GatorCountry.com is proud to announce that Buddy Martin, whose award-winning columns and books have delighted Gator fans for more than five decades, will be bringing his considerable experience and unique perspectives to Gator Country.
Martin is considered by many to be the definitive source on Florida football history and one of the great story-tellers of the Gator Nation’s rise as a force in college athletics since World War II.
Martin’s columns on the Florida Gators begin in May and will feature a variety of topics – news, commentaries, historical flashbacks, blogs and humor.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have such an accomplished and widely acclaimed writer of Buddy Martin’s stature join us at Gator Country,” said Gator Country publisher Raymond Hines. “I know our fans will be just as delighted as we are to add a big star to our team of excellent writers. With Buddy, our coverage of Florida Gator sports has become even more unparalleled.”
“I’ve known Buddy for almost 40 years and his knowledge of the Florida Gators is extraordinary,” said Gator Country Managing Editor Franz Beard. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Buddy as a writer and co-hosting a radio show with him so I know what a treat it’s going to be for our readers. Buddy Martin’s love affair with covering the Florida Gators began in the Bob Woodruff days and the more he’s written about them over the years, the better he’s gotten. We feel really fortunate to add him to our team.”
Martin says he is looking forward to the challenge.
“I love the Internet and the immediate feedback we get,” he said. “There is no doubt that the future of journalism is in cyberspace. The fact that I get to work with so many of my friends at Gator Country and cover the team I have followed since I was a boy growing up in Ocala is a no-brainer for me.”
Martin will also write a regular column for Gator Country’s new glossy magazine.
With the publication of his last book, “The Boys From Old Florida: Inside Gator Nation,” Buddy recently passed the 1-million word mark on Gator football and basketball. He has covered Florida for 11 different newspapers, and news organizations: The Ocala Star-Banner, Gainesville Sun, Jacksonville Journal, Florida Today, Gannett News Service, ESPN, The St. Petersburg Times, New York Daily News, Denver Post, Florida Times-Union and Charlotte Sun, where he still serves as the paper’s editor. In 2004, the Sun was one of three national finalists for the Pulitzer for breaking news on Hurricane Charley.
Buddy has won over 100 awards for writing, editing and producing, including an Emmy for his work as an editorial consultant for CBS on The NFL Today show. He is writing his eighth book, which will be published in 2008.
Martin’s current book, “The Boys From Old Florida: Inside Gator Nation” is being updated with a national championship chapter and will be re-released for the fall of 2007.
Martin is a product of the UF Journalism School and former Florida Alligator columnist; while in college, he served summer internships at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and United Press International. Buddy is a long-time radio talk show host and commentator. He was co-founder and co-owner of Florida Sports Talk (ESPN/WMOP Ocala and WGGG Gainesville).
He is also co-creator and co-founder of “The Sports Journalism Summit” at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg.
You can reach Buddy Martin at buddyshow@aol.com and starting in May you can read his columns on Gator Country at https://www.gatorcountry.com.