Tuesday, 4:03 p.m.
Going back to my days with the Devil Rays, you knew that Gary Shelton was the man in Tampa Bay sports. His columns were always a must read. With that being the case, I'm sure his new website will continue to be a must read, whether you agree with him or not.
Fred McGriff, former Tampa Bay Devil Ray
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Gary Shelton is like a Major League pitcher with all kinds of weapons, my favourite kind of sports columnist. One day, he'll make you laugh, one day make you cry, the next day he'll make you think, It's fastballs, curveballs, split-fingers: He is on a very short list of the best I've ever read and the ones I most admire.
Steve Simmons, columnist, Toronto Sun
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There are two things I never pass up when I’m in Tampa – Gary Shelton’s column and the Taco Bus, though not necessarily in that order. Gary has been the sports conscience of the Bay Area for longer than he or I would like to remember, but I don’t live in the Bay Area so I know Gary from the many times we’ve sat together at some major sporting event trying to figure out how to make deadline and make it out of the stadium before last call. It should be obvious from his photo (and mine, if you want to Google me) that we succeeded almost every time. The 2000 U.S. Olympic Gymnastic Trials at Boston’s Fleet Center stand out for me. My knowledge of the sport would have had to double to be considered limited, but Gary took me under his wing and escorted me to a special press table that bore a handwritten sign that read “Idiots Island,’’ which was significant because the big TV craze at that time was the first season of “Survivor.” The only rule was, if you ever said anything to try and give your colleagues the false impression you knew something about gymnastics, you would be voted off the island. So, you can see that you’re not going to get some foofy know-it-all at GarySheltonSports.com. You’re going to get voted onto an island full of great sports commentary that you can’t get anywhere else…unless you happen to be in Baltimore, in which case you better the hell be reading me in the Baltimore Sun.
-- Peter Schmuck, columnist, Baltimore Sun
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Gary Shelton is the model for what every city should have as its sports columnist. He knows the landscape of Tampa and St. Pete better than anyone, including the people and the issues that matter the most. But for me, what sets Gary apart is his story telling. Nobody in our industry is better at bringing good stories to life than he is, with an occasional chuckle or two along the way. In short: I’m from Jersey, so if you don’t subscribe to this site I have people who can make you disappear like Jimmy Hoffa.
Steve Politi, Columnist, Newart Star-Ledger
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