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So, Who's Bringing Gizzards?

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By STEVE OTTO

sotto@tampatrib.com

Published: October 26, 2008

"Dump on the Other Team's City" is a dangerous game, especially when your city picks the Backstreet Boys to attempt the national anthem.

But I've had to listen to the snickers and cheap shots for almost a week now from the national media types who still think this is Tampa Bay, which is where you would like to see them land.

Most of them have been a little confused as to where to sling their mud, unsure of whether the Rays are from Tampa, St. Pete or maybe Miami.

Of course, when you have a target like Philadelphia it's difficult to resist. I've only held off because of the long johns incident a few years back, which was not really their fault as much as Mother Trib's expense account department up in the turret.

Chilly In Philly

It turned out that Philly in January is not always the place to be, and that particular January in 2003 the Bucs traveled there to play the Eagles for the right to be in the Super Bowl.

After learning I was likely to be standing outside in temperatures in the teens for about six hours, I invested $10 in some long johns from a downtown Philly store. And they turned out to be wonderful long johns. It was only when I included them in an expense report and the accounting people refused to reimburse me unless I turned over the long johns - I suppose for future reporters headed to that town - that I got miffed. I assume the company still has the long johns but our reporters are not likely to need them there this weekend.

My opinion of Philadelphia was already shaped from a visit two years earlier for the Republican convention. I had been roughed up getting out of my car a few blocks from the convention center, not by a cop but by the cop's horse. I got no explanation or apology. The cop ordered me to get back in my car and keep driving and the horse only snorted at me.

Gizzard City

It used to be that whenever Tampa landed a big event, although there haven't been that many, we would put out a special section telling visitors about the attractions and things to do in town.

When we landed the Super Bowl in 1991, I figured I'd have a little fun and write about the gizzard restaurants of Ybor City, suggesting that the area was nationally famous for its gizzard bistros. I didn't realize anyone would take that one seriously until a guy called up who said he was in town from Buffalo with a couple of friends and was looking for the best gizzard place in town.

I called up my friends John and George Palios, brothers who had a small chicken restaurant in South Tampa, and told them I had sent some people their way and asked them to help save the reputation of the city.

By the time the out-of-towners arrived, the brothers had a giant banner hung out front claiming to be the "Home of the World's Best Gizzards." They had wrapped some "gizzard sauce" labels on some hot sauce bottles and added the "world famous gizzard platter" to the menu.

The guy from Buffalo, who sold cookies for a living, was so overwhelmed he later sent a barrel of cookies to the Palios brothers from Buffalo and promised to bring all his friends to the restaurant next time he was in Tampa.

Fortunately, the Bills haven't made it back here yet. Unfortunately, the great John Palios passed away, the restaurant closed and there is now a bank in its place.

Keyword: Otto Graphs, to read and comment on Steve Otto's blog.

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