Finebaum finally leaves WJOX

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RTR91

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He's ended his silence. He accepted the deal with ESPN.

Paul Finebaum's radio silence has an end date: Aug. 1.

Finebaum, the polarizing personality of college football's signature call-in show, is leaving the Birmingham, Ala., market where his contract expired in January, for Charlotte, N.C., and a national forum: ESPN. His multi-tiered platform will include a radio program on ESPN networks, 100 televised appearances annually on ESPN and a TV simulcast of his radio show on the ESPN-owned SEC Network launching in August 2014.
 

BamaMoon

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Yes, because he could always play Alabama against the Barn or the other way around depending on who was up/winning at the time. Now, you'd think he'd need to be a little more non-biased especially to the other SEC schools.
 

TiderJack

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Yes, because he could always play Alabama against the Barn or the other way around depending on who was up/winning at the time. Now, you'd think he'd need to be a little more non-biased especially to the other SEC schools.
I would think Finebaum and ESPN would want him to dance with the one he asked to the dance. I don't see them changing the format dramatically and he will want to stir the pot. I'm sure people like Legend and Jim from Tuscaloosa and others will find their way on to the new show.
 

rgw

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I don't think anything on WJOX is worth a darn anymore. Opening Drive is bad. The Round Table is annoying. The new stuff is setting new lows.


I feel like each of their shows somehow talk about sports less than Finebaum when I know Finebaum's shows frequently veered off course a good bit.
 

rgw

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I would think Finebaum and ESPN would want him to dance with the one he asked to the dance. I don't see them changing the format dramatically and he will want to stir the pot. I'm sure people like Legend and Jim from Tuscaloosa and others will find their way on to the new show.
I imagine that Finebaum will still have a radio show and they'll broadcast it on television no different than they do for Colin Cowherd or their other guys in the morning. The question will be whether he is their morning programming or mid-afternoon. I think they'll have him do 2-3 hours in the morning and be in studio for something television-only in the afternoon.
 

TiderJack

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I don't think anything on WJOX is worth a darn anymore. Opening Drive is bad. The Round Table is annoying. The new stuff is setting new lows.


I feel like each of their shows somehow talk about sports less than Finebaum when I know Finebaum's shows frequently veered off course a good bit.
I agree with you on the OD and whoever those new guys are but disagree with you about the Round Table. They do veer off sports from time to time but most of the show is sports oriented with quality content that I can not say about some of the nonsense that went on at the Finebaum show.
 

rgw

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The morning until 2pm is the worst offenders on the the low-sports-content front. You are right that the Round Table is better but its worse to me because they have that sorry singer/musician type who just seems like he's around to make Gay Waltrip jokes and sing crappy 90s alt rock music.
 

JDCrimson

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I think it is good move for him, but I think there is some level of penis envy here with Brando having his own televised show. If ESPN is really going to make SEC Network must watch TV they are going to have make it provocative TV. With this move, Finebaum could become the Stephen A Smith (tell it like it is) of college football. A lot of people across the conference will watch especially if it is a prime show.
 

Ole Man Dan

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Love him or hate him... he's incited fans across the country. Finebaum assembled a cast of characters he calls 'Callers". Finebaum has the juice to secure interviews from top coaches, and assorted controversial people. I'm sure his new show will be a 'Boom, or a Bust'... I can't be wrong.
 

CoolBreeze

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That is kind of a head scratcher. Paul started in the news business then really got his niche pitting Alabama and Auburn fans against one another on the radio. It seems short sighted to me that he would abandon this niche. Even on the XM deal the national callers understood it was a local Alabama program and their questions regarding sports outside of Alabama went unanswered for the most part. He is a superb interviewer though and I guess that is what he will concentrate on if he is to be successful. But he is definitely wading into unchartered waters as a sports personality.
 

rgw

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I really feel that ESPN's best move is simulcasting a Finebaum radio broadcast over ESPN regional partners along with a SECN television camera in studio. They do this Colin Cowherd and Mike & Mike. This especially works well in the dreaded morning deadzone in daytime television. What better content can you put on SECN from 8 or 9 to 12 than the Finebaum radio show? That would definitely poll better than repeats of SEC Stories documentaries we've all seen a bunch.

I do think they will give him his own studio show too which may lead to the new Finebaum radio show not being a 4-hour marathon like it was on WJOX. 2-3 hours in the morning for radio and an evening studio show with some guests. Again, love him or hate him...ESPN is showing some smarts by bringing in a distinctly southern football voice instead of just giving the SECN a bunch of their C and D crew talent.
 

rgw

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That is kind of a head scratcher. Paul started in the news business then really got his niche pitting Alabama and Auburn fans against one another on the radio. It seems short sighted to me that he would abandon this niche. Even on the XM deal the national callers understood it was a local Alabama program and their questions regarding sports outside of Alabama went unanswered for the most part. He is a superb interviewer though and I guess that is what he will concentrate on if he is to be successful. But he is definitely wading into unchartered waters as a sports personality.
I thought the national callers brought their thoughts in well. Some Michigan and Ohio State callers were among the regulars.
 

TiderJack

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I thought the national callers brought their thoughts in well. Some Michigan and Ohio State callers were among the regulars.
That is true but if someone from Kansas called up and asked Finebaum who he thought would be their starting QB would be he would not have an answer (did not expect him to but it did go unanswered).
 

RTR91

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That is true but if someone from Kansas called up and asked Finebaum who he thought would be their starting QB would be he would not have an answer (did not expect him to but it did go unanswered).
Any listener of Finebaum would know not to bother asking him that question.
 

Crimson1967

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I agree an SEC themed show would be his best bet. If the SECN tells him to ban the Tammys and Jims I might actually listen.
 

TommyMac

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I like Finebaum, but I also like The Roundtable. Those guys are very knowledgable about sports, are polite and don't seem threatened to let the caller have his say as is the case with most sports talk hosts.

I hope when Finebaum returns, they don't have conflicting times.
 
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