Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts Woody’s Mailbag every Thursday on DenverPost.com.
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Granted, Joe Glenn was a great guy, but he simply couldn’t put it together at Wyoming. I’m sorry to see him leave (maybe he can become president of the Cowboy Joe Club), but the addition of Dave Christensen has me excited. What do think about ?
— Preston, Sheridan, Wyo.
Preston, I like it. And as I’ve noted, I love me some Wyoming football. I love the state, partially because I was named grand marshal of the Frontier Days parade one year, and I love Yellowstone, bring back the bears, and even Sheridan.
The Nuggets played an exhibition in some oil hole in west Wyoming one time, and we flew in a little plane, and I knew for sure we were going to crash into the mountain taking off (in the dark) and kill all the Nuggets. It wouldn’t matter. We made it, and Moses Malone made his debut as a pro player. And the whole town, whose name I wanted to forget, was made up of trailers. I thought at the time that you could wake up some morning and the whole town would be gone.
What was your question? Oh. Christensen is a brilliant offensive mind. I, too, hated to see Cowboy Joe go, and it would be great to keep him involved somehow in the organization. Why not an assistant head coach? Christensen, as I’ve written, has to stretch out the recruiting. Can’t win with just Wyoming and Colorado players. I’d go into Utah, Nebraska and Arizona. I’d also recruit Florida kids, and for their visit, fly them to Boulder and tell them it’s Laramie. Just kidding, sort of.
Woody – I’m a big fan of yours and also think that I would enjoy doing what you do for a career. I like writing and have a huge passion for sports. I was wondering if you could tell me in what I should be majoring and/or minoring in college in order for me to work somewhere like a newspaper or even somewhere like ESPN.
— J.P. Kelly, Thornton
Thanks, J.P. I answer the same question, no offense, about 200 times a week from young people who want to be a columnist for The Denver Post and a commentator on ESPN. It only took me about 40 years to make it to the middle. It’s not as easy as most people think, and takes a lot of good luck, timing and some work.
If you love sports, don’t get into my business(es). I know very few people on this level who love sports. I love writing, and I have a passion for that. The TV was a challenge, and I wanted to see if I could do it. I’m curious that way. I did talk radio to see if I could do it, books, magazine stories. We all want to be challenged in our fields.
I started out writing obituaries, then covered civil rights in the South, and was made a sports columnist, I think, to get me out of the managing editor’s hair because I kept begging, at 23 years old, to be a general columnist. If you are a sports fan, you won’t survive on ESPN or at a newspaper. You have to be cold and objective. Honestly, I don’t ever care who wins a game. I know that bothers many people, but if I’m a Broncos fan, for instance, I can’t write objectively or even subjectively about the team. People who have a passion for sports should remain fans and sit in the stands and drink beer and cheer and get involved, or try to work for a team, so you can be a fan, although if you ask the young public-relations workers for the Broncos, they’ll tell you it’s a job and they can’t be fans sitting in a press box and doing statistics.
If you really want to do this — and it is the greatest job and life in the world if you don’t mind sitting on airplanes, waiting in airports and working seven days a week, about 16 hours a day (most used replying to e-mails and phone calls) and sitting in a press box thinking about what you’re going to write or say, and sometimes on Monday nights, not even getting to watch much of the game in front of you because you’re on deadline and have to be finished the moment the game ends (try that once) — you must be very talented, very passionate about writing (the sports doesn’t matter, really) and be willing to work harder than everyone else around you.
I told a young man last week not to major in journalism. Major in political science or history or, better yet, English literature. Most people who write me can’t spell a lick and don’t know the English language, or anything about world events and world history. I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but I took course in philosophy, psychology, astronomy, geology and political science, along with as many English courses as I could get, and history of America and the world, and economics, and I think it prepared me for the jungle out there. As I told the young man, a law degree would be so helpful in covering sports, because we deal probably 50 percent of the time with issues that have nothing to do with sports (Travis Henry, salary caps, contracts). Most of us have no clue in those areas.
I’m sorry to bore everyone else, but I think it might be interesting to everyone to understand kind of what we’re going through as sports journalists. Every day I get ready for “Around The Horn,” and the issues deal with T.O. mouthing off and a player being suspended, and some owner in trouble, and it’s not fun and games. It’s a reflection of society.
There. Long-winded answer. I’m not trying to talk you out of it. Many days, when I’ve been sued or been accused or had my life threatened or had slanderous things said about me on the Internet about being a drunk or an idiot, I wonder if life wouldn’t have been simpler to follow my dad in the department store clothing business.
The Nuggets are amazing since . Does he really make everyone so much better, or is Chauncey so much better than Allen Iverson?
— Mike, Denver
I said to the previous writer, Mike, that I’m not a fan. But I have been a fan of Chauncey since he was in the eighth grade. He went to G.W. High School with my daughter — they graduated together — so I saw him play many times in high school. So his return I’m happy for — I suggested he be traded for Carmelo Anthony last summer, and George Karl wanted to know if there was any possibility of that happening — and it has been amazing.
Billups gives the Nuggets a no-nonsense leader, point guard, scorer and INCREDIBLE free-throw shooter — and, of course, a defensive guard who could guard big guards. It was the perfect deal for the Nuggets, and Allen is being Allen in Detroit. Allen was and is a special player, but he didn’t make the other players better because he has to have the ball.
There was an old song called “Dr. Feelgood,” which had a line something like, “They call him the Doctor because he makes everybody feel good.” Kenyon Martin and Carmelo questioned the trade. Ask them now. Chauncey has made both players, and Nene, feel good. Chauncey is Mr. Big Shot, but he is Dr. Feelgood. I may have to use that in a column soon.
The Nuggets are now bunched in a group (San Antonio, Utah, Portland, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix) behind the Lakers. If the Nuggets can play anybody except L.A. in the first round, they legitimately can win a series this year, because of Dr. Feelgood.
Woody – Why not bring the run-and-shoot system to Denver? Worked well for Houston with a gunslinger named Warren Moon. Don’t we have a slight resemblance of it in Denver?
— Joe Smith, Arizona
Joe – As you may remember, Houston never went to the Super Bowl (Tennessee did, but without Moon and the run-and-shoot), and the Broncos beat them once, I think, in the playoffs. The run-and-shoot was originated by Mouse Davis, who coached in Denver in the USFL. And June Jones was his main assistant. Jones tried a version of it in the pros with Atlanta, and it didn’t work. You have more speed at the ends and linebacker in the NFL, and it doesn’t work in the pros, I’m sorry to say.
Mike Shanahan will never do it, except he does use an empty backfield, and Jay Cutler does get outside some to throw. As Cutler is here, Shanahan will be more comfortable to do more things. I’d personally like to see the Broncos do like the Colts’ no-huddle, hurry-up, check-down offense, but Cutler isn’t experienced enough, and I think the Broncos’ coaching staff still has to help him a lot with defenses and coverages.
If you were to notice, Cutler rarely changes a play at the line. I don’t recall the last time. The run-and-shoot worked for Jones in Hawaii, and it worked at Portland State, but it’s not a pro offense, sadly. I’d like to see it succeed. Won’t happen here or in Arizona or anywhere.
After being reminded about the debacle surrounding Randy Gradishar’s HOF last rites, I was wondering if you could comment on whether the “secret ballot” may be allowing too many irrational grudges to be held amongst the voters? If secret voting is holding back the process, what are possible impediments to removing it? Thank you for your time, Mr. Paige.
— Jeremy Bolander, Dolomi, Alaska
Yes, Jeremy, to answer your question directly. For those who don’t know, the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee consists of about 40 media people who have been around quite a while and saw most, if not all, players who are up for being Hall of Famers. There is a separate committee for old-timers, which consists of some Hall of Fame members and former coaches and players. They’re sent to the Hall of Fame committee, which meets the day before the Super Bowl at that site.
I was on the committee for about 15 years, but resigned while in New York because I thought somebody from Denver should be on the committee, and I thought there were already too many people from New York represented. Each city that has a team has a member, and each ex-city (Los Angeles) has a member, and there are, I think, six at-large, like a Michael Wilbon from Washington and Paul Zimmerman from Sports Illustrated. Zimmerman, by the way, recently had two strokes. Dr. Z, as he is called, has been one of the most influential members of the committee, and loudest talkers, and carries the banner for offensive linemen, since he was one in college.
Anyway, members get ballots at the beginning of the season listing everyone eligible: first-timers, last year’s semifinalists who didn’t make it and players who have gotten a certain percentage of votes (I don’t remember) over the years. The mailed ballot then is used to whittle the group to 30 or 40 or something. We vote on them. It gets down to 15 (including the senior committee recommendations), and the Hall of Fame sends you a book of information on the nominees.
At that point, as members, we are supposed to talk to coaches, teammates, opposing players, general managers, etc. And I think a majority of members takes that responsibility seriously. I would talk to Tom Landry, Don Shula, owners, players I knew. It would be funny to get a letter from, say, Chuck Noll telling me all about a player who belonged in Canton. I also got, and still get, thousands of letters and e-mails from fans and teams, politicians, etc., telling me who to vote for and if I didn’t, what a louse I am.
I studied the information as best as I could and compared candidates with those in the Hall of Fame. Then, at about 8 a.m. on the Saturday, we would gather in a conference room at the media hotel in the Super Bowl city, and there would be guards around the doors and an accounting firm, like at the Oscars, to count the votes. Juice and rolls were provided, along with pencil and many ballots. We’d sit around a long conference table, headed by the director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and other officials from Canton.
With Randy Gradishar, as I’ve written, I went to almost every member and called in all my favors (“I’ve voted for your rotten Cowboys every year; now it’s your turn to help me”) and got Randy to the final day. The media member from the city of the nominee gets up and gives a nominating speech. As I wrote last week, mine was the shortest in NFL history when I said, “Gentlemen … John Elway.” I could have left out the “gentlemen” part.
I gave a passionate speech for Randy. Others spoke in favor of Randy. Two spoke against him. There is one guy in the room who never speaks. The voting is done by secret ballot, but some guys will tell you privately who they’re voting for. The list gets down to 10. There’s no more speaking. You vote again for three to seven players, coaches, owners, contributors.
I always felt contributors (referees, commissioner and others) should be done separately. One year, Bill Parcells was up. A rather famous sports writer who has since passed away was a good friend of Parcells. He said Parcells, who had “retired,” would not coach again. Others questioned that. Parcells was not voted in. He returned to coaching in Dallas. So much for being retired.
I thought Ray Guy, who was not a nice guy (but has become one since retiring, and I like him now), was a shoo-in. He was the greatest punter I ever saw. He didn’t get a sniff. One guy (pun) said he would never vote for a punter, which makes no sense to me. Only one true kicker has gotten in. Jan Stenerud. Voters don’t like kickers and punters.
Anyway, we vote secretly for the finalists, and the ballots are taken by the accounting firm, and we don’t know the results after meeting and arguing for about 4 1/2 hours. You have to have something like 32 out of 40 votes to qualify for the Hall of Fame. (Sometimes a couple of voters are absent because of illness; I was late once because I got my wake-up call and went back to sleep, but I made it before the vote.) If nobody gets that many, they pick the top three. (I hear, but wasn’t on the committee, that Al Davis didn’t get enough votes among the finalists, but because they didn’t have the three who qualified, they had to put him in. Juicy.)
There’s a press conference at 2 p.m. and we’d find out when you did. There’s the book. But wait for the movie.
All balloting should be open, and we’d know exactly who kept Gradishar out, and I think people would be more responsible in their voting. But the reasoning is that you can be more honest if it’s done secret, and you won’t have 100,000 fans in Washington D.C. storm your house (as they threatened to do when Art Monk wasn’t voted in every year).
A radio broadcaster in Pittsburgh quit because he thought the other voters didn’t like him, and that’s why two wide receivers with the Steelers were being kept out. There are biases as there are in every other field, and there’s stupidity and imperfections, but I honestly believe that the right people get in for the right reasons. John Elway got in on the first ballot. I’m sure it was unanimous. Randy Gradishar belongs, as does Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith and Terrell Davis and Rich Jackson and some others — Shannon Sharpe will make it this year — but there was sound reasoning.
Terrell Davis’ career was shortened. Rich Jackson played in the AFL and wasn’t seen by the majority of voters — and appreciated. Randy could have played two or three more years and in more Super Bowls to help himself. Dennis Smith didn’t get the national attention, and I think Atwater will have a chance at some point.
I worked hard for Gary Zimmerman for three years. He deserved it and got in. Shanahan will get in someday I think, and maybe Pat Bowlen, because of the Broncos’ successes over the years and because of his work on the TV committee, which has brought the league billions of extra dollars. I hope that answers your question.
Woody – I just read your column, “.” My father and I have been going to Bronco games, as season-ticket holders, since ’96, and things have changed. We sit in section 523, and there are only two families in the row above and below us. Every other seat, there is someone new, each week. I can’t even remember the last time I saw the wave. Is this ever going to change? Will we ever have the “thunder” family I loved at ol’ Mile High? By the way, when can you sign my copy of “Orange Madness”?
— Manuel Garcia, Colorado Springs
Manuel – You backed everything I said. If you didn’t read the column, you maybe should, and you can find it in The Post’s online sports section under my archive of columns at .
It’s not the same anymore, and the old-time fans have told me that over and over. Will it return? No. Truth is, and another dirty secret, the NFL doesn’t really care about you. The league is all about TV and luxury suites and club levels, and the regular fan is just a backdrop.
I always hear fans say, “We pay your salaries.” The ticket holders may pay the assistant coaches’ salaries, but that’s about it. It’s all about the TV money and the millions of dollars from the shrimp-and-wine bunch behind those glass windows. So there’s no thunder. It’s not even a loud (gas-passing).
Honestly, I was talking to a friend who gave his tickets to two people in Colorado Springs, and they couldn’t even find the stadium. How stupid is that? They got there in the third quarter, thinking the game started at 4 p.m., and didn’t even know what colors the Broncos wore. You think that’s thunder?
If I were running the world, first, I would make the Rockies sign Randy Johnson, to let him win his 300th game in Denver. And the next thing I’d do is move all the South Standers back to the South Stands. Make the tickets cheaper and give the priority to those who sat there before. I’d put the Barrel Man, or his replacement, and some other men with their shirts off and their faces painted, and I’d have me a Dawg Pound, and if a team came anywhere close to the south end of the field, they’d regret it. (With noise, not throwing things or throwing bad words). Then I’d close the club-level bars at the first kickoff, and open them again at the end of the game. If it sprinkles, sit out in the elements. I’d take the windows off the suites and make them a part of the game. I’d make the Broncos go back to orange jerseys, and tell everyone in the stands to wear orange. Now it’s blue or orange or green. I’d give everybody who enters the stadium some kind of thing to hold up. I’d like cowbells, but you can’t do that in the NFL. But there must be something people could make some noise with that didn’t violate league policy. Gloves that make popping sounds? I don’t know. I’d have autograph sessions for the players after the games, on the edges of the stands, so people would have a reason to stick around. I’d get the Broncos more involved in the community so people could meet them. I’d tell Mike Shanahan to open up publicly (he’s a much cooler guy when he’s just privately talking). I’d even bring back Pat Bowlen’s fur coat on the sidelines. It gave people something to laugh about.
I have a million ideas, and if you don’t like them, I’ve got a million more. Tell me yours. Send me an e-mail. I’ll write more about it.
Just want to say we loved your 30-second speech on “Around the Horn” last week. My parents loved homemade presents better than items we could buy, and now as a parent, I appreciate the homemade presents from my kids. In this economy, there is nothing wrong with giving these creative gifts as adults. It takes thought and time and means a lot. Thanks for your perspective.
— Barry Atticks, Philadelphia
Barry, thank you. I was totally serious. When I was a kid, I got a block of wood and some linoleum and some tacks, and I made a pencil and bill holder. I did a lot of Boy Scout-type presents for my parents, and my mother kept many for years (and threw away my baseball cards).
I just think that, in this economy, we can be creative, and homemade gifts are more special. For instance, a photographer for The Post took a picture of me standing on the sidelines at the , and it actually is good because I’m holding a reporter’s pad and a pen, and I’ve got an Indiana Jones hat and my trench coat on, and I’m watching the game. I made some copies of the photo, bought two frames, and I’m giving them to my mom and my daughter for Christmas. (I’m also giving my daughter a new desktop computer, and I don’t know how to make one of those.) Maybe I’ll knit my mother a blanket.
Go, Philly. Love those cheesesteaks and the city. We’ve got a Pat’s Cheesesteaks here, and I try to go at least once a month. Make mine melted Velveeta or Cheez Whiz, please. And more scrapple.
This has been great fun today. The questions were sensational. Thanks.
The Woodman
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 .
