL fan, I have loved the way they scheduled the last few weeks of the season to be all inter-division games. What do you think about the NFL doing something like this? What if each team played its division foes on the first three and the last three games of the season? That way those divisional rivalries get the blood boiling, I can't imagine any team mailing it in for the last few weeks.

Your idea is exactly the same idea that several owners floated at the league meetings. As commissioner Roger Goodell said, one of the problems with making that happen is the restrictions that every team puts on its schedule requests to the league office each February. After the league tries to accommodate teams, the NFL often times does not have the wherewithal to schedule most of the teams' division games after Thanksgiving. But I can tell you it's something they are going to try to do in future schedules.

• TWO WORDS. From Corbin S., of Lincoln, Neb.: If both Glenn Dorsey and Jake Long are both off the board by the time the Chiefs pick, who do you see them taking?

And the answer is: Matt Ryan.

• WHAT WILL BILL PARCELLS DO? From John Cruciani, of Overland Park, Kan.: Do you think the Dolphins will select and sign their top draft pick before the draft? It seems like that hasn't happened as often as it used to with teams holding the No. 1-overall pick.

Talk to 10 people in the league that know Bill Parcells and you are likely to get 10 different answers and 10 different strategies that he may use to try and sign the top pick. But I think the smartest and most logical option for Parcells is what I wrote about Monday -- that Miami could pick three or four guys who they like and try to negotiate an under-market contract with one of them in the day or two before the draft. I think it would be a master stroke by Parcells. The idea of being the first pick in the draft appeals to some guys; I think it would have a great appeal to someone in a football family like Chris Long. If I were Miami, it's a concept I'd certainly explore.

• CRY ME A RIVER. From Ed, of Seattle: I used to be a big critic of stupid parents, until I became one. It's been a while since you were a new dad and the experience may have dimmed a bit. Lay off the new parents.

If I'd gotten such advice when I had a 7-month-old, I think my reaction would have been the guy has a point there, maybe I shouldn't just let my kid cry for two hours. Sorry, unless the kid is colicky or starving, there's no excuse for letting a kid cry for two hours.

• MVP DEBATE. From Chris W., of Mobile, Ala.: Regarding your blind lust for Kevin Garnett as MVP, you can't just look at the Celtics turnaround and attribute it to one player. Remember that the Celts also have Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Chris Paul is the MVP because he's leading a team with a mediocre supporting cast and yet the Hornets are No. 1 in the much tougher conference. It's pretty obvious you have a Boston bias because any true NBA fan would realize KG isn't half the MVP candidate Paul is.

I understand Ray Allen is on the team. And no, I'm not obviously a big NBA-watcher. But one guy is primarily responsible for the biggest improvement in the history of the league. If you don't want to vote KG for MVP, that's fine. But to belittle his candidacy is ludicrous.