Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts Woody’s Mailbag every Thursday on DenverPost.com.
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Hey, Woody. Do you miss Broncos training camp in Greeley? Do the Broncos?
— Oscar O., Denver
Oscar – I sincerely miss Greeley. I think the Broncos made a big mistake.
Now, training camp is just another day of practice at Dove (Boring) Valley. Used to, everybody got away from Denver, concentrated on football and developing player relationships, and it worked. I don’t know what the numbers are since they left, but I think they had a better record while in Greeley than after moving to their (boring) Valley.
I loved meeting the people of Greeley. It showed that the Broncos cared about the state outside Denver. And it was a fun time. Great food at the training table, and it was nice to drive up and look at the cornstalks, eat in the restaurants and hang out with the folks, even though I occasionally made fun of the smell. And I believe Broncos fans enjoyed driving up and watching practice.
Move back to Greeley! You know as well as I do it was a financial decision.
Woody – Please explain to me how Clint Hurdle could leave Joe Torre off of the all-star coaches lineup? This is going to be a very memorable year for Yankee Stadium with it being torn down and all. Joe Torre was the manager of those very successful Yankee teams. It would have been very fitting for Torre to be there for the all-star game as a bench coach.
— Arce, Colorado
Arce – I agree. Willie Randolph was the proper choice, but Bud Black? Hello.
Hurdle should have done the right thing and selected Torre. It makes no sense whatsoever, but, then, Hurdle’s treatment of some members of the media makes no sense, either. The other day when Greg Reynolds made his debut and pitched great, we were talking in the press box about the rookie being taken out when he was pitching well. Was it because he had been hit on the leg earlier, and the leg swelled? Was he on a pitch count? The Rockies did score that inning and won the game. When a writer from The Post asked, routinely, about Reynolds being removed, Hurdle acted indignant.
A World Series will buy you a year. But leaving Torre off the all-star representation was more ridiculous.
What do the Avs need most in a new head coach?
— Ken, Denver
Good question, Ken. A stronger personality, to begin with. I’ve known Joel Quenneville since he played here, and I liked him and supported him. But the Avs were shown up badly. You need a guy who, if you can’t beat Detroit, can copy the Red Wings. They protect the puck, and they attack with the puck. The Avalanche was too passive.
And, truthfully, you can’t be anti-goalie. A man willing to be in command totally, a man who has experience (not another guy who has none), a man who has a plan and a philosophy and sticks with them, a man who studies Detroit, copies the Wings and then beats them. Aggressive, not passive. Next time, ask me who.
Can the Nuggets live with their first-round exit from the playoffs if the Lakers go on to win the NBA championship?
— J.D., Aurora
J.D. – The Lakers have proven that not only are they better than the Nuggets, but they’re also probably better than all the other teams. However … last year, the San Antonio Spurs privately said the Nuggets gave them more troubles and played them tougher than anyone else in the playoffs. I can promise you the Lakers won’t say that. They’re still laughing.
I don’t care how good the Lakers are. The Nuggets should have won a couple of games, or been competitive in a couple. And the Lakers are not the reason the Nuggets imploded. I can’t live with it. Can you? But, of course, you live in Aurora, so you can live with anything.
It’s a joke, J.D. Not really.
Hey, Woody. I think Ryan Spilborghs should start for the Rockies in center field. He drives in runs almost every time he gets a chance. If the Rockies won’t start him, I suggest trading him for some pitching.
— K. Meyer, Lakewood
I agree with the first statement, not the second.
I said in a the other day he should be a starter. Willy Taveras stinks. A leadoff hitter who gets on base 30 percent of the time and is hitting .230 is failing. You can’t steal first base.
Ryan has proven himself in the majors. If he can’t play full time in center, let him play right against left-handers. Brad Hawpe can’t hit left-handers and really isn’t hitting anyone.
My belief is, after a quarter of the season, you replace the two starting outfielders and make Chris Iannetta the starting catcher. I also would bring up one of the two second basemen from Tulsa. How about Eric Young Jr.? Give him a chance. He can play as well as the guys they’ve got.
Hey, Woody. As much as I’ve liked the Broncos’ draft and free-agent pickups this offseason, I can’t help but notice FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR our Broncos will have no pass rush. Are they doomed to failure yet again because the opposing QB has all day and night to pick a target?
— Teo, Fort Carson
Teo – And you suddenly are the pass-rush expert of all time. Elvis Dumervil is a pass rusher. And if they have better linebackers who will blitz, in this system, and the secondary is better against wide receivers, you’ll see more sacks and a better rush.
One thing you should be aware of. They had no help in the middle, with that lard bag Sam Adams, and the ends had to stay at home more, and they had injury problems at the position. Look what they’ve got there now outside. And Jim Bates didn’t know how to use John Lynch. He is a linebacker playing safety. Finally, they moved an eighth man into the box late in the season, that’s Lynch’s role here, as it was in Tampa Bay.
I think you’ll see an improved pass rush, so don’t be too hasty. That’s my role as the eternal pessimist.
Will Colorado ever see a PGA tournament again?
— Mike, Castle Rock
Mike – No. Colorado will get U.S. Opens, maybe, and senior opens and LPGA Opens and national amateur events and the Nationwide Tour, or whatever it’s called, but players (read: Tiger Woods) don’t want to play regularly at altitude, and you’ve got a short season, and it rained, as you know, where you live, every year in August, and you don’t have a long growing season, and there are a lot of unique problems.
Jack Vickers did everything he could, and it worked for a while with the special scoring system and the most beautiful area in the world, but too many players are lazy idiots, and they didn’t want the challenges of playing at altitude.
I once played in the pro-am with Phil Mickelson, who always came and won twice, and he was on No. 1, and said to Bones, his caddy, “It’s 250 downhill, with the wind, at altitude. Give me a 4-iron … no, a 4, hell, I don’t know. Just give me something.”
I’d love to see a tournament back, but I don’t think so … for a while. Jack is through, and I don’t know who else will do it. Jack, let’s just me and you play, and we’ll call it a tournament. But, as I’m sure you know, Castle Rock is second in the whole wide world in lightning strikes. How’s that for inside information?
Woody Paige first joined The Denver Post in 1981 as a sports columnist. To drop a question into Woody’s Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
