ANY QUESTIONS?
That's right, it's time for our weekly columnist chat and live interactive extravaganza here at OrlandoSentinel.com. The chat goes from 1-2 p.m. right here on my wildly popular and critically acclaimed Open Mike blog.
To participate, send your questions to mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com
or post them in the comments section of this blog. If you can be here at 1 p.m.today, I'll answer the questions live on Open Mike. If you can't make it, you can still send in your question and I'll post the full transcript of the chat on the blog so that you can view the answers any time.
During the chat, don't forget to refresh or hit the F5 button if you've got a PC to see the latest questions and answers throughout the chat.
OK, let's get started:
From Gus: Regardless if Tim Tebow plays or not, this game will come down to Florida's defense shutting them down and not letting them go 4 for 4 on 4th down like the last time we were there
Bianchi: I agree, but I still think the Gators are going to have to score some points and I think they will with Brantley taking advantage of LSU's pass defense. Brantley, by all accounts, is an even better pure passer than Tebow.
From Brooks: What's a bigger head scratcher — Jethro Tull winning the Grammy for Heavy Metal back in 1989 or Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize?
Bianchi: We try not to talk politics here at Open Mike although sometimes we can't resist. Let me just say this: I loved Tull's "Crest of the Knave" album in the late 1980s, especially the song "Farm on a Freeway."
Let me sing you a verse:
Nine miles of two-strand topped with barbed wire
laid by the father for the son.
Good shelter down there on the valley floor,
down by where the sweet stream run.
Now they might give me compensation…
That's not what I'm chasing. I was a rich man before yesterday.
Now all I have got is a check and a pickup truck.
I left my farm on the freeway.
From Sandy: Thank you so much for your columns on Breanna McMahon. Those columns really hit home with me and put life in perspective. Was wondering how Bree is doing?
Bianchi: Sandy, thanks so much for the kind words. Anybody who reads my column probably is familiar with Bree McMahon, the Freedom High soccer player who was involved a terrible accident two weeks ago at car-wash fundraiser. Here's the original column I wrote on a Bree and here's a subsequent column I wrote a few days later. Bree had to have one leg amputated and has undergone numerous surgeries as doctors are trying to save the other leg. If you want to donate to the Breanna McMahon recovery fund you can do so at any local branch of the Old Southern Bank or you can access Paypal at PayPal.com and go to breemcmahon05@gmail.com.
From Kensulu: How can I watch the Magic on television? Seems the last 2 preseason games have not been on TV. And has it been proven yet that Rashard Lewis did not intentionally take steroids and is there a possibility of removing the suspension?
Bianchi: Wow, fans clamoring for Magic preseason games on TV! I can remember when fans didn't even care if regular season games were on TV. Just goes to show how far Magic basketball has come. The bottom line is that Sun Sports and Fox Sports Florida are only contracted to show a certain number of games and they would obviously rather show regular-season games than preseason games. I'm sure production costs also have something to do with Sun Sports and Fox choosing not to put the preseason games on TV. By the way, there is absolutely no chance of the Rashard Lewis's suspension being lifted. Doesn't matter if he intentionally took performance-enhancing drugs or not; they were still found in his system.
From P.S. Gator: What can you do to get Diaz fired from the paper?
Bianchi: I do not want Diaz to be fired. Not because of his columns, but because he's the only one who is willing to be the commissioner of our fantasy football league. Every office needs a guy like that.
From Robert: Mike, I really think the Magic matching the offer for Marcin Gortat was a great move by the GM as it was the only real way we could afford to get a backup for Dwight Howard. The question is do you really think after the trade deadline Gortat will be around to help the Magic make that push to the Finals? I don't see it happening.
Bianchi: I never try to predict what Otis Smith will do. The only thing I can tell you for sure about Otis Smith is this: Whatever he tells the media, he traditionally does just the opposite. Am I saying he lies to the media? Well, yeah,, except Otis says, "It's not lying; you guys just don't ask the right questions."
From Rick: Mike, I read your column about how Bobby Bowden has betrayed FSU. First I must say I have always disagreed with your opinion that Bobby Bowden is the greatest college football coach of all time. History will bear me out on that one. But I do totally agree with you that the underlying reason for all of Bobby’s problems right now are self inflicted by the selfish behavior he has displayed in the last several years. Being the Christian man he is Bobby must be aware of the Scripture from Galations that states a man reaps what he sows. He is reaping his selfish behavior in bucket loads now. I don’t know when he crossed over because as you so aptly stated in your article he said some years ago when the program started to slip while he was at the helm he would step down. Being a downhome country boy Bobby would probably understand this statement, "He just got too big for his britches." Maybe it was a combination of things, Bobby Bowden Field, Bobby Bowden Statue, Bobby Bowden Stain Glass Window, etc., etc., etc. I think another problem was no one in authority had the gumption to step up to the plate and tell Bobby like it truly was and is. Maybe that’s partly Bobby’s fault, we all need to humble ourselves enough where a friend can approach us with the truth we need to hear whether we like it or not. Case in point I believe Don Shula was man enough to hear what Wayne Huizenga had to say and step down from coaching when he did. This resulted in a win-win situation for Shula as opposed to what is happening now to Bowden. Sadly I still don’t think Bobby gets it. The only thing that can save him now is for FSU to win out. I can hear him now in the locker room before the Georgia Tech game this Saturday night. "Boys, I’m getting a lot of heat out there from every direction. The only thing that is going to cool things off for ME is for you boys to go out there and win tonight. Forget about the university, forget about your Mommas and Daddies, forget about yourselves, Yes even forget about the Gipper, Win one for Me, Me, Me…
Bianchi: Do I even need to respond?
From Dan: Nice job on your column on Bobby's betrayal. Yes I am being dramatic; however, I feel we may be witnessing the most sad/pathetic end of a sports career in the history of college football if not all of sports. I loved your commentary on Jeff Bowden as that is absolutely the beginning of this mess. I love Bobby; however, my feelings about him changed when I read his book and he made the comment about resigning (if he wasn't allowed to hire Jeff as offensive coordinator). He surprised me as I always felt he was a low-ego guy; however, that statement proved otherwise. He was bigger than the program, and unfortunately we are witnessing that in spades today. Very, very sad.
Bianchi: I agree. I think Bobby's stubborness in hiring and refusing to fire his son was when many FSU fans began feeling he was putting himself above the program.
From Bill: Couldn't you almost equate this whole Bowden fiasco with making a decision to take away the car keys from an elderly relative?
Bianchi: That's a decent analogy. Florida State football, back in Bobby's younger days, used to be a sleek, red Corvette convertible. Now, Bobby is puttering along in his a 1997 Buick LeSabre.
From Tucker: Hey, Mike, since there is no Tailgate Overtime this year, would you consider doing a solo sports talk show? If Rome can have his own show, you could definitely carry your own!
Bianchi: Rack him! Awesome take. Of course I could carry my own TV show just like I used to carry Tailgate Overtime before we were cancelled for budgetary reasons. When will somebody around here recognize that they have a star just waiting to be born? If you're interested, however, you can listen to our radio show — The Beat of Sports — every weekday from 9-11 a.m. on ESPN 1080-AM. You can also listen live over the Internet at TheBeatOfSports.com.
From Bill: If Urban Meyer wins a national title this year he will have 3 in 5 years at Florida. Bowden has 2 in 33 years at FSU. Wouldn’t that make Meyer already a better coach than Ol’ Bobby?
Bianchi: No, it would not make him a better coach than Bobby. Bobby took over a program that was about to be shut down; Urban took over a program already stocked with national championship talent. Meyer is certainly on pace to become one of the greatest coaches of all-time, but he's not there yet.
Bianchi: Somebody sent me an inquiry about J.J. Redick, but I'm not sure exactly what the question was. Please resend.
From DrJamesNaismith: Do you have a personal relationship with J.J. Redick that precludes you from being unbiased about him?
Bianchi: You must be talking about radio man extraordinaire Jerry O'Neill, who loves J.J. like his own son. I think J.J. gets more exposure than any benchwarmer in the history of the league.
Guys, thanks for chatting. Talk to you again soon.
– Bianchi
