Gonzo: Let's talk baseball - and music

SAN FRANCISCO - This would normally be the part of the program where I tease the other city. It's a Page 2 postseason staple, a device that's been (not-so) well received in hovels from Los Angeles to New York.

San Francisco seemed like an easy enough target. Early last week, a Giants fan video circulated on the Internet. It was done by a Bay Area rapper/artist/self-proclaimed "musical mutt" named Ashkon (full name Ashkon Davaran). At first, it appeared to be the perfect club to bash San Francisco with - a remake of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," complete with lyrics tailored to the Giants and their fans. I expected to loathe it but ended up liking it despite my better judgment.

The video - predictably panned in Philly - made appearances on Deadspin and ESPN.com, and quickly received more than 350,000 page views on YouTube. That number is owed to Ashkon's tongue-in-cheek sensibility. He once opened for De La Soul, but he's probably best known for another farcical YouTube sensation called "Hot Tubin."

Page 2 talked to the Giants super fan about his latest work, his team's chances, and his plans to self-medicate if San Francisco doesn't reach the World Series.

Your video includes a disturbing air guitar/tongue wagging solo, a group shot where random fans poke the Padres for choking, and a nod to Aubrey Huff's "rally thong," which we'll get to in a moment. Are you in on the joke or just part of it?

In on it. Absolutely. We wanted to have some fun. Just the idea of me epically singing this amazing song but having it be about the Giants and way over the top was funny. Throwing Giants names in? Totally ridiculous.

Why Journey? I love the song, but because it's invariably adopted each postseason as the anthem of some upstart team, it's been stigmatized.

It's definitely been beaten into the ground. But it's also one of the greatest songs ever. It was a long route. We have a lot of diverse music in the Bay [Area]. I'm into lots of hip-hop and singer/songwriter stuff. I'm a musical mutt. Originally, I wanted to do a fun, funny rap. I tried it, but it wasn't working.

Then Steve Perry from Journey was at a game near the end of the season. He's a huge Giants fan. I wanted something inspirational but also something that would make people laugh.

Which brings us to the orange "rally thong". . .

It's a little known fact outside the area, but in early September Aubrey Huff said he would wear a rally thong to help the team. He's kind of a goofball. He was holding the thong during the interview. He said, "This right here, this is 20 wins right here." (True story. You can read the San Jose Mercury News account here: http://bit.ly/aymWoD). It was so stupid funny, I had to add it into the song.

In the video, you show an older Giants fan with a shirt featuring a marijuana leaf and the words "Let Tim Smoke." Tim Lincecum is perfect for San Francisco, isn't he?

It's Cali, baby. . . . We love Timmy.

How has Pat Burrell been received? He helped the Phils win a World Series. Now he's enjoying a resurgence in San Fran.

It's a great storyline. He's a Bay Area native, and he's gotten a lot of love here. Now he's playing Philly. Old players can haunt a city. He could end up being an X factor, Philly fans.

You realize you're tweaking people who don't always dig that. You should work for Page 2. That's something we'd do.

Just tweaking a little bit. For fun. It's all in good fun. I'm a huge baseball fun. I understand what you guys have going on: Powerhouse squad. Great pitching staff. Strong lineup. I can talk shop and have fun messing with any fans. If you're a smart fan, I like talking and messing with you. It's all in good fun. One thing that's sad is all the worked-up haters. You always find that on the Internet. There's a good way to stay competitive - deeply competitive - and still be respectful and not attack someone's mom or something. It can be competitive and stay fun.

How competitive do you think it will be? The Giants haven't won the World Series since moving West. And last time they played for a parade, 2002, they suffered an epic collapse.

The 2002 series, we don't even talk about it. You have to be really drunk to talk about that out here. It ruined so many of us. It was brutal. Can you imagine - eight outs away, up 5-zip? That was tough. But it's been so much fun this year. It's a scrappy, likeable, blue collar team. I'm ready for anything. I'll take the Giants in 7, but on paper, the Phils are definitely the favorite.

The song concludes with you saying "We're here to win, but in case we lose, I'm purchasing a case of booze." I don't think this will end well for you. What's your brand? Page 2 is buying.

(Laughing). I'm a Maker's Mark guy, but I'm good. I'm stocked up.