http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez RSS Feed for Inq Col John Gonzalez en-us Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:00:16 GMT http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091117_Gonzo___It_s_the_same_old_song.html While wondering how ugly things will get if the Birds don't beat the Bears on Sunday night, it's time to empty out the mailbag. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091115_Gonzo___For_Andy__a_little_friendly_advice.html Dear Andy Reid, Have you watched SportsCenter lately? The Memphis Tigers just axed their football coach - some guy named Tommy West. You should have heard his post-firing news conference. You would have loved it. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091109_Gonzo___Close_to_not_close_enough.html You knew it was coming. When the Yankees won the World Series, every sports fan with half a functioning brain cell braced for the inevitable, saccharine SportsCenter packages. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091108_Gonzo___Win_and_tonic__please.html If you haven't seen Three Sheets, I highly recommend it. It's a drinking show that used to be on a little-known cable station called Mojo but now appears on FLN, an even more obscure outlet. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091106_Gonzo___Phillies_now_have_fans_expecting_success.html Before Game 6 of the World Series, I was on the field at Yankee Stadium. A friend and I were looking around and taking it all in. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091105_Gonzo___Phillies_good__but_not_great__year_ends_with_loss.html NEW YORK - When the last out was recorded, Yankee Stadium shook from the energy. A deep, primal howl reverberated from the stands. It was the sound of victory, of ultimate triumph - sweet music to the locals, pure pain to Philadelphians. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091104_Gonzo___Some_jokes_have_truth_to_them.html Maybe he was kidding. Maybe not. You've no doubt heard what supposedly happened in the Phillies clubhouse after Game 5. Various media outlets reported that Brett Myers made a snide comment to Cole Hamels - something on the order of "what are you still doing here? I thought you quit." Myers told two Inquirer reporters yesterday that there was no confrontation - that he and Hamels are tight and he was just messing around. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091103_Gonzo___Don_t_count_out_the_Fightin_s_just_yet.html Charlie Manuel is a nice guy - or at least he treats most of the press with respect, which is what passes for pleasant as far as most of us are concerned. He wasn't in such a good mood before the Phils went out and beat the Yanks in Game 5, however. He seemed sort of annoyed, actually. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091102_Gonzo___For_Phila__fans__the_longest_day.html The city was blanketed by a grim, gray sky yesterday morning. It was fitting. A lot of people woke up in dark moods. The idea of an all-day sports clash with New York initially sounded fun, but any pre-festivity positivity was muted when the Phils blew Game 3 on Saturday. Cole Hamels said the season has been "mentally draining" and added that he "needed a fresh start." http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/john_gonzalez/20091101_Gonzo___A_sickening_case_of_David_Wells.html That one stung - for the Phils, for the fans, for everyone not living in New York or wearing a Yankees uniform. If you reside in the Philadelphia area and slept well last night, you were one of the few.