(Full disclosure: I am a lifelong listener of The Paul Finebaum Show. I am a graduate of Auburn University and the University of Alabama. I love college football, NASCAR and professional wrestling. I hate the circus and clowns. But I guess, in a way, I love them too.)
“Got a machinehead, better than the rest.”
That is the opening line to the chorus of Bush’s 1994 hit song “Machinehead,” which has coincidentally been the opening song to The Paul Finebaum Show for more than a decade.
The lyrics couldn’t be more appropriate.
Finebaum is the machine and the head that moves sports talk radio in the state of Alabama, and now the Southeast and the rest of the nation.
As part of an Auburn journalism sports media class, I put in a request for our class to sit in on The Finebaum Show, which has grown from a dominant show in Birmingham to a nationally-syndicated network based from WJOX 94.5 FM and broadcast on Sirius/XM 91.
The request for June 1, 2012, was graciously accepted.
While the only significance of Friday, June 1, 2012, seemed to be the three-month mark until the start of the real Finebaum circus — the start of college football in Alabama — Friday turned out to be what could be one of the most historic days in the history of the show.
Finebaum’s ongoing legal battle with Citadel Broadcasting has become public in recent months and weeks, and it was ever present this week as Finebaum missed Wednesday’s show, which is now under Cumulus direction, due to legal obligations and a Birmingham News story surfaced Friday evening in which a Cox Media executive stated Finebaum was ready to make a move to the station’s Birmingham 97.3 FM affiliate. Finebaum’s attorney said the statement was premature.
Although Finebaum joked with callers at the notion that Friday could be his last day with JOX and begrudged several times that Friday’s show was moving slow and not the best, he did what he does best: had a conversation with you.
Contrary to his opinion, he seemed at his best. Candid, open and willing to discuss anything.
Maybe it was because Paul had an audience of myself and 10 journalism students, but he put on a show like I’ve never heard, or seen, before.
Friday’s show was noticeably missing famed callers such as Jim from Crestwood, Jim from Tuscaloosa, Phyllis from Mulga, Tammy, Rod the Mailman, Chris from Gulf Shores, Milo, Elmo and DJ KDub, but it didn’t matter.
The return of Tim Brando after a nine-month absence more than delivered with a guest appearance from former Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill mixed in, and callers I-Man, Jeff from Chicago, Burton and Rick from Slidell brought the best out of Finebaum.
And he enjoyed every minute of it.
Yeah, maybe he was texting and emailing intermittently during the show, but his mind never wandered from the duty at hand. Besides, with pending litigation, everything he was doing was to ensure, as the old adage goes, “The show must go on.”
From a young political science major at the University of Tennessee who burst onto the Knoxville news scene to the famed talk show host who is known as one of the most influential people in the SEC, Finebaum has seen and done about all there is to do in the world of southern sports. The wisdom he imparted Friday on the AU JRNL 4970 Sports Media class is something I hope they will never forget.
His tales of Paul “Bear” Bryant, Pat Dye, Pat Summitt, Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Gene Chizik and more were as large as the figures at hand, but it was the stories about the lessons he has learned along the way that I hope sticks with the students the most.
While the callers relished in the time on air, the class relished in the time Finebaum spoke candidly in-between commercial breaks about the back-stories of the show and his career.
Covering everything from the most famous callers to the most recent nationally-publicized Toomer’s trees poisoning incident, Finebaum let us in on the story behind the story of the most important events and people in the show’s history.
From Harvey Updyke to the his “brother-in-law” Shane from Center Point, Paul was candid and did not hold back when discussing the “stars of the show.”
But that’s what’s always made The Finebaum Show famous.
The callers ARE the stars.
Finebaum is just the ringmaster, and sometimes the lion tamer.
His days as the machinehead began in print in Shreveport, La., and surfaced in Alabama in The Birmingham Post-Herald in the early ‘80s.
His views on AU-UA sports (most importantly football) have gotten him numerous death threats, physical assaults and verbal abuse along the way, but he has turned that criticism into a public forum for decades.
And that forum, even when not at its “best” Friday, was still at its “best.”
Who knows where the machinehead will end up next, or how this legal saga will end up, but one thing is for sure: Paul is going to be there on the airwaves to entertain the masses for years to come.
Whether Friday was just another day on the Finebaum calendar or the day he made a historic move in his career, it will always be a historic day for 10 students and one instructor/listener.
After four hours, as the show was drawing to a close, Finebaum let us know that he had an obligation on WBRC Fox 6 Sports for the 6 p.m. television broadcast. He would be leaving immediately as the radio show went off the air, but made sure the students had his email address in case they ever needed anything.
As the show closed, as it has every day for more than a decade, Semisonic’s 1998 hit song “Closing Time” played, with the opening lyrics being:
“Closing time,
Open all the doors and let you out into the world.
Closing time,
Turn on all the lights on every boy and every girl.
Closing time,
One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer.
Closing time,
You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”
What better advice could he have given to a group of future graduates?
Austin Phillips is an adjunct journalism instructor at Auburn University. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Quit listening a year ago, and my life is better for it. I only listened before when he had great speakers on. The “stars” are ridiculous and I don’t need that in my life. After Updyke, which the show just encouraged, that was enough for me. As soon as I hear the opening song, I turn it off. Wish I had another choice on Sirius to turn to….. just wait for Sports Call at 4.
Good read, but I cannot listen to Finebaum any longer as well. After all that has happened… seeing my sister’s face spit on by an old Bammer, having 3 cars in our family vandalized for thousands of dollars damage, being refused service in a store for wearing an AU shirt, Updyke, Bama Tea-boy, etc, etc… I cannot listen to ANY Bammer run his or her mouth about ANYTHING ever again. We use to be able to rib one another, although I have never liked that either and thought both sides should suffer and win in silence, however now fuses like mine are short and if you come up to me and start talking trash you are likely to get out “Cow Colllll..” and then get your front teeth popped out and a broken jaw. I have zero-tolerance for Bammer trash these days and hence if I tune in Finebaum, either the radio is going to be ripped from the dash, the steering wheel broken, or my head will explode from a Chernobyl-like meltdown.
Geez, I hope you didn’t sprain your lips while kissing that ambulatory cancer’s ass. “Journalism,” indeed…
I agree with the other commenters. I turned off Finebaum in 2006 after I heard him talking about whether or not one of our greatest former players had an affair with a preacher’s wife while in high school. Is that sports radio? I hardly see how. My life has been a lot better since.
And I agree with War Eagle Girl, about him encouraging Updyke, but I would go further. It is no coincidence Updyke called into Finebaum. Finebaum makes his living stirring the pot and this pot is not the one you find in the kitchen on the stove. It is the one you find in the bathroom bolted to the floor. Finebaum makes his living by bringing out the worst in people and the worst in our beloved sport. His show is not only negligent to its effects, it is reckless. I have no respect for someone like that, only disdain for their impact on society.
Seriously Auburn fans, do yourself a favor and wait till 4pm to tune into Sports Call. Sure, they lean toward the hometown team but they actually talk sports. Imagine that.
This article was not written in an effort to kiss Paul’s ass, as was mentioned by Buck Futt (who I seriously doubt is involved in journalism in any way other than cowardly comments on other peoples work). He doesn’t need his ass kissed; he gets that on a regular basis. If you actually read the article, you will see that this was all about a learning experience for the group of journalism students in the sports media class at Auburn. Sure, Paul is a pot-stirrer, but regardless of that fact he is one of the most influential and powerful people in SEC football and sports journalism as a whole. He knows his audience, something that is often times lost on talk show radio hosts. He knows what format works for his show, and the number of listeners show that he is doing something right. If you don’t like it then turn it off (as I have often found myself doing).
The fact is that Paul was an extremely gracious host and no, he is not a hardcore bammer as most suspect. He simply knows who pays the bills and keeps him employed. I am lucky enough to be in Austin’s sports media class and I can truly say that this was an experience that I will never forget. Before sitting in on the show, I had an extreme dislike for Mr. Finebaum and the way he operates. The fact is, however, that I and other students in the class learned an awful lot from this experience. I appreciate Paul letting us come and tag along for a day at his circus.
That’s a very nice response. But I think it is sad to use this man as an example of good journalism. He is not someone I would look up to. Glad to know that he is a southern gentleman, has manners and was as charming as he was supposed to be but that does not excuse what he does day in and day out. Just because someone is popular does not make him a good role model. Surely there are other people that you can learn from.
So when are we getting our “I Survived Finebaum” t-shirts?
Well war eagle girl, we here in Alabama have pretty limited resources from who we can learn from in the realm of sports media, and he IS a very influential member of the media. As for him being a journalist, I urge you to read some columns and articles he has written in the past. I think you will be surprised, as I was, to find that he is actually a pretty good journalist. You can find them in the SI.com archives and al.com archives. He is a lot different off-air than he is on-air. I felt the exact same way as you do until I sat in the studio and observed the show, so I absolutely know where you are coming from.
Two words that rhyme with “bob hob” and indicate what this article just did.
Finebaum is an entertainer, not a journalist. He’s not really a Bammer, either – just a fan of being very well paid.
You don’t see Gene Chizik taken the football team to Bama to learn from Nick Saban, Nor does forestry go Updyke for lessons on pesticides
Come on journalism…….
There is nothing about that man that I like. He plays to the lowest common denominator, even if it means tearing down the character of a coach (Trooper Taylor) or a player (Cam Newton) in the process. Frankly, I’m surprised to see him quoted in an article here, much less featured in one, given the way he chooses to tear down our university.
Good post MJ..I agree 100% …you saved me some typing.
Finebaum is pond scum. Taking journalism students to him to as an example of how to do things is like taking a group of 14 year old girls to a whore house and holding it up before them as a good career option. I quit listening to him years ago and my life is so much better for it. I liken it to having a cancer removed. Sure he makes good money. Does that justify holding him up as a good example? If so then heck why not set up a meeting with an organized crime figure next. I hear they make good money too.