Paul Finebaum responds to criticism from Tim Brando following SEC spring meetings
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Paul Finebaum took time to respond to some recent comments from fellow media member and FOX broadcaster Tim Brando.
On Friday, Finebaum was asked about Brando’s comments in reference to an interview with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey at the league meetings. According to Brando, Finebaum “couldn’t ask the direct questions either for fear his Bat-phone was going to ring” during an on-air interview with Sankey during the spring meetings.
“I couldn’t get over the frothing at the mouth that was going on on Finebaum’s show, because Paul couldn’t ask the direct questions either for fear his Bat-phone was going to ring,” said Brando during an appearance on Crain & Company. “So he’s asking all these guys from websites to tell him what he already knew. And that is the SEC presidents had their hand out wanting more money from ESPN. Why should ESPN pay them more money? They have a $300 million deal… Are you kidding me? Here’s what happened and no one wants to say this: He made that television deal too early.”
While Finebaum admitted Friday that Brando is certainly welcome to form his own opinion, Finebaum also felt the long-time broadcaster opts to take cheap shots on social media:
“I don’t want to create another headline by going off on Tim,” Finebaum said to AL.com’s Mark Heim on Friday’s “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5. “Tim’s had a great career. He’s welcome to his opinion. He chooses to take cheap shots on Twitter. I try to contain what I have to say within the confines of a 4-hour program every day.”
Finebaum did clarify he doesn’t have any particular issue with Brando’s comments or criticism of Sankey. The one issue Finebaum does have with Brando is a feeling that the broadcaster does not handle criticism well on social media.
“My only beef with Tim Brando is this — and I know I’m walking down a dangerous road here. I have no concern what he says about me, I don’t really care what he says about Commissioner Sankey,” said Finebaum. “The thing, I think, that exposes him more than any other aspect of his being is the fact that he can’t handle criticism… If you criticize him on social media he’ll block you, and I don’t believe any public person should do that.”
At the end of the day, Finebaum said he’ll “stand on his reputation and my career. Somebody like that wants to sit at home and punch his phone and make allegations like that? He’s welcome to that.”
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
