Paul Finebaum believes NCAA's recent incompetence will lead to an end of organization's power, calls Mark Emmert 'arrogant, egomaniacal leader'
The sports world as we know it has been changed irrevocably over the last few days with cancelations and postponements across the sports landscape but one thing hasn’t changed — Paul Finebaum is still ready and willing to call out those that he believes have done a very poor job.
During his latest Monday morning appearance on Birmingham-based 94.5 FM WJOX radio program “The RoundTable,” Finebaum was asked to respond to the fact that SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey revealed on Thursday — during an appearance on the “Paul Finebaum Show” — that he found out that the NCAA had canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament and all winter and spring sports from a reporter.
The key issue there being that Sankey and the rest of the Power 5 commissioners were not informed of the decision before it was made public.
“I know this is the wrong time to make absolute statements but I’m going to make one anyway — that moment was the end of the NCAA as we know it. It may have power in existence for some times but that was an existential moment in the history of the NCAA where knowing the commissioners like we do, they are going to band together at some point, when the storm clears, and are going to say, ‘You know what, we’re not going to take that anymore.'”
While that may seem like a bold take, it’s not hard to believe that the Power 5 leagues will take action in the weeks and months to come in order to take power from the NCAA or simply break from the organization.
Finebaum went a step further in his comments, blasting NCAA president Mark Emmert for his handling of last week’s news.
“For Mark Emmert, not to have more consultation with the people that feed the system was inexcusable. And what was interesting is we all praised him on Wednesday afternoon, ‘What a great decision to go ahead and announce that there would be no fans (for the 2020 NCAA Tournament)’ and in the moment it did look good, but once again – no consultation with anyone.
“There’s Greg (Sankey) in Nashville and Kevin Warren in Indianapolis and (John) Swofford over in Greensboro who had no earthly idea what was going on. I mean, their games were beginning as this announcement was coming down and then you know that the real-time scene of the players on the court in Greensboro, and then the fact that the Big East Commissioner we just made the look like an absolute idiot. When she was having a game going on.
“That’s not the way this organization is supposed to run. And by the way, there’s no reason to do it that way other than Mark Emmert is just an arrogant, egomaniacal leader who needs to be replaced immediately for the way he handled that last week. Let’s quit praising him for making the right call. I mean, that well it wasn’t a difficult call. I mean, listen, if you live in real-time, which we all do, it looks fantastic. But when you bring the camera back, there was nothing left in America by Thursday afternoon.
“So, let’s not give him too much credit, or give anyone too much credit, this was this a domino effect, which we all know was caused by the NBA (suspending its season).”
Last week was a difficult time for many sports fans, but if Finebaum is right, some good may come of it in the future if it leads to an end of the incompetent and poorly run NCAA holding control over the college sports landscape.
Just curious Mr. Bratton, when you say “incompetent” and “poorly run”, can you give examples?
I would think inconsistent school punishments and the transfer portal waiver granting process would be two easy examples.
Those would certainly be on my list. Although, honestly, we never know what is happening behind the scenes.
Finebaum calling anyone arrogant and egomaniacal is the pot calling the kettle black.
I do not usually agree with Paul Finebaum…but in this case I must agree. It seems to me that the NCAA makes few decisions now, unless it makes them more Money. Making More More Money $$$ is their main function. Let’s face it…They totally control our Beloved College Football(game times, conference Championships, etc.) and if a school really deserves some big-time penalties…they rarely penalize them…instead for some minute rules-infraction. That’s what I’ve observed in the past few years.
Not that I’m a fan of the NCAA, but I think this is a case of hindsight. Conference commissioners were operating with the exact same amount of information as the NCAA. It’s a crisis with no precedent. Anyone who, at the conclusion of Wednesday night still thought there was any possibility of there being an NCAA tourney would have had to have been blind.
It’s an issue of courtesy. There’s no reason Emmert couldn’t have informed the commissioners before telling the press. They have a right to know first. At most it would have delayed his press conference by a day.
They control a lot, but not Conference games, tv times, Conference Championship and such.
^
You might want to ask the Head coaches of SEC Football Programs about a game in early September being scheduled at 3:00 p.m. in some major H-E-A-T…so yes the TV Games are determined by the Networks…not all games, but the TV Games=yes.
But you said the NCAA controls it. They don’t. CBS and ESPN have TV contracts with the SEC, not the NCAA.
Yet this decision cost the NCAA the event that earns them about 80% of their revenue without knowing how much, if any, they’ll recoup. The NCAA’s other problems don’t make this a bad decision.
It’s not so much make more money, but the NCAA’s #1 objective has always been to make sure NONE of the money gets to the student/athletes who actually generate it. And yes, over time it has become “How can our blue bloods make us more money?” no doubt they’ve always had a completely different type of relationship, or “partnership” is probably more accurate.
You need to step away from the nonsensical media for a bit and realize how stupidly wrong you are.
Athletes on full ride scholarships get ENORMOUS compensation from everything from tuition, tutors, books and resources for actual academics to free room and board. That’s already worth many tens or even hundreds of thousands in some cases but WAIT, that’s just the beginning.
These same athletes get much more, they get the best coaching that money can buy, unless you believe the many many millions spent annually on coaching staffs is wasted and the local street musician could do the same job. All that direction and then top that off with the best medical treatment money can buy, ANYWHERE ON EARTH.
Maybe you need to remember the story of Henry Josey whose knee was practically destroyed but got the best medical care possible and was brought back to game readyness.
These kids get hundreds and hundreds of thousands of value thrown at them for playing a game while going to school, and you want to join the crowd of moronic harpy’s crying they are getting nothing or should get more.
IDIOT.
Yeah at the very least they should have their injuries taken care of, after all they’re playing for FREE (and generating millions in revenue) But medical attention is not and shouldn’t be a form of payment. A kid can get free room and board for playing the freakin’ flute fkstick. Kiss it.
You sound like the person who lambastes everyone for trying to get a leg up, but when the opportunity for federal funds come along i’d expect you to be the first in line with hat in hand, every time a tornado blows a shed or a few roofing shingles down in your community….the argument you just used are the same typical arguments y’all make every time…until you need help, then you’ll take more than what’s offered….typical!!!
Junebaby01 you would be 100% wrong. Keep spewing your nonsense though if it makes you feel better.
“But medical attention is not and shouldn’t be a form of payment.”
You’re probably one of those “health care is a right” idiots too, but it’s not just medicine, treatment, doctors, all the perks of a full blown medical staff and equipment, it’s trainers, training facility, workout facilities and on and on, they are getting the best of everything. Only retards are too blinded with the media bs that “kids are getting cheated” to understand the obvious truth.
Again, that’s not payment nor should it substitute as such. It’s a benefit yes, and a benefit which at minimum they certainly deserve. Paid healthcare is also a benefit the PAID coaches get, so why are they paying the coaches then? The 2nd chair flute player gets free room and board, how much revenue does the band generate? Easy question, answer it.
Do you understand that a “benefit” is worth money? Clearly you don’t. You don’t seem to have a clue what “amateur athlete” means either. How many games could these kids put on without coaches and stadium crews and the parking and admins that plan it all? NONE, they would do nothing at all.
If athletes are employees, then they should be required to include the value of their education, room and board and other benefits as taxable income (which I note may be difficult because this is phantom income). If they aren’t willing to do this, shut the hell up. You don’t get to have your cake and eat it too.
Nobody holds a gun to these kids’ heads. If they want to get paid, then do what Lavar Ball and his two little brats did and go to Europe and get paid. But if you think there’s benefit to playing in the NCAA tournament, taking advantage of the NCAA’s brands and infrastructure then sit down and shut up.
@Tigurr How many coaches, stadiums and games would there even be without the student-athlete playing them? How many billions would the NCAA be generating if not for the student-athletes generating it for them? None, dumbfk.
And a benefits are not payment, otherwise they would just call them payments or earnings, but they don’t.
Booches94 while you are proving to be too stupid to waste time on, others might learn from the tragedy that is your posting. College athletics not being pro athletics is exactly why many many fans follow college sports and not pro sports. To be clear many college athletes bring next to nothing in financial gain and cost more than they bring in, should they be penalized and ended because they are unprofitable?
Yet the massive gain in benefit THAT DOES translate to real dollars, even if you are too stupid to understand it, goes directly to these athletes as well as those who are part of the money earning sports.
You’re right…but their senseless argument will go much further.
No matter how much the players would be paid, it will never supposedly “be enough.”
It will take only about two minutes for the demands to be made about women’s basketball players deserving just as much as Bama’s football players — anyone not agreeing with that will be charged with discriminatory sexism. It will eventually wind-up in the Supreme Court. Seriously.
It will go on and on and on…one can of worms being opened after another. And through it all, the whiners and complainers will never be satisfied — they will continue to do what they do best: whine and complain.
The eventual outcome will be that college sports will be ruined. And that will be blamed on the wealthy that will be charged with “only caring about money.”
Guaranteed.
Why do people listen to Finebaum’s disinformation and why do others spread it?
From what I’ve read, the NCAA canceled the championships…they did not cancel the sports; the conferences/universities canceled those. And all things considered, it was a rare instance of leadership rising to the occasion. If we want to criticize an “arrogant and egomaniacal leader,” there are real concerns elsewhere.
Pretty sure Finebaum is just upset that he’s going to lose money so he’s still trying to get views with stupidity. He really said this:
“Let’s quit praising him for making the right call.” He admits he’s complaining about someone doing the right thing, probably because it makes him look bad by comparison.
“But when you bring the camera back, there was nothing left in America by Thursday afternoon.” This feeling is what really has him in a tizzy.
I’m not trying to say anything about the Bama program or to generalize about Bama fans, but you get the feeling that Bama fanboy Finebaum has made the NCAA his boogie man for fear that they are going to penalize his favorite program and because he doesn’t want anyone getting in the way of getting the best players money can buy.
Hey gohogs.. I’m not trying to generalize about Arkansas fans or their program.. I’m just saying the Arkansas football team somewhat sucks !!
Of course you’re not generalizing because you can’t generalize facts.
I take it you are unaware that Emmert and Saban are old friends. For Emmert to even investigate Bama, someone would have to come up with undeniable evidence of Bama cheating, then plaster it all over the media.
But Finebaum is pretty steadfastly in the paying athletes camp. Which is usually where he’s going with his argument about the big bad NCAA making all this money at the expense of kids, blah blah blah. Too bad nobody mentioned to him that he, too, is making a fortune off these kids, being a jackass with a microphone.
Pawwwwl is annoying as all get out (or his callers to be more precise but he does screen for the idiots). But he is spot on with this take. The NCAA is terrible and has been for years and years.
I’d love to see the P5 schools dump the NCAA
But what, if anything, does that have to do with the NCAA’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and the decision to cancel tournaments? This is just Finebaum trying to find something to dredge up against his boogie man, regardless of logical relationship.
He made an announcement without even running it by his member schools. There’s no way any school should’ve found out about the cancellations via media reports. That’s total BS.
So he was supposed to consult with about 350 schools instead of taking responsibility (his role as an appointed leader) in a pandemic? All while players, staffs, schools, conferences, venues, fans, workers, businesses – in short, probably hundreds of thousands of people were, every moment, taking actions and making plans that were driven by the expectation of the NCAA tournament and yet might risk their health or the health of others? Actions and plans that could be changed or eliminated to the potential benefit of many people’s health if only they knew that the tournament was off and where every moment counts? At least several conferences were in the midst of their tournaments, a major purpose of which is to award an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament; cancelling that tournament helped ensure that conferences prioritized health over games, and emboldened them to make hard choices for public health. As some games (and all the players, fans, workers, businesses, etc.) were mere hours away, time was of the essence. It was a good decision then, and it looks even better now.
Has he always shown great leadership? No. Has the NCAA always been great? Absolutely not. But in this instance it was much better than some we’ve seen recently.
The conferences made the decisions to cancel their tournaments on their own. It seems to me that the decision to cancel spring sports was a response to that as well as other subsequent events occurring after the original announcement the day before that the tournament would go on without fans. That explanation seems pretty reasonable to me given the way this thing is progressing. For example, yesterday we received a message from the local school district that schools were closed until April 5. Yet, 24 hours later, we have another message that schools across the state are cancelled for the remainder of the academic year.
I stopped reading after the words “Paul Finebaum believes…”.
Fight the good fight Paul! Most like you will (and are) finally catching up but the NCAA has been complete garbage for quite a while. You knew it was only a matter of time before they ticked off enough of their member schools to say “well now they pissed me off so it’s time to kick ’em to the curb” Tick, tock, tick, tock. They’re time truly is running out and the most appropriate, applicable thing we will all say is good riddance.
The NCAA is a joke. But PF is an even bigger one.
Like him or not, Paul Finebaum is recognized nationally as the titular head of the SEC.
Yeah, they’ve got it backwards; they confused the butt for the head and the anus for the mouth.
Interesting how fans right here in this blog sum it up fast in just a few words:
1. has Mark E. always has been sneaking around making deals instead of standing for the principles of the NCAA? Does anybody else think that when the California legislature passed the selling image anti-amateurism law, the NCAA with Mark E. as a spokesperson only, should have informed all the presidents of California colleges that they are no longer eligible to have NCAA records, play NCAA opponents, receive NCAA media cash for televising and billing their contests as NCAA collegiate contests, etc. ?
2. Does Mark E. and the people that put him in that job think fans are not going to question if the nature of college athletics is real competition?, when the FBI is investigating college sports because colleges are the property of governments and governments have legal responsibilities to their citizens. At this point does it look like the NCAA will take action against shoe manufacturing. Are they or are they not eliminating fair competition in the NCAA second biggest event? I want to know. Are we seeing corruption on the most grand scale we have ever seen in college sports here, or not?
3. Same thing if they are allowing some programs to use PEDs and other’s not. If that’s being bought how much is that costing I wonder? Are we, or are we not, seeing these coaches and players winking at each other taking selfies of their fake training results?
4. And do you think it was embarrassing?, did the NCAA burn innocent college players at the stake? after all the real cheaters have been dismissed from the college. Isn’t throwing cheater’s out of NCAA institutions what members should be after? Shouldn’t the NCAA come in and say “Yes your faculty didn’t watch the tests sites well enough but man-o-man you sure hit a home run with fixing the problem and now the NCAA expects every other NCAA institution to find and punish academic cheating like this even faster… therefore we are simply making Missouri forfeit the games the cheaters played in, NOT PUNISHING THE INNOCENT STUDENT ATHLETES WHO DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. Is that what happened or not? Is this the work of Mark E. or handlers from power five money bag men?, or what”, I mean these are real questions we should all demand real detailed answers about. Because even is just some of this is kinda true?, why should we buy tickets to watch a season that’s 90-100% fixed?
Just watch the replay of the 2014 game between Alabama and Ms State in Tuskaloosa……just saying that wasn’t even cheating, it was GRAND THEFT LARCENY!
Georgia at Missouri in 2018 also, but I will watch that game, thanks.
What the NCAA did is taking place all over the world in all walks of life. Time to handle things in a proper manner passed a few weeks ago. Finebaum is such a sorry tool.
This is like calling a home run or strikeout and saying you have some insight nobody else can access thus you are a genius. Yes Finebaum loves to call the obvious and portray himself a sage, so what, he isn’t wrong.
The NCAA has been a fat, out of control bull for so long we have all grown used to it.
Emmert has millions or maybe billions of dollars to install an effective way to communicate with a few dozen conference leaders, but with months to prepare for the day he had nothing in place. This is just another mark of failure for an organization and leader with no accountability to anyone.
The world is coming to an end – I actually agree with Finebaum. The NCAA and especially Mark Emmert is worthless and useless.
To Douche94. You forget several important facts. Every athlete has a choice to barter their talent for a totally free or reduced cost education. It’s just like you decide where you work to improve your life. I am going to assume the company that you work for makes more $ than you as does your superior. Oh, the flute player doesn’t get a free ride. Most band member share scholarships. But they do get the same Pell Grants help cover cost. The full rides get the same grants along with monthly stipends. So a no cost education along with roughly $7,00 per year of spending cash is pretty good. You should educate yourself on the subject before giving an uniformed opinion.
Band members get part or all of uniforms and instruments subsidized, at least at UGA. Also they get a stipend for travel to away games along with the free transit. Booches seems like your bernie bro neighbor stupidly arguing for communism while claiming there is no value in access to billion dollar facilities. There’s little chance in fixing this level of “stupid”.