Try this: Less horn and more replay

Here are excerpts from Wednesday's Ask Gonzo chat on Philly.com with columnist John Gonzalez

Comment From Ross Da Boss!!!: You're overreacting to the Horatio the Horn Blower. I do agree with your "waiting for the goal light" idea though.

Gonzo: I've had some fun with it, but I'm honestly not overreacting. Can you imagine if the Flyers had lost the game instead of won it? We'd be sitting here talking about how Jeff Carter punched in the rebound, but it wasn't allowed because everyone stopped when Quickdraw McGraw hit the sound effect button too soon. All I'm saying is put the button on a time delay. No biggie. That way, the Flyers and the fans never have to worry about the "what ifs" in the future.

Comment From FlyersPhan: I know you're not a Flyers guy (not a real one anyway, and you know that), but do you think they are in this series? I don't think they're back in it with an OT win. The Blackhawks are too good.

Gonzo: I've never hidden the fact that hockey, on the whole, is the sport I follow the least out of the four pros. But I watched every second during the Olympics, and I haven't been able to turn away during the playoffs and particularly the Stanley Cup. Everything is relative. Even if you're not a hockey fan, how can you not be entertained by what the Flyers are doing right now? It's a truly incredible run.

Yeah, I think they're absolutely in the series. Frankly, it could be 2-1 in the Flyers' favor right now. It could also be 3-0 for either team. That's how close the series has been. A different break here or there could have changed everything. The NHL should be thrilled. This is exactly the sort of event the league needs to market itself to people who don't always follow the sport.

Comment From Blown Call: I need to hear your thoughts on that blown call [in the perfect game]. There'll be a million Flyers questions, so I want to hear about that blown call first.

Gonzo: It's absurd. There's no reason not to have instant replay. I give the umpire credit for admitting that he kicked the call, but you can't call the guy safe there even if it's close. He has to be safe by a mile. And, if he's not - and he wasn't - you have to ring him up and give the guy the perfect game. Otherwise this is what happens.

Still, this is on Bud Selig and MLB. What possible excuse can they have for not going with instant replay when the technology is available? Look at the NHL and Game 3 of the Finals. They got all the calls right upon review. That's the way it should be. It's not 1928 anymore. We're allowed to drink legally at a baseball game and everything. Might as well get with the rest of the times while we're at it.

Comment From VT_Flyer: There seemed to be an extraordinary number of broken sticks [in Game 3]. Have they changed sticks or was it a matter of intensity ratcheting up?

Gonzo: I was wondering that myself. I heard Barry Melrose on the radio recently talking about why that is. He said something (and I'm paraphrasing) about the material they use in order to get more speed on their shots being at fault. In exchange for more power and less weight, the sticks sacrifice structural integrity. Or something. I have no idea if that's true, but it sounded good.

Comment From ManayunkMike: The Blackhawks' love sessions should be relegated to Chicago. This team's for real and shows it on a regular basis. Do you think we can win this series?

Gonzo: Reports of the Flyers' demise were greatly exaggerated. After Game 2, I read a column in a Chicago paper that said the series was already over. Oops. As the old newspaper saying goes, "Get me rewrite!"

Comment From Ed: If the Flyers do win the Cup, does the city have money to throw a parade?

Gonzo: Nope. Last year, during the World Series, you may remember that Nutter said the Phils would be on their own if they won it all. That was a stupid thing for a politician to say in front of microphones, but it was true.

Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the Flyers and Comcast-Spectacor can come up with the money if it comes to that. Call it the Xfinity fund.