Am I the only one who questions the dubious origins given for the term "gonzo?" I harbor great skepticism about folk etymologies, but in this case I'm willing to bet on the origin of this term. It came from the college football season of 1967. The Indiana Hoosiers, long a doormat of the Big Ten conference, came from nowhere to capture national attention. They won game after game with last-minute heroics, led by a previously unknown sophomore quarterback, Harry Gonso. His dare-devil improvisation eventually led to a major feature story by Dan Jenkins in "Sports Illustrated" in the Fall of 1967. The daring exploits of Gonso and his fellow sophomores, John Isenbarger and Jade Butcher, carried them to the Rose Bowl (where they finally lost to Southern California). But by then "Gonso football" was a stock phrase in the college football vocabulary. Hunter S. Thompson may have forgotten where he got the term, but the denotation and connotations of the term fit perfectly with this proposed origin.

(By the way, Harry Gonso is now a respected corporate lawyer in Indianapolis, having served 18 years on the Board of Trustees of Indiana University and being ensconced in the Indiana--and other--footballs Halls of Fame.)

Professor, School of Education, Indiana University

Professor, School of Education, Indiana University