Live From the FC, Bill Gonillo Tribute

Tomorrow will be a very special Live From the FC. I am going to be on the road, so guest hosts Mike Zito and Jason Intrieri will be there to celebrate the life of Bill Gonillo.

Jason and Mike have worked hard all week to secure a plethora of guests from the coaching and media world to share their thought about Bill, who passed away Sunday at the age of 44.

In addition to the many tributes to Bill linked to this blog, a team will walk in his honor on Oct. 14 at the Step Out to Fight Diabetes event.

Walking in Bill's Memory

There will be a team participating in Bill Gonillo's honor and memory at the Step Out to Fight Diabetes 3-mile walk on Sunday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m., starting at Penfield Pavilion in Fairfield.

If you would like to make a donation in Bill's memory, or would like to join "Bill Gonillo's Team of the Week," please click here or go to main.diabetes.org/goto/BillGonillo.

More information about the event can he found here (http://stepout.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut070218010?pg=entry&fr_id=4645).

Tributes to Bill Gonillo

There are plenty of them out there this week. Thanks to Sean Patrick Bowley of The Post, who has kind of become the Archiver of All Things Bill. It's made it easier for me to try and enjoy my vacation. Which hasn't been easy this week, in what's supposed to be the happiest place in the world.

But Bill just this past Friday told me to have a great time down in Florida, told me he was jealous that I was going to get to see tonight's Yankees-Devil Rays game, and that he couldn't wait to hear about it when I got back.  Even though I told him I'd wear a Rays cap and t-shirt at The Trop!

Speaking of shirts, I got a Bill Gonillo story. And I was reminded of it when I saw this article by Chris Elsberry. Or to be precise, the photos by Christian Abraham. In them, Bill is wearing an FCIAC Football Blog t-shirt, a hand-made promo model that I made prior to the 2006 season.

I was handing a few out, and though I wasn't extremely proud of the black ones. The iron-on paper for dark shirts wasn't the greatest, and kind of gave it a look like it was an old patch your mom would use in the 70s or 60s to fix a hole in the knee of your favorate jeans.

I gave it to Bill at Fairfield Warde, when he stopped by the Mustangs' scrimmage with Bunnell and Staples. It was the last 2XL I had on me that day, and I figured he'd just toss it in a drawer.

"You want to give that shirt to me? Are you sure about that?" Bill asked me, all excited.

"Yeah, Bill, of course!" I replied.

"Wow, thanks Tim! I appreciate it! I'll be sure to wear it!" Bill said, like a kid you just got a B.B. gun on Christmas morning.

I'd see Bill around in his old Cowboys t-shirt or something and he'd tell me, "I love that t-shirt you gave me, I wear it all the time."

I'd kid him about what a horrible shirt I gave him, and how he should have burned it. When I showed up at the Central-Greenwich game in a flourescent green model, he was kidding me: "Boy, we're all lucky you didn't give me one of those. I'd look like a big tennis ball!"

So we'd talk about how News 12's Damian Andrew kidded me about how he'd vote in the poll again this season only if he got a t-shirt. I told him I had some to make up for some media members, and he said, "Make him look like a tennis ball!"

I cried again the other day when I saw the photo of Bill in that ugly hand-made t-shirt. To me, it was like going back to elementary school. And Father's Day would approach and you'd make something in class for your dad. And no matter how horrible or hideous it was, it would be worn or displayed with a badge of honor.

So thanks again, Bill, I'm glad you really loved that t-shirt. You wore it proud.

Bunnell-Masuk This Friday

In lieu of me being around this week to talk about this one, you should check out the message board. A lot of Bunnell and Masuk fans are over there talking about the SWC championship game rematch.

State Coaches Poll

The Day of New London Top 10 state coaches football poll

First-place votes in parentheses, record, points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis and last week’s ranking:

1. Ansonia (11) 2-0 386 1

2. Greenwich (2) 2-0 350 2

3. Shelton 2-0 298 3

4. Staples-Westport 2-0 276 5

5. New Canaan 2-0 275 4

6. Southington 2-0 266 6

T7. Bunnell-Stratford 2-0 174 7

T7. New London 2-0 174 8

9. Masuk-Monroe 2-0 168 9

10. Berlin 2-0 108 NR

Dropped out: Bloomfield (10).

Also receiving votes: Stratford (2-0), 99; Fairfield Prep (2-0), 98; Maloney-Meriden (2-0), 83; Newington (2-0), 66; Hand-Madison (2-0), 64; Holy Cross-Waterbury (2-0), 51; West Haven (1-1), 50; Conard-West Hartford (2-0), 48; Woodland-Beacon Falls (2-0), 47; Windham (2-0), 42; Tie, Bloomfield (1-1) and Ledyard (1-0), 28; Windsor (2-0), 26; Bridgeport Central (1-1), 20; Ridgefield (1-1), 17; Weaver-Hartford (2-0), 16; Tie, Cheshire (1-1) and Seymour (2-0), 14; Rocky Hill (2-0), 12; Norwich Free Academy (2-0), 10; New Britain (1-1), 7.

The following coaches voted: Chris Anderson, Woodland-Beacon Falls; Jim Buonocore, Fitch; Dave Cadelina, Bridgeport Central; John DeCaprio, Notre Dame-West Haven; Chuck Drury, Pomperaug-Southbury; Steve Filippone, Hand-Madison; Tanner Grove, Montville; Jude Kelly, St. Paul-Bristol; Tim King, Valley Regional-Deep River; Bill Mella, Southington; John Murphy, Masuk-Monroe; Marce Petroccio, Staples-Westport; Bob Zito, Maloney-Meriden.

Bill Gonillo Dead at 44

As I post this, I am trying very hard not to cry.

Bill Gonillo of News 12 was found dead in his Woodbridge home yesterday, according to various news sources. He was 44.

I don't think there is anything I could possibly write to properly honor him.

A lot of people out there may have just known Bill as the face on the television. But for the coaches and the rest of the media, he was a lot more than that.

When you saw Bill at a game, it was a sign of a few things.

One was that you knew it was an important game, because he was present with camera in hand, and would be in your living room a little later.

The other was this. When you saw Bill at a game, any and all stress went away. Bill was, literally, the life of the game. He was like a magnet. A lot of us would drop whatever we were doing to go over and say hi, and find out how he was doing. And most important, he wanted to know how you were doing. And it was genuine.

To be honest, I don't think there was anyone in Fairfield County sports media who didn't like the guy.

On a personal note, every time I saw him one-on-one at the game, he'd tell me, "Anything I can do to help you out, just let me know." I never took advantage. Instead, I gave him calls from games we were both at, which he'd have to leave, to report a final score (or 2).

Most recently, that was this week, when I saw him at the Weston-New Milford and Greenwich-Darien games Thursday, then at the St. Joseph-Ludlowe game on Friday.

He was excited Thursday when I told him about Weston's comeback. I started giving him the details when mid-play at the Greenwich-Darien game, he says, "Here' talk the the camera" and started shooting as I gave him Trojans running back Dylan Hannum's touchdown numbers.

Friday, he and Fairfield Ludlowe athletic director Dave Schultz were talking with him just as he was leaving Trumbull. We were talking about something all sports guys do - hot dogs.

And when he left, he said, "Hey Timmy, can you do me a favor and call me with the score?"

To which I replied, "Oh, I thought you were going to tell me what you wanted on your hot dog!"

As he was walking away, Bill replied, "Maybe next time!"

Bill, it's the first thing I will do when we meet again.

Here is the AP article.

Please leave your comments about Bill Gonillo below.

Video: Weston Hero Dylan Hannum

Dylan Hannum had a monster game for Weston as it snapped its 23-game winless streak on Thursday. He carried the ball just 17 times, but gained 268 yards and reached the end zone four times. Here's what he had to say about what the win meant for the Trojans program.