On the fourth Monday since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down normal life in the United States, the mood on Paul Finebaum’s SEC Network show turned somber.
The first caller of the day, Pat, began by wishing the host health and safety while discussing grocery delivery and touting the role of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, in the possible resumption of sport. Next, Kathy in San Antonio wanted to talk about Archbishop Joseph Marino, a regular guest assigned to the Vatican last year. Noel wanted to know more about Finebaum’s wife, who practices internal medicine in the Charlotte area. Another caller, called “Buck Wild,” wanted to talk about Amazon deliveries and how long the coronavirus survives on cardboard.
Finebaum, 64, may have carved out a niche for himself on ESPN’s various platforms as the SEC’s biggest cheerleader, but he quickly realized that the normal spring fare, Nick Saban versus Dabo Swinney, or the LSU quarterback battle, was not going to reflect the moment we are in.
From the beginning, Finebaum told USA TODAY Sports that he wanted his show to follow and react to what was happening in the news and move away from fluffy sports topics like the NCAA Tournament simulation.
But now, inevitably, that conversation is evolving into something that makes a significant portion of Finebaum’s audience deeply and uniquely uncomfortable: Will college football be played this fall, on schedule, in the same format as we have always known.
WOLKEN:Cutting college coaches’ pay during the coronavirus crisis is the right decision
VIOLATION OF THE RULES? :Alabama’s use of Apple Watches to track football players sparks rules debate
“I think until this week it wasn’t Topic A,” said Finebaum, who now broadcasts from home in an audio-only format. “I think most people were still going through it, getting used to it and worrying more about what they couldn’t do or watch or participate in. But over the last couple of days, There’s been more of an awareness that this thing might not open in time and if it does, it might not look like we planned.
Neither will Finebaum’s show, at least for the foreseeable future. Although its appeal has long been rooted in conflict — Alabama versus Auburn when it started on Birmingham radio, then between regular callers who became almost like side characters, then finally between Finebaum and more national figures like Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh – this one suggests something. different.
Although Finebaum avoids talking politics, the argument over whether the football season is in peril tends to fall along ideological lines, with optimism versus pessimism serving as a substitute for Red state versus blue state. In many ways, this is similar to the conversation happening across the country about how serious the COVID-19 outbreak is and how long the country is going to be shut down.
This has never been more clear than last week when ESPN college football announcer Kirk Herbstreit drew criticism from some coaches for expressing skepticism about the possibility of a 2020 season. Then on Friday, the conversation took a different direction when Clemson coach Dabo Swinney (who incidentally has two of Clemson’s sons Herbstreit on his workforce), declared that he had “Zero Doubt” College Football Would Be Played on Time with full stadiums, comparing a possible American victory over the coronavirus to the Battle of Normandy and sending a man to the moon.
Swinney’s comments drew widespread criticism for being too cheery at a time of deep uncertainty about the future and also unhelpful given that South Carolina’s governor, at that point, still had not issued a statewide stay-at-home order. Many others, however, defended Swinney, wondering what was wrong with a little optimism at a time when people need it.
“If you listen to our program, it’s almost a reflection of what you get on cable news,” Finebaum said. “You have hope, perhaps false hope; and then the other side, which is not the end of the world, but it is the realistic approach and realistic questions. Will people feel comfortable being a part of it again? I think it’s a very honest debate, but I can usually listen to a caller and get a good idea of ​​where they’re getting their information.
“In all cases, I have tried to avoid strong opinions. I feel like my role right now is more of a moderator and host than a blogger, because there are enough opinions without mine.
Although Finebaum said his show serves as “comfort food” for many members of his audience, especially during this time of upheaval, it is likely to generate as much newsworthy content and commentary this offseason as it did in any time since its transfer to the SEC Network. when it launched in 2014.
This is partly due to the SEC’s place in the power structure and its influence in determining what college football will look like, but also because Finebaum plans to spend many hours gathering opinions from reporters Sport.
On Monday, for example, Finebaum interviewed Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick — not exactly an SEC Network regular — who said he was not in favor of a college football season played without fans in the stands , unless it is in a very limited window to start the season. season.
Although Finebaum said he’s not sure what his show will look like in six or seven weeks if there isn’t a resolution to the big questions surrounding the start of the season, it makes the challenge of easier programming in some ways. Fan interest may eventually return to traditional football topics, but as long as there is deep uncertainty about where the coronavirus will take us, his show’s content will likely be rich.
“I had no idea what Swarbrick was going to say and he gave a very honest answer and most people are pretty direct and honest because I don’t think there’s really any other choice at the moment than say you don’t know,'” Finebaum says. “Guys like Herbstreit, who gave an honest and guttural opinion, have been slaughtered, but I hope people continue to speak out because it is too important to hide behind false hope. I don’t want to be pessimistic, but for the audience that wants to say we’re going to come back better than ever, I hope they’re right.
