"Paul Dumbaum": Fans trash SEC analyst for calling out Stephen A. Smith over his Deion Sanders comments
Deion Sanders and controversy are two sides of the same coin. The Colorado Buffaloes coach has once again landed himself in a media trial over his “jealous” comment toward college football reporters in a recent press conference.
Taking up the issue on ESPN’s “First Take,” analyst Paul Finebaum called out fellow host Stephen A. Smith for defending the Colorado coach, arguing that "Coach Prime" had only targeted “some” media members. However, Finebaum wasn’t having any of it. He hit back at Smith, calling his defense weak.
"I am really shocked by you trying to split the baby here, Stephen A," Finebaum said. "You know better. Deion Sanders is completely wrong here. … Stephen A, when you go to your alma mater on Friday, you might want to take your degree back.
"I’ve always had great respect for you as a journalist, and I still do, but you’re going through some unbelievable lengths breaking your back trying to make a case for Deion Sanders."
However, college football fans didn't take Finebaum's comment lightly and thrashed the SEC analyst left, right and center in the comments section. One fan wrote:
"Paul Dumbaum"
"Paul Finebaum is honestly a joke—some of the things he says as a sports analyst are straight-up comical," tweeted one user.
"Paul is a joke," wrote another fan.
One fan said: "Paul Finebaum might want to spare all of us and return to not being on air."
"I’m curious , who made Finebaum a college football guru ?" commented one fan.
"@finebaum it’s time for you to go……." said another.
Paul Finebaum calls Deion Sanders "spineless"
It was only natural that Paul Finebaum took matters into his own hands and called out the 57-year-old Colorado coach. Finebaum once again ripped into Coach Prime in his appearance on “First Take” on Wednesday.
He labeled him "spineless" for his attack on the media, which, according to him, were criticizing college football players out of jealousy over their NIL deals. Finebaum, never one to shy away from the debate and express his opinion, blasted Sanders yet again.
“Deion, right there, was purely gaslighting," Finebaum said. "He knows that's not true. The people that cover college football have been arguing vociferously for years to get more autonomy for players. So they can make more money. ...
“And to use the word, 'slander'? That is so far beyond the pale because the majority of the media lifts these players up. I think it's desperation, and it's entirely spineless of him to attack the media who has not even attacked his players.”
It’ll be interesting to see whether this feud between Paul Finebaum and Deion Sanders continues to escalate or not, but it's clear that the veteran analyst isn’t buying into Coach Prime's narratives.