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Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts Woody’s Mailbag on Thursdays at DenverPost.com. The next installment is slated for Dec. 4.

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. How can you beat Spencer Larsen’s performance against the Falcons on Sunday? He played both ways AND special teams? What did you think of
Larsen’s performance? Do you think he should keep playing both ways? Thanks.

— Danny, Denver

Mike Klis, who covers the Broncos for The Post, suspected on Saturday when we arrived in Atlanta that Larsen would play both ways, and he checked it out with

his sources, discovering it was true, then reported it that night. Mike Shanahan said he hid it from the media, by not opening practice, but Klis knew. So
when the game started, we were waiting for him to play all three ways (special teams).

Truthfully, Danny, Larsen only played a few plays on offense, and wasn’t a big factor blocking a few times. But Larsen was great at middle linebacker, making

six tackles and assisting on another. He is a quality player and probably will get some more time at fullback. It’s not as if he’s playing full time on

either side of the ball, maybe 50 percent, when you add in special teams.

I liked him in training camp, but thought he was a utility guy and a good special teams player. But look for him to figure with this team for quite a while,
and will start for a while. . And Ryan Torain, if he ever can stay healthy.

Hey, Woody. Rumors of had been circulating for a while, but they

players. What is in store for the Rockies’ future? Any hopes of a postseason push? I feel extremely shortchanged by the Monforts!

— John, Los Angeles

John – You’re just now feeling shortchanged by the Meat Bros.? Where have you been – La-La Land? The Rockies said they only would trade Holliday for a
front-of-the-rotation pitcher, and what did they get? A back-of-the-rotation, 7-16 pitcher; a guy who had lost the closing job; and a kid who was demoted to
the minors last year because he struck out all the time.

Any hopes of a postseason push? No, unless another miracle occurs. And in life and baseball, they happen about once every 2,000 years, if you get my drift.

What I don’t understand in the Carlos Gonzalez part is the Rockies already have been talking about Dexter Fowler as the next sure-thing center fielder, and

now they get another young center fielder. Ryan Spilborghs is supposed to be a starter in the outfield, but now they’re talking about moving Ian Stewart, who

I thought did a superb job at third base, to the outfield, and Brad Hawpe already is there. Are you confused? I am.

I’ll even add this. When the Rockies went to Tucson in the beginning of the franchise, I wrote that they were making a big mistake because I had gone to

spring training in Arizona for years, and I knew that the players in Phoenix wouldn’t make the trip over to Tucson. So the Rockies’ spring training fans got
shortchanged in Tucson. They never saw Barry Bonds (uh) and the other stars because they wouldn’t ride the bus to Tucson, and I think it hurt the Rockies

having to make all those bus trips to the Phoenix area. Now, because of their lousy facilities (which they were when the Rockies went there in the first place) and because they “don’t

want to make all those bus trips from Tucson to Phoenix.” Hello!

That should give you a clue. It took them 15 years to figure out what we all knew at the outset. The Rockies should change their name to Colorado Toast.

I’ve been a Rockies fan ever since I moved out here two years ago from Florida. Please tell me why whenever the Rockies get a great player on their team

they
ship him off as quick as he came. Is it time for the owners to be bought out?

— James, Denver

James – The owners will not be bought out. They want to turn the franchise over to their kids. I understand. I want to leave my daughter my plasma TV when I
die. But if it’s broken and no good, she’s got nothing.

The Rockies are afraid of the Todd Helton, Mike Hampton, yada, yada, yada. They just don’t want to spend the big money. OK. But , according to Forbes Magazine, a reputable company that annually examines

all sports franchises, the team is worth three times what it was when the Monforts invested, and they made almost $27 million in pre-tax profits in 2007.

With the players the Rockies are getting rid of, they will save another $25 million-plus. That’s $50 million that should be reinvested in a couple of

world-class pitchers, or at least one. But the Monforts know that the Rocky Mountain News and all the TV stations and KOA and Fox Sports Rocky Mountain (a

part owner of the team) will support them, and only The Denver Post holds their feet to the fire because you and I know they’re bad owners.

Woody – When did the hip bump in midair replace the high five?

— Tony, Denver

Tony – It occurred on Sept. 14, 2002, in a Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants game when the Eagles scored, and Donovan McNabb hip-bumped his wide receiver,

and everybody picked up on it.

I’m lying. I don’t know. It looks like it would hurt. I barely remember when the Oakland A’s abandoned the high five, and Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco went

to the elbow bump. How did that work out for those two guys? I liked shaking hands.

I just googled “first hip bump,” and I understand it happened when David felled Goliath with the rock from his slingshot and hip-bumped his buddy.

You make “Around the Horn” work. I saw on the Nov. 14 show you were wearing an ATH T-shirt. Any idea how I can buy one? Thanks and take care.

— Neal Hamilton, Wilkesboro, N.C.

Neal. Thank you, but I don’t make “Around the Horn.” I’m just the daily village fool. I have a few ATH clothing items. They give them out as Christmas
presents. I had several caps, but lost them, and I have a few T-shirts and a hoodie. Now you know my wardrobe. You can’t buy them, and I don’t understand
why ESPN doesn’t sell the stuff in the ESPN Zones around the country. But I’m not in charge. I can’t sell the stuff. I don’t own the rights. When I go on
vacation every year, I take a few T-shirts and give them out to nice people.

If I get some more this Christmas, Neal, I’ll send you one. But don’t tell
anyone.

Saw you on ATH today. Tired of hearing comments dogging Hawaii and the Sugar Bowl. USC beat Illinois in the Rose Bowl by just as much — but no digs on
Illinois. Remember, both Texas and Michigan paid off UH to get out of playing them.

— John Slater, Ewa Beach, Hawaii

John – I love Hawaii. It’s where I go every year on vacation and give out “Around the Horn” T-shirts to my friends the bellhops.

I was all about June Jones and the Rainbows last year, but, you must admit, they were blown out in the Sugar Bowl by Georgia. Hawaii was undefeated. Illinois

wasn’t and never will be.

Of course, Texas and Michigan don’t want to play Hawaii. The ‘Bows are down this year, but they’ll be back. I met the coaching staff at a tournament on
The Big Island on my birthday. My team won, by the way. Michigan doesn’t want to play anybody now. Texas would beat Hawaii every year. Again, though, I
love the coaches, the players (especially the local guys), the unis, the leis, and it’s tough for Hawaii to have to come to the mainland and play. Don’t
worry about your school being dogged. One of your own is The President of the United States. And nobody goes to Michigan or Georgia for vacation. Mahalo.

Woody – Would Notre Dame have a better record if Charlie Weis was allowed to videotape his opponents’ signals on the sideline?

— Anthony Vallejos, Los Alamos, N.M.

No, Anthony. Weis has been a bomb at Notre Dame. Oops, sorry, you’re from Los Alamos. I like Los Alamos. I go there on vacation, too. Really.

Weis’ record is worse than Tyrone Willingham’s. He’s an updated version of Gerry Faust. But I believe he deserves one more year to see what he can do with

all his own recruits.

They’re not getting rid of him this year, despite the grumbling. Truth is, years and years ago Notre Dame was the place to go to play football because the
Irish always were on TV and went to the great bowls. Now, everybody is on TV, and everybody goes to bowls. And Notre Dame’s sparkle is gone. I think it can
be somewhat recaptured, though, because Oklahoma came back, and Michigan will be back, and Hawaii … well, Notre Dame will be a power. I like Weis and
have spent time with him, but I don’t think he’s the guy. If they’re not way better next year, he’s out.

I saw Ara Parseghian in Cleveland a couple of weeks
ago. He could still coach the Irish, I think.

Hey, Woody. Your “Around the Horn” prediction was dead-on. Tennessee WAS due for a major upset this weekend. Unfortunately, your sports acumen was focused on

the wrong team in Tennessee as the Vols, not the Titans, went down against the 28-point underdog Wyoming Cowboys. Kudos to your alma mater for keeping the
hope alive here in Poke country!

— Paul J., Wyoming

You’re welcome, Paul. I hope my Vols saved the Pokes coach his job, but I think he’ll have to beat CSU this weekend. Tennessee, as I said before the season,
would be bad, but I didn’t think they’d be the most awful team in the country. Oh, I forgot Michigan.

I like Wyo. That team was good under Paul Roach, and
can be again. And it was an incredible accomplishment, no matter how bad UT is, to go into Knoxville, with 100,000 people, and beat the Vols.

Congratulations, Wyoming. Your season is saved. Mine is ruined.

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 .