I have been watching a lot of Paul Finebaum’s show and just finished reading his book, “My Conference Can Beat Your Conference.”
What can you say about Paul Finebaum? He is just so relatable. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He also worked for the student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and got his degree from there.
He worked at newspapers in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Birmingham, Alabama. He also had his own radio show in Birmingham, Alabama. He says the best part of the radio shows is the callers like Jim from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who is obsessed with Alabama football, and Tammy from Clanton, Alabama, who has been obsessed with Auburn throughout her life.
He now works for the SEC Network on ESPN, where the show is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. He still takes calls for the show. However, I believe that the most famous call was from an Alabama fan named Harvey Updyke, who stated live on the radio that he poisoned the famous Toomer’s Corner’s trees at Auburn using an herbicide called Spike 80DF. As much as I can’t stand those trees, I don’t think they deserved to be poisoned. For those of you who are not aware, every time Auburn wins a big game, fans would line up to those trees and throw toilet paper at them in celebration. Those trees mean everything to the Auburn faithful because they have had their seasons of ups and downs, and no matter what, those trees are waiting for them ready to celebrate when they win the big games.
Why did Mr. Updyke do this well after the 2010 Iron Bowl? When Auburn was down, they scored no points in the first half of the game and then scored a lot in the second half and ended up winning the game. Someone put a Cam Newton Jersey on legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s statue, and to Alabama fans, that is the ultimate insult.
At first, Paul Finebaum and his crew thought that it was a joke until a few days later botany scientists at Auburn University found that the trees were poisoned and would have to be cut down in a few months. Sure, new trees are there, but the damage has been done.
Finebaum is relatable because he understands us Southerners and our obsession with football. He understands that the rivalries like Alabama vs. Auburn and Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State mean everything to the people of those states. Because there are no professional sports teams in those states, this is all they have, and that was the case for many years for many Southerners. Sure, you now have professional teams in Tennessee and North Carolina. And you’ve had professional teams for a while if you live in states like Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida. However, I don’t think any of those teams could rival the passion of those SEC College football fans, and Paul Finebaum, whether you love him or hate him, he is the one fans trust the most.
Paul Finebaum has set his legacy as an SEC guy, and many believe he is the ultimate SEC guy. He knows what he is talking about, and he is willing to talk with anyone whether it be coaches like Nick Saban or Jimbo Fisher to random people like Jim from Tuscaloosa. If you have a question, you can feel free to call the number. It is always presented during his tv show on the SEC Network that airs from 2:00 to 6:00 pm central time. I’m sure he would be more than happy to talk to you. It’s like I said, he is a Southerner just like his audience and just like me.