Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts Woody’s Mailbag every Thursday on DenverPost.com.
To drop a question into Woody’s Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s . And to browse the archive of videos in Woody’s World, .
Hey, Woody. Just wanted to see what you thought about the replacement of Phil Fulmer at Tennessee. And who do you like to replace him? Go Vols and Broncos. (It’s been a bad football year.) Thanks.
— Brian Liford, Knoxville, Tenn.
Brian – About five people in Denver care who the replacement will be. Todd Helton is one. I guess I’m another, and my friend Breck Grover would be three.
I’m on record on ESPN saying that Jon Gruden will take the job because his wife Cindy was a cheerleader at Tennessee. Her parents live there. The Grudens bought land a few years ago in Jefferson County for a second home. Mrs. Gruden would like her three sons to live in East Tennessee. Jon and Cindy met when Jon was a graduate assistant attending graduate school at UT. Tampa always has been a fertile recruiting ground for Tennessee, and obviously Gruden is respected there.
Gruden says he’s not leaving Tampa Bay, but what do you expect him to say during the season? Nick Saban said he wasn’t taking the Alabama job. Tennessee alums would match, and beat, the Tampa Bay contract, which does run until 2011, I think.
I went to school with Fulmer and met him then. He’s been loyal to the program since he was a kid, but it was time for a change. No bowl for Tennessee? And , which struggles in the Mountain West? Maybe I should be the coach in Knoxtown.
Woody – Do you think the players are in the process of firing Mike Shanahan? I do. I see it happening in Dallas, Oakland, Detroit and Kansas City. In my opinion, Shanahan’s days are numbered.
— Lynn Crews, Kerrville, Texas
Wrong. Even though , he won’t be fired by Pat Bowlen, who feels comfortable with and good about Shanahan. Bowlen did fire Dan Reeves one season after he got to the conference championship, but knowing Pat as I do, he won’t fire Shanahan; and knowing Shanahan as I do, he won’t quit because he firmly believes he can make Jay Cutler into another John Elway.
So, no way, Lynn. Doesn’t matter what you or I say.
Woody – I’m an engineer, so I’ll ask my question in simple math terms. equals more fans in the seats, but does it also equal higher numbers in the Nuggets’ win column (two equations, two unknowns)?
— Joe, Littleton
Joe – Do you know Lou from Littleton?
I’ve watched every game since Chauncey was reacquired, and I guarantee you this will be a better team, but probably with more losses. Chauncey is a coach on the floor. He will play defense. He will get Carmelo Anthony the shots he needs, and Carmelo, I think, could lead the league in scoring.
Chauncey needs to get his shot down. He’s shooting terrible. But that will come. He can shoot. I looked this morning at the standings, and it seems to me that the Nuggets slot at about seventh in the conference. At least, they can avoid the Lakers in the first round if that happens.
Allen Iverson, I loved to watch. But Chauncey, everybody on the Nuggets will love to play with. He’ll make Melo and Kenyon Martin and Nene better players, and he’s a genuine point guard. I kind of like the Anthony Carter-Chauncey Billups backcourt because they will give the Nuggets perimeter defense.
This is a good team, not a great team, and they can’t stand injuries to Martin for long, or to Nene, or Anthony or Billups, because they are thin. I’ve liked Renaldo Balkman since the first exhibition, and he and Chris Andersen give them some help off the bench with Dahntay Jones. It’s not as flashy, but better overall.
What is your plan if the Broncos part with Shanahan? Who would you hire as VP of football operations, general manager and coach? Firing Shanahan very likely means hiring three different people to fulfill his current duties.
— Brian Hite, Oakland, Calif.
Brian – Maybe Shanahan will come back to the Raiders. Not! As I’ve said, Shanahan isn’t leaving. But, truth is, he should concentrate on coaching and leave the personnel to somebody else. Won’t happen, though. He’s among the last who controls the team on the field and controls most all of the decisions off.
Bill Parcells is concentrating on one area now. Mike Holmgren will be gone later this year. Now, the league is about real general managers and real coaches. Shanahan should give up some of the responsibility.
Woody – I’m from Missouri and currently live in Colorado Springs (when not deployed), so I’m a fan of the Cards and Rockies. All this Ryan Ludwick-for-Matt Holliday talk has me wondering. What would it take to pry Troy Tulowitzki away from the Rockies, or is he even a guy they would move? Thanks.
— Bill, Iraq
Bill – Tulowitzki is here for quite a while. He now is the face of the Rockies, with . And the Rox wrapped him up in a contract last year. Can’t be pried away. Then, what you got? Look for the Rockies to sell Tulowitzki in the offseason as the Leader. But he’s got to rebound from a very weak sophomore season, even when he was healthy.
The Rockies gave Larry Walker to the Cardinals. That was enough help from here to there. I do love Ryan Ludwick, and not just because he came up and said hello last year before a game. He’s going to be a solid player in the league for years, and the Cardinals didn’t need to make the Holliday deal. But I would have liked Ludwick with the Rockies, with Ryan Spilborghs in center.
Hey, Woody. After seeing the Broncos lose to the Dolphins, Pats and Jags, I am starting to think that Tony Scheffler may have a bigger impact on the offense than people think. In my opinion, Tony is one of the best receiving tight ends and helps other parts of the offense really flow. Without him, the play-action is useless. Why is Scheff so underrated?
— Michael Pedram, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Because, Michael, he can’t stay healthy. Cutler and Scheffler were best friends from the beginning. They worked together during the offseason. They connect personally and professionally, and Scheffler is a Pro Bowler-in-waiting, if only he can stay on the field, which he hasn’t proven he can do so far.
Actually, Daniel Graham is starting to catch some balls. He had become just an expensive offensive lineman. It’d be nice to see if Tony could be healthy for a long stretch. He’s got some Shannon Sharpe in him.
Hey, Woody. I’m new to the area. What is there to like (or dislike) about the CU-Nebraska rivalry in football? Thanks.
— Jeff B., Denver
That’s a good question, Jeff. A few points. There are tens of thousands of Nebraska graduates or former Nebraskans who live in Colorado, so that makes the series more interesting. Nebraskans refuse to call it a “rivalry” because, they used to say, Colorado never beat Nebraska. In the past 16 games, though, the teams are 8-8, and each has scored exactly the same number of points. Nebraskans tend to take their football seriously and don’t want anybody to joke about it. Ask me. I am the most hated man in Nebraska, next to their previous football coach.
I will say this. They treat visiting teams better than any other place I’ve been in the country, partially because, until recently, they never lost to those visiting teams. Coloradans consider Nebraskans hayseeds, and Nebraskans consider Boulder hippieville. It makes for a fun gathering, I’ve found over the last 35 years, and I love it. But Coloradans get a bit too ugly about it.
Hi, Woody. You are great on “Around the Horn” — so great that I named our dog after you. At any rate, I saw today that you were out of ideas for the blackboard, so I have one for you. Here goes: I use the Florida Keys to open my house in Miami! Please use that. It would make my day.
— Tom Schreck, Spokane, Wash.
Tom – If I had a dog who looked like me, I would shave his rear end and make him walk backward. Thank you for naming your dog after me, I think. But who wants a dog named “***.” I’ll use your blackboard idea. Just send me $5 for shipping and handling.
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 .
