He’s back in town.
No, it’s not Lane Kiffin. It’s Paul Finebaum.
The “Oprah Winfrey of college football,” as he’s called in some circles, visited Knoxville this weekend as he and the SEC Nation crew set up camp at Neyland Stadium to dissect the Tennessee-Missouri matchup.
However, Finebaum made a special stop at Books-A-Million here in Knoxville on Friday night to autograph and promote his new book, “My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why the SEC Still Rules College Football.” The book covers all of the powerhouse teams in the SEC, along with the passionate fan bases — UT’s included. Finebaum also goes on to state his own unique opinion on many issues swimming in the sea of college football.
“I was actually asked to (write this book),” Finebaum said at his book signing. “There was an article written about me in The New Yorker magazine two years ago, and I got a call a few days later from a literary agent in New York … We put a proposal together with Gene Wojciechowski, who also went to UT, and twelve New York publishers bid on it … It’s the most unlikely publishing story ever.
“Last year, I did a narrative of my season on Gameday, and Gene was also on Gameday. We kept and compared notes every week, and, at the end of the year, we put it together.”
Finebaum attended the University of Tennessee in the 1970’s, and in 1978, he graduated with a liberal arts degree in Political Science. However, Finebaum says that the Daily Beacon helped get him where he is today.
“I didn’t come here with the intention of being a writer,” Finebaum said. “I found my way to the Daily Beacon by accident. The Daily Beacon gave me an opportunity, and that turned into a newspaper job, which turned into a radio job, which ultimately led me to ESPN.”
Finebaum’s visit back to UT brings back wave after wave of memories for the Accomplished Alumni Award winner. With his constant radio and television broadcasts, the “Voice of the SEC” doesn’t get to visit his old stomping ground much anymore. But, Finebaum will tell you firsthand that it’s always extraordinary.
“Everything about this weekend has been special,” Finebaum said. “I woke up this (Friday) morning, and I jogged before our meeting, and I started running from downtown. Next thing I know, I’m running around The Hill, and I’m thinking ‘Man, I don’t think I was in good enough shape to run around here when I was in college.'”
With the crowd of his supporters ever growing, listening and watching, denying and supporting the opinions of the “King of the South,” Finebaum made clear his feelings for his alma mater and the community.
“Without Tennessee, without the Communications department, without the Daily Beacon, there’s really no telling (where I’d be),” Finebaum said. “I owe everything to the Knoxville community and to the University of Tennessee.”
