Gonzo

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John Gonzalez's online chat with readers will be Wednesday at noon on philly.com.

Forget Anakin Skywalker and the windy solemnities of The Phantom Menace. Here at last, and in one movie, is both a true space icon and answers to the questions that have baffled science for years: What is Gonzo and where does he come from? As Muppets From Space confirms, our suspicions were right all along. Gonzo isn't a cross between a turkey and a chicken, he's a creature not of this earth. You could make the same argument about any of the more spaced-out Muppets, but it's a happy choice to move Gonzo to the center of the action.

The following is an excerpt from Thursday's Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez. Just got done watching the latest SportsDome . For research, of course. I think the bosses should give me a raise for doing all that extra work. Best line: "[Gary] Bettman staked his entire financial future on the success of his strange ice sport. " Mercy. I'm still laughing. Onward . . . Comment From Chris: How much longer will I have to watch Andre Iguodala lose games for the Sixers?

Excerpts from Monday's Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Gonzo: I was having a pretty good holiday weekend for a while. I managed to eat four Thanksgiving dinners on four consecutive nights. That was probably a bad idea. More to throw up after watching the Eagles in Chicago. Onward . . . Comment from NYC Eagle Fan: I think the coaching problem is truly evident at this point. Any thoughts on [Andy] Reid right now? Gonzo: Same thoughts I've had on Reid for years: He makes curious and/or bad decisions, then tries to excuse them by saying he has to do a better job. When he called a time-out on third and long rather than take the delay-of-game penalty, I thought he might come up with a creative play.

Excerpts from Thursday's Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Comment from Josh B.: Are we seriously worried about wasting "the prime years" of a guy who's looked like a career backup in almost every start he's made? Gonzo: I'm not, and I don't think the Eagles are, either. But if you're Kevin Kolb you have to get the hell out of here if you have any shot at becoming a starter. I watched The Count of Monte Cristo again today (the newer one with Jim Caviezel, not the '70s version)

Here is a partial transcript from Monday's Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Gonzo: As much fun as it was to watch the Birds bludgeon the Skins, the win on Sunday night against the Giants was more satisfying: dramatic victory for first place, against New York, and to top it all off Eli Manning literally fell flat on his face. Doesn't get much better for Eagles fans. And with that, we begin . . . Comment from Greg:  When you watch Vick play, do you wish that Iverson had somehow "gotten it" like Vick has and become more coachable and willing to listen to others?

Here is an excerpt from Thursday's fantasy football chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Comment from dave: I've got Vernon Davis on a bye this week and need to add a TE. I have [Visanthe] Shiancoe vs the Cardinals, [Kellen] Winslow Jr vs the Falcons, or Ben Watson vs the Pats as my options. Who should I pick up? Gonzo: I like Shiancoe best. He was [Brett] Favre's only real option before Moss, and he's Favre's only real option now that Moss is gone. Comment from BK:  Who do you think is the better play this week at QB, Michael Vick or Big Ben [Roethlisberger]

Here is a partial transcript from Thursday's fantasy football chat with columnist John Gonzalez on Philly.com: Comment from Frank: What should I do with Vincent Jackson? Is he going to play this year? Should I hold on to him? Gonzo: Who knows? The Chargers are trying to figure out the same thing. I love Vincent Jackson. He has big-time talent. But he's not going to do you any good if he doesn't get on the field. If you can unload him at a reasonable price, I'd make the move.

The following is an excerpt from Monday's weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez. Comment From Chris: Lot of talk today about how the Phillies' pen could be "special. " You buying or selling this? Gonzo: Forget special. If the pen is average, we should all be happy. Comment From Chris: Is Doug Collins as genuine and sincere to media members on a personal basis as he is in his news conferences? Gonzo: That matters to me a lot less than the fact that he's been able to turn the team around.

AS SPORTS TEAMS GO, the Eagles are known to reporters as being the organization that complains the most about coverage and threatens to block access, or otherwise intimidate press outlets. The newest example of this could be the team's most brazen and apparently sucessful campaign of intimidation thus far. Sources say that the Eagles front office approached Comcast SportsNet and said that the team didn't want John Gonzalez covering the team in any fashion. Gonzalez, who left the Inquirer for CSNPhilly.com over the summer, hasn't said a word about the team on the website, or posted about the Eagles on Twitter, where his musings have included football games such as Temple/Penn State coverage.

Sports columnist John Gonzalez is on vacation Sunday. Starting Monday, his work can be found exclusively on www.philly.com .

John Gonzalez's online chat with readers will be Wednesday at noon on philly.com.

The following is an excerpt from Ask Gonzo, a weekly chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez There's nothing like a good old-fashioned beef, even if methods employed aren't exactly traditional. It would be better if the ongoing argument between LeSean McCoy and the New York Giants unfolded in person or on the field, but that will happen soon enough. In the interim, a public Twitter spat - which has since spilled over into the mainstream media - will do just fine.

Excerpts from the weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Big, breaking news coming from the Phils: With Chase Utley on the mend, the Fightin's have altered their (food) roster and brought in Tastykakes. This season at Citizen's Bank Park, you'll be able to buy Butterscotch Krimpets, chocolate cupcakes, sugar-free snacks and, my favorite, Kandy Kakes. It's a mind-blowing move. I think we can all agree that if Utley were healthy, this wouldn't have happened.

Here is an excerpt from Monday's weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Here's what I'm wondering: If the Eagles bring Brian Westbrook back, will the league force them to install one of those motorized chairs that runs along the banister of a stairway? Perhaps this is what's stalling the CBA negotiations. Onward . . . Comment from Chris:   Can you play 2B? If not, what do you think the Phillies' options are? Trade or promote from within?

The following is an excerpt from Monday's weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez. I watched more of The Oscars than ever before - made it five full minutes before passing out. A new record. Did The Fighter/Rocky VI win best picture? Onward . . . Comment From mike: Some fans are talking about moving [Chase] Utley to the outfield. Personally, I think that would be a recipe for disaster . . . collisions, running into the wall, etc. Your take?

Excerpt from Monday's weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez: Jumping over the hood of a Kia is weak - unless the car is moving, which it wasn't. Blake Griffin is better than that. He should have rolled Justin Bieber into a ball and dunked him. That would have been worthy of his ability. Onward . . . Comment from Talent: Which physical feat [in the dunk contest] that you'll never be able to accomplish without the use of a trampoline and borrowed athletic ability did you like best?

The following is an excerpt from Monday's weekly Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez. Comment From Chris: Lot of talk today about how the Phillies' pen could be "special. " You buying or selling this? Gonzo: Forget special. If the pen is average, we should all be happy. Comment From Chris: Is Doug Collins as genuine and sincere to media members on a personal basis as he is in his news conferences? Gonzo: That matters to me a lot less than the fact that he's been able to turn the team around.