Feature Interview: Paul Finebaum

The following introduction and graphics come with permission from www.paulfinebaum.com

"Paul Finebaum is considered the leading sports authority in the South and the ``Voice of the SEC.’’ He currentlyserves as host of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network,  which is based out of Birmingham and currently runs on about 25 stations from South Carolina to St. Louis and also heard nationally on Sirius XM Radio (Channel 91).

He arrived in Birmingham in 1980 and became a columnist and investigative reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald. Finebaum's work has earned him over 250 national, regional and area sports writing awards. Finebaum joined the Mobile Press Register in 2001 where he wrote a twice-weekly column with the column syndicated to other newspapers. In 2011,  Finebaum began writing a college football column for SI.com. His Christmas Eve column on a radio caller from Iowa suffering from cerebral palsy was among the most critically acclaimed stories of his career.

Finebaum's television contributions have been numerous. In Birmingham he currently appears as a sports analyst for WBRC Fox 6. He was sports director for WIAT-TV from 1997 to 2002 and co-hosted individual shows on WVTM-TV NBC 13 and ABC 33/40. Recently he has been a frequent guest on ESPN's Outside The Lines with Bob Ley commenting on national and regional stories.

Finebaum is a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee and resides in Birmingham with his wife, Dr. Linda Hudson, an internist, who currently serves as chief of medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital."

Editor's Note, By Stan J. Griffin: Obviously what you read above is just a few testaments to the fact that Paul Finebaum is one of the most influential and popular sports journalists/personalities, not only in the state of Alabama, but nationally as well. 

He has been called controversial, provocative and arrogant, but whether you like Finebaum or despise him, there is no denying the impact that he has made in the arena of sports and news journalism in Alabama, and because of that he has been asked to contribute to several national programs, including 60 Minutes and numerous ESPN shows. His radio program is must-listen programming for any real sports fan in Alabama, especially during the college football season. While many in the state have a number of creative monikers for the University of Tennessee grad, I am blessed to call him friend. I first met him as a student journalist at the University of Alabama, and even then he was very encouraging to me and was quick to offer me advice, and since that time I have called on him several times to help me with various projects, including the inteview for this site, and he has never wasted any time before agreeing to help me. I consider him a very nice person and I hope you enjoy this interview that I recently did with him covering numerous subjects.

1. THE SPORTS CONNECTION: With the bowl season in full swing now, there has been a whirlwind of coaching moves recently. Closer to home, what are your general feelings about the hire of Gus Malzahn at Auburn?

PAUL FINEBAUM: I think Malzahn was safe. However, it could work out well. I think the issue for Auburn is moving up in the SEC West. Who does Malzahn help AU move ahead of in the division?

2. TSC: How would you gauge the overall reaction to the hire by the Auburn supporters you have talked to and the Auburn callers to your show. Do you feel the Auburn Nation is happy with the hire for the most part, or would you say they are just taking a wait-and-see approach?

PF: Auburn fans are the most loyal group in the SEC so they are happy. They were happy three weeks after Chizik as well and that worked out before it didn't work out. Now doesn't matter. Check back in three years.

3. TSC: Is there much room for patience at Auburn with Malzahn considering the divide between Alabama and Auburn is continuing to grow more and more, with Saban set up to win more championships if he elects to finish his career at Alabama?

PF: As long as Saban is around, Auburn is going to struggle to catch up. But Auburn can't worry about Saban. They need to worry about their own program.

4. TSC: What are your feelings about the Malzahn hire of veteran assistant coach Rodney Garner as an assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator?

PF: As for Garner, it is easily one of the best off-season hires. He is a great recruiter and will help. I also like  (new offensive line coach J.B) Grimes and (new defensive coordinator Ellis) Johnson. In some ways, these experienced coaches make up for a lack of experience for Malzahn.

5. TSC: Speaking of Saban, do you give any credence to any speculation regarding Saban's possible departure or do you have no doubt in your mind he will finish his career in Tuscaloosa? What would it take to lure Saban away? Obviously he already has all the power, money, tools to recruit and success he would seem to need now.

PF: Saban is a human being. Yes, I know that is breaking news. So is he sitting at home enjoying the speculation? Probably. However, I don't think he'll leave. He'll flirt. It may get crazy. But I think he finishes his career in Tuscaloosa.

6. TSC: With the national title game getting closer, not many national pundits and analysts are giving Notre Dame much of a chance to defeat Alabama. What are your general feelings about the game?

PF: I respect Notre Dame. Yet, they are not in the same class as Alabama. I don't like to predict until right before the game. You never know about last minute events. But right now, I like Alabama.

7. TSC: Do most of the Alabama callers seem to have a cocky attitude going into the game? I know that some of your older callers probably have strong feelings regarding Notre Dame due to some of those past classics between the two traditional powers.

PF: Alabama fans would be cocky if the Tide was up against the Patriots. But they are very confident about this game. Last year, it was different.

8. TSC:  Should Alabama win this game, and claim its third national title in four years, where would this current Tide dynasty rank in the annals of college football, and do you see Alabama contending for 3 or 4 more titles down the road if Saban elects to stay for, say 7 more years.

PF: With a victory, we are witnessing the greatest modern-day dynasty in memory. I am in shock every time I think about what Saban has done. I think Bama will keep winning if Saban stays. Perhaps, not every year. But there will be more.

9. TSC: ESPN recently scored high rating with its documentary about the legendary Bo Jackson. What are your feelings about how the network chronicled Jackson's career, and where does Bo rank on your list of great athletes you have been fortunate enough to have covered in this state. What could he have accomplished if not for his baseball and football careers ending prematurely due to his hip injury?

PF: Had Bo remained healthy, ESPN would have needed more than 90 minutes. Because he would be the most famous player of all-time. I liked it because it paid tribute to the greatest athlete I've ever seen. I'm glad young people are now more familiar.

10. TSC: On a personal note, do you still get as much enjoyment hosting the radio show as you've always had? Are there people that you still have a strong desire to have on the show that have never been on, or are there any changes you would like to make to the show at some point?

PF: I enjoy the show now more than ever. It's a part of my life. In the past, it was a job. I can't say I really think about people who aren't on the show. I prefer callers to famous guests. Most big-name guests are not very interesting.

11. TSC: Would you say you still get the most pleasure and contentment from hosting the show, or with your writing, or do you enjoy both equally?

PF: I think deep down writing is more personally satisfying. But it means a lot to me when I run into someone who says they plan their commute from work around the show.

12. TSC: The world of sports media has changed so dramatically over the past decade or so with the greater emphasis of online journalism, social media, blogs and all of that.....Your feelings about those changes and whether you think those changes are a good or bad thing, and did you ever foresee such a major shift away from traditional print journalism, with many newspapers ceasing operation or decreasing publish dates and even magazines such as The Sporting News shifting totally toward online publications?

PF: I think they are good changes. A lot of my friends lament the days when you had paper in hand, but you can still do that. I read several real papers a day. Unfortunately, I've already seen most of the information online. It's a  changing world and the newspaper/magazine biz did a poor job keeping up.

13. TSC: Have you thought much about how much longer you want to continue doing the radio show, and also do you ever get overwhelmed with all of the demands I know you must face between the show, your columns, television appearances, speaking engagement and all that.

PF: Well, that's a good question. I  enjoy radio very much. I would say the last year has been the most demanding, but in some respects, it's also been the most rewarding.

14. TSC: Any plans for other special projects such as new books in the near future?  I always enjoyed your best of books with your columns.....

PF: There is a project I am currently looking at very closely.

15. TSC: What are your feelings regarding some of the other coaching hires in the SEC, and the hire of Bobby Petrino by Western Kentucky?

PF: I think Butch Jones could be a surprise at Tennessee. The process was ugly but he is a very good coach. Same for Brett Bielema at Arkansas. Shocking hire, but still a strong coach. Petrino is interesting. He'll do fine at WKU but will be gone quickly. Auburn may regret passing on Petrino.