Mike Behind the Mic

School leaders across this country, and here in Alabama, are still tying to figure out the best way to start school and what is best for the students. Certainly as it's been said, not one size fits all, so what is best? Could some students actually benefit from remote learning, while others might need in person instruction. To give some insight, Mike sits down with Phyllis Fagell, a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, and journalist contributing to several publications on issues of education and what's best for children. Fagell is also the author of the highly acclaimed book "Middle School Matters".

If you're interested in diet and nutrition, this is your week. A regular on Good Day Alabama, Dr. Beth Kitchin, joins Mike for an extended segment that we normally don't have time for on the TV side. Dr. Beth K is the assistant professor and director of UAB Nutrition Sciences and patient educator of the UAB osteoporosis Clinic. One of our viewer's favorite Beth K segments is when she gives perspective on common food and drink myths that somehow become gospel.  You might not agree, but she brings research to the table.  So get ready to feast on nutrition myths vs. reality.

With Major League Baseball players in camps this week getting ready for a shortened season during a pandemic, Mike had a chance to talk with recently retired major league baseball player, Chris Coghlan to get his thoughts.  He told us on Good Day Alabama, the no-spitting rule Major League Baseball is implementing will be impossible for players to follow. But he also had interesting insight on how he thinks his friends, still playing in the majors, will handle it.  They also discussed his slide that was a highlight for the ages, his thoughts on the Astros cheating scandal, meeting his wife, and how losing his father when he was a teenager, helped shape his approach to adversity.

Mike sits down with author and former Sports Illustrated writer. Lars is now a co-host of a sports talk radio show 94.9 FM in Birmingham with former Alabama stars Jay Barker and Trent Richardson. Lars had some interesting insight into NASCAR and college football, as those were the two sports he primarily covered for SI. He had some questions on how NASCAR handled the Bubba Wallace incident, and NASCAR's image now going forward. He also talked about his level of optimism that we would have college football in the fall, and also, the fall of the sports magazine empire he used to work for.

On this episode, Mike sits down with one of the best video gamers in the country. Tuscaloosa Native Paul Bradford is one of the top players for the video game NBA 2K. His skills were good enough to make it to the 2K League, where the best of the best compete to win one million dollars. They sat down to talk about how he got so good at the game, and what he hopes to accomplish next.

On this episode, Mike sits down with former Alabama basketball star and Chicago Bulls player, Jason Caffey. Many of you watched the ESPN documentary series “The Last Dance” that chronicled Michael Jordan’s years with the Bulls. You did not see Jason Caffey prominently in the docu-series, but the former first-round pick was a contributor to two titles for the dynasty. Caffey also gained notoriety and some public shaming when it was revealed that he has 10 children with eight women. He got into some legal trouble on back child support, but has since resolved those issues. But there were other issues with his mental health that people were not aware of that Jason is now being transparent about, he says, to help others. He has also partnered with a noted sexual therapist to put out a book to help middle school boys navigate the difficult and confusing times of puberty and also heads several efforts of mentorship through camps and events. Mike and Jason spoke just a few weeks before the pandemic hit.

On this episode, Mike talks with Jeremiah Castille, a star college football player in the last years of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's legendary career. Jeremiah now leads many faith based efforts, including the Jeremiah Castille Foundation. The two spoke on the recent unrest around the country after the death of George Floyd. They also spoke about Jeremiah's brother, who was murdered, and how Jeremiah later came face to face with his brother's killer.

Mike catches up with former Alabama star and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. Mike spoke with Shaun in Atlanta the night before the 2019 SEC Championship game. These days, Shaun has his hand in a lot of charitable projects, and around this time was scheduled for a meeting at the White House. The two spoke about family, faith, football, and even politics.

Mike talks with NASCAR on Fox analyst and former crew chief Larry McReynolds. The Birmingham native is in his 20th year with Fox. Mike caught up with him between his busy schedule between Fox Sports and FS1, as NASCAR returned to competition at Darlington. The avid Alabama football fan had an interesting perspective on how sports leagues should move forward in returning. They also spoke about what a lot of people got wrong when he left as Dale Earndhardt Sr's crew chief, not long after Dale Sr. won his first and only Daytona 500.

Mike sits down with former Alabama defensive football star Eryk Anders. After winning a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 2009, Anders has moved to a different sport: Mixed Martial Arts. Eryk spoke about his training regimen and his diet for fights, and he even has some tips for those of you looking to get into better shape.