Gonzo: I don't know about Utley being "more hurt" than we thought, but if he was close to returning I can't imagine them taking a look at Castillo. That said, it's a low-risk look at the guy. They have 10 days to evaluate him before deciding if they want to keep him around and pay him anything serious. Might as well give it a shot.
Comment from Guest: Why didn't you do the chat last week and what did you do with the day off?
Gonzo: We have these things called "furloughs" now, which is a fancy newspaper term for "go home and we won't pay you because we don't have the money and we need to keep the lights on."
As for what I did, that's a good question. Last thing I remember, I was trying to pick a knife fight with some mutant outside a club in Juarez.
Comment from Mike: When is Jay Wright going to be fired?
Gonzo: People need to relax about Jay Wright and 'Nova. The expectations are out of control for that program. Don't forget that they made the Sweet 16 a couple of times before that run to the Final Four. The last few seasons haven't been as good, but he's made the Cats far better than they were before he arrived. Anyone want to return to the Steve Lappas years?
Comment from Lance: Gonzo, should the Phillies sign Olly Perez?
Gonzo: Only if they need someone to sit around the clubhouse and make the guys who don't perform well feel better about themselves. Just read a piece about Perez admitting that he saw a sports shrink to deal with all the heat he took from the fans and media in NYC.
Don't judge him. Everyone needs help. Some people go with the Doc Phil types, others consult Jack Daniels.
Comment from Brett: So how does your bracket look? I don't think I picked an 8/9 game right, but my Final Four is still intact. Who are you most impressed by in this tournament, either team or individually?
Gonzo: My bracket is a disaster. I'd like to thank the officials for ending the national championship run I forecasted for Pitt. Probably most impressed by VCU and Butler. Both have played well.
On a related note, my favorite part of the tournament so far was watching Charles Barkley mash the Big East into a fine powder while Rick Pitino was sitting two seats away. Pitino took the beating on behalf of the entire conference. It was beyond awkward. I kept waiting for Pitino to say something: "Um, Charles, you know I can hear you, right? I'm sitting right here. Look at me, Charles. Look at me, you #$%@!" And so on.
Comment from Gonzo's English Teacher: Honey, stop trying to use big words all the time to impress people. They already know you aren't that smart.
Gonzo: But I got this sweet Vocab for Dummies book for Xmas . . .
Comment from sixersfan73: With the Sixers looking to guarantee a playoff spot in the next week or two, I can honestly say that I am confident that they have as good a shot as any in the East except maybe the Bulls. Jump on the Brandwagon with me.
Gonzo: As good a shot as any to do what, exactly? When I was in NYC before the tournament started, CBS and Turner had a media day. Barkley was there. I asked him whether the Sixers had a shot to get out of the first round. He responded by saying "No. Come on. Come on. Come on." I stopped counting his "come ons" after a while, but there were a lot of them, and he makes a point. I don't see them getting past Boston, Miami or Chicago.
Comment from joebob2k10: Will the Phillies sell milk to dunk our Tastykakes in?
Gonzo: Love dunking - in coffee or milk. But I have a rule about milk: It's a seasonal beverage. I don't drink it during the summer. Nothing worse than warm milk. Even if you take it out of the fridge, it warms up pretty quickly in the spring and summer. Milk is for fall and winter only. I'm sort of Rain Man-ish when it comes to milk (and lots of other stuff).
Contact columnist John Gonzalez at 215-854-2813 or gonzalez@philly.com.Follow him at www.twitter.com/gonzophilly.
