Paul Finebaum will face former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jay Barker in a coaching battle at the Crimson Tide’s annual A-Day game. Kind of.

Alabama selected Finebaum and Barker to be media coaches for the Alabama football team’s spring scrimmage. But that doesn’t mean the columnist will have much involvement in the “game plan.” On the Paul Finebaum Radio Network’s Monday show, Cecil Hurt told Finebaum the experience was interesting, but Nick Saban was still in charge.

So don’t expect any exotic schemes or plays from the state’s most influential media member.

Of course, this surely means another butt chewing from Mrs. Chizik.

One of the most interesting things to emerge around the blogosphere is the pigeonholing of Finebaum as an Alabama supporter. This from SBNation: “For those unfamiliar with him, Finebaum is somewhat legendary among SEC fans for his devotion to all things Alabama and Nick Saban…”

Finebaum does have a devotion to Alabama’s Nick Saban, but Finebaum’s history has shown a willingness to criticize Alabama—often. And on his radio program, Finebaum has attacked Saban’s handling of off-the-field problems. Finebaum earned his position by attacking stupidity in both Tuscaloosa and Auburn. (And let’s be fair here, over the last 30 years there was much more stupidity in Tuscaloosa than anywhere else in this state except perhaps Montgomery.) Finebaum has praised Alabama because it has been heading in the right direction. How often have we been able to say that about Alabama?

2 thoughts on “Finebaum to coach Alabama’s A-Day”

  1. Well done.
    Finebaum never held back during the Shula era and why would he? He [and we] had plenty to gripe about during this time.

  2. they love him now because he says and writes flowery things about us.

    but never forget ray perkins, bill curry, wimp sanderson, mike dubose, franchione and, finally, mike shula.

    today he’s in our penthouse.

    tomorrow??

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