012 Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel Columnist and Radio Raconteur

Mike Bianchi is a sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and one of the most influential voices in the Southeast. His 20-plus years with the Sentinel coincides with a lengthy career as a sports radio host in Orlando, and he was also a regular TV talk show panelist with me in the old days of Sun Sports (now Bally Sports Sun). A proud native Floridian, Mike talks about his early writing influences, his studies at the University of Florida, and his stops at newspapers in Gainesville, Cocoa Beach, and Jacksonville before coming to Orlando. We cover a little bit of everything -- college football, the NFL, the NBA, golf, and Major League Baseball. Mike presents his take on the current state of the newspaper industry and where sports journalism is headed, and shares memories of Tom Coughlin, Steve Spurrier, and many other luminaries he's covered. Don't miss the story of how (and why) we shaved his head on live television.