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In many ways, Nick Saban’s retirement was the worst thing that could’ve happened to Paul Finebaum’s radio show.
For years, the Alabama head coach’s dynasty had given Finebaum endless opportunities for epic rants and even more wild retorts from fans calling in. Saban was the gasoline in Finebaum’s content engine, and while Alabama’s search for Saban’s replacement may have been good fodder in the interim, that only lasted a few weeks,
So what’s Finebaum’s SEC-focused show supposed to talk about instead? Newcomers Texas or Oklahoma? Brian Kelly? Vanderbilt?
Let’s be real, nothing comes close to the material Saban provided for him. Which is why the radio host took a quick moment to lament his long and painful offseason without Saban running things in Tuscaloosa.
“This has been the worst six months of my life without Nick Saban,” Finebaum said on ESPN, where he and Saban are now colleagues.
Saban, however, had the perfect response ready to go.
.@finebaum: "This has been the worst six months of my life without Nick Saban."
Nick Saban: "He tried to ruin mine for 17 years, so I guess we're even." 😂😭 pic.twitter.com/2hw06iVUrS
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 15, 2024
Uh oh, folks. Nick Saban might be pretty good at this TV thing, too.
At least as long as he remembers to wear his media credentials.
Nick Saban on the difference of attending SEC Media Days as Alabama's head coach and as a member of the media: "It's a little different. I've never worn a credential in my life and was always for 17 years able to get into SEC Media Day without a credential. I had to go back to… pic.twitter.com/hvHwdfAsIU
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 15, 2024