Few in sports media have achieved the arc of a career that ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has enjoyed. What began with award-winning work as a columnist and investigative reporter evolved into a career that, nearly 50 years later, continues to define him as “The Voice of the SEC.” Over that time, Finebaum has earned accolades in print, radio, and television. Because of his sustained success throughout his career, Barrett Media will recognize his impact later today at the Barrett Media Audio Summit when he becomes the fifth recipient of the Sports Media Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I was pretty overwhelmed and shocked when I heard I would be receiving this award,” said Finebaum, reflecting on when he learned the news. “You just don’t think about stuff like this. I was really touched by Jason [Barrett]’s appreciation of someone who has mostly been in a small market for the majority of my career.”
For more than 30 years, Finebaum has hosted The Paul Finebaum Show. From its humble beginnings on WAPI, the program’s popularity grew so much that it helped launch the Paul Finebaum Radio Network in 2001. In 2004, Sports Illustrated named the show one of the top 12 sports radio programs in the United States.
However, for Finebaum, radio and television were never the career destination he envisioned.
“This was not what I started out doing. I was a newspaper writer, that’s all I ever wanted to do. All I wanted to do was be a writer and a sports columnist. I never once thought at some point I’ll do a talk show,” explained Finebaum. “I, somehow, have been able to survive and adapt. My career is full of different chapters. Every one of those chapters, I never really knew if I’d make it out of it.”
Unexpected Success At ESPN
Finebaum’s success eventually led him to ESPN when he signed with the network in 2013. He instantly became the featured attraction for the launch of the SEC Network a year later. His profile and radio program continued to grow during his time with ESPN. He is the longest-serving talent on the flagship Saturday morning program SEC Nation, all while continuing to serve his devoted radio audience.
Finebaum is a believer in the power of radio. He believes the uniqueness of the medium is something no television show can match, even as the industry continues to evolve and change with each passing day.
“It’s amazing to me how many people tell me they listen to me. It’s not that they watch me. That’s really special,” says Finebaum. “Radio is always a personal one-on-one relationship with someone. Television is completely different. I’m convinced most people that watch me on television have never heard me speak. Whereas with radio, you need to listen to me speak.”
When Finebaum arrived at ESPN in 2013, he admitted there were lingering doubts about how he would fit in. A brash, bold, and direct voice who had dominated attention throughout the south was now joining a national network with its own expectations and identity. Finebaum admits producers were skeptical that executives would give his radio program a chance with television viewers.
However, Finebaum believed in the people who gave him the opportunity in the first place and in the loyal audience with whom he had built a rapport over many years in Alabama.
“There was a great concern that the show wouldn’t make it [at ESPN]. The reason why there was concern was I didn’t understand television,” noted Finebaum. “But Scott Van Pelt pulled me aside one day and told me, ‘Don’t let them change you.’ He was a radio guy at the time. A lot of people told me to do my thing, and don’t worry about the cameras. Then after about a week, they [management] were telling me the complete opposite of what I had been told at first.”
Believing In The Audience
Over time, things fell into place for Finebaum. Despite concerns from some ESPN executives, his focus remained on serving the audience that had made the program successful. He admits the show he hosts today is not exactly the same as it once was, but it remains remarkably close to the product that first earned his audience’s loyalty.
“It’s still a close facsimile of what it used to be. That’s always been the tug of war. Fortunately, the bosses at ESPN have mostly stayed out of my way. They’ve let us do our thing,” said Finebaum. “At this point, whether they thought it would work or not. They’ve allowed it to work, and have been supportive of it.”
Finebaum considers himself “counter-industry” by nature. He has been critical of those he labels as “suits,” but he also admits he has received plenty of support from many of those same executives. When he entered sports radio, it wasn’t about driving revenue or understanding the business side of the industry.
He is also self-aware enough to know he doesn’t fit many of the stereotypes associated with sports radio. He never yells or screams at callers. Instead, Finebaum’s approach centers on the message and how it is communicated. He welcomes the audience and gives callers the opportunity to participate and become part of the show as often as they like.
“I care about the audience. Some people say I have a bunch of crazy people that call my show. They don’t represent the masses. Well, I don’t know about that. All I know is for as long as we’ve done the show, the people I run into are interested in those people because they are represented,” explains Finebaum. “In some ways what we’ve done, we represent fans.”
A Political Decision
Over the past year, Finebaum found himself questioning that same representation, but in a different context. In August of last year, Finebaum was approached about an opportunity to serve the people of Alabama as a United States senator. With Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former college football head coach, deciding to run for governor, the seat would become vacant.
Over the next three months, Finebaum weighed his options: continue his award-winning work with ESPN and The Paul Finebaum Show or leave it behind to pursue a career in politics.
“That was a tug of war. I’ve lived a long time, but it was the biggest challenge I’ve ever had professionally. I didn’t go looking for it, it came to me,” said Finebaum. “They told me they thought I could win. Then they told me not only do they think I could win, they know I could win. It’s tempting when someone tells you they have the money and the support to put behind you to be a United States Senator. It’s very tempting.”
However, the timing was difficult. As the college football season unfolded, Finebaum balanced the weekly grind of sports media with exploring a possible political future. During that process, he said many fans encouraged him not to run. He sought advice from his wife, who shared her thoughts about the risks that accompany a campaign for public office.
Ultimately, something else became the deciding factor.
“Ultimately, the reason I couldn’t do it is because that’s not me. I can’t get up there and mimic a talking point that I don’t believe and I believe to be patiently false. That’s exactly what you have to do. I spent enough time around the political advisors telling me what I have to say. What I can’t say and how many times I have to say this and that. Win or lose, and I do believe we would have won. I would have sold my soul and given up something I worked hard to ascertain for what,” explained Finebaum about the decision to not run for the Senate.
Because of everything he experienced during that three-month process, Finebaum has closed the door on a future political career.
“There was a time in this country when it really would have been enjoyable. You could be collegial and work with others across the aisle. But today, the stuff that is said every single day is insane. That’s not right or left, it’s both,” notes Finebaum. “After you go through this, you realize how bad it is. I still feel I could add something to society, but it won’t be as an elected official.”
An Honor Well Deserved
Now 70 years old, Finebaum remains at the top of his profession. With another college football season approaching, he looks forward to reflecting on his achievements as he accepts the award later today. He admits that weighing a potential career in politics has also helped him think about retirement. While he feels as energized as ever by the work he continues to produce, Finebaum is also realistic about the challenges that come with age.
For someone who has spent decades asking questions, challenging conventional wisdom, and giving college football fans a place to be heard, the Sports Media Lifetime Achievement Award represents more than a celebration of longevity. It recognizes a career built on authenticity.
Finebaum never set out to become one of the most recognizable voices in sports media. He wanted to write. Radio happened almost by accident. Television followed. Along the way, he transformed a regional call-in show into a national institution without abandoning the qualities that made it successful in the first place.
Politics would have required him to become someone else. Sports media never has.
As another college football season approaches, the voice that has become synonymous with the SEC isn’t ready to leave the conversation. And for the countless fans who have spent decades listening on their radios, watching on television, or waiting to hear his next opinion, that may be the greatest reward of all.
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