By the way: "A Pole New You" is brilliant.

- Gonzo

From '68 to '75 I wrote around 50 major features for Philadelphia Magazine, most of these sports. I got to know a lot of people in the biz. Because I was "second-tier" press, not a few of the big boys (media, club PR people) treated me like something got stuck on the bottom of their shoes, even when I was on direct assignment. Absolutely the nicest guy, always accommodating, always generous with his time, was Chris Wheeler. As a broadcaster, he is both knowledgeable and informative. So what gives with these anti-Wheeler characters? Am I missing something?

- Barry
Barry,

I'm with you. Wheels has always treated me with respect, and he knows a lot about the game. That's all I could ever ask.

Re: second-tier press. I know how you feel. I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure Bob Ford thinks I'm his intern.

- Gonzo

I believe Hip-Hop is a great mascot.  He is always getting the fans involved and pumped up.  He also does some amazing dunks.  Hip-Hop is known throughout the Tri-State [area] as a great mascot.  He is also seen in the community giving back.  He is not one of the worst [mascots], he is one of the best. 

- Marc
Marc,

The guy in the suit is great. It's the costume itself that bothers me.

Ever watch The Simpsons? There's an episode where they created a character named "Poochie." It was supposed to be a super-hip dog that skateboarded and wore its hat backwards and used contemporary language. Poochie was designed to appeal to kids and young adults alike. The upshot was that the Simpsons writers were being sarcastic. It was their way of lampooning people who create characters like that and fail to realize how phony and artificial they are.

Hip-Hop is Philly's Poochie.

- Gonzo

Ranking mascots?  Come on, there's got to be some real sports news out there, doesn't there?

- Mike
Mike,

As I've written before, sports are fun. Every story doesn't have to be a super-serious piece about the Eagles' Super Bowl aspirations or what's wrong with Rollins' swing. Sometimes, you have to lighten it up.

To borrow from Kanye: "This is love-it-or-hate-it music - but at least we makin' music."