'Jer-ry!' Knight Parade lands iconic talk-show host Springer

Rowdy patrons of this year's Knight Parade could always go the more traditional route of flashing float drivers in an attempt to gather strand upon strand of cheap plastic beads.

Or they could opt for that simple yet familiar chant that has become synonymous with some of the more outrageous moments in talk-show history.

"Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Jer-ry!"

Jerry Springer, whose show has featured such memorable episodes as "The Recession Made Me Cheat" and "Bro I Slept With Your Baby Mama," will serve as the parade's honorary marshal this year.

The Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago announced a strategic partnership with local TV station MOR (Channel 32) and its Spanish-language sister station, estrellaTV.

As part of the deal, Springer, whose show appears on MOR, will serve as the honorary grand marshal, according to a news release.

Springer, a graduate of Tulane University and Northwestern University's law school, began his career in politics, at one point serving as mayor of Cincinnati. He later became a local TV news anchor.

When "The Jerry Springer Show" started in 1991, it too was devoted to political issues. It emerged from the crop of raucous talk shows that were popular in the 1990s as it veered toward more tawdry topics.

Springer's eccentric career also includes a season on "Dancing with the Stars" and various cameo appearances, some of them self-parody.

"The attention that stations of MOR and estrellaTV's caliber will bring to the Pin Chasers Knight Parade is unprecedented in its 40-year history," said Simon Canasi, parade chairman, in the release. "We are honored to welcome them as partners, and can't wait to have Jerry Springer in the 2012 event."

The parade, a nighttime event usually held in Ybor City a few weeks after the Gasparilla parade, is scheduled for Feb. 18. It features illuminated floats and marching bands, and typically draws more than 100,000 spectators.