ESPN college football analyst and radio host Paul Finebaum is synonymous with his callers. None more so than an Alabama superfan known as “Legend.”
In a new episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast heading into the College Football Playoff, Finebaum appeared to discuss his connection to those callers and the impact of his radio show on the college football landscape.
Legend also appeared on the episode to tell the story of his imprisonment early in life, his advocacy today against gun violence, and his experience as a dedicated caller on The Paul Finebaum Show.
“He’s the personification of what our show is all about,” Finebaum said. “A guy that probably should be dead, but now he’s a famous Finebaum caller.”
Legend killed his cousin as a young man and spent 15 years in prison, at one point nearly being sentenced to the death penalty.
Beyond Legend’s unique background and fabled Alabama takes, Finebaum believes it is important for the real-life Southerners he draws as his audience to be heard.
“Those folks have always needed representation,” Finebaum said. “I think you can bring a political scientist in here, and this is really where the country is. And I think we have heard in elections that they’re not being paid attention to, and I really believe that we give them a voice. And it may make the athletic directors, and the chancellors and the bowtied crowd in the Ivory towers uncomfortable, but I really don’t care.”
In the aftermath of a U.S. election in which every state skewed further right than 2020 and Donald Trump again won the presidency, many have wondered what they are missing about American culture. Most notably, the Democratic party is asking those questions after taking a big L.
Yet Finebaum has spoken to these types of Americans every day for years, treating them with dignity and having fun with them about sports.
Speaking on the podcast, Finebaum recalled fellow ESPN analyst Tony Kornheiser questioning why he was insistent on engaging with common folk. Plenty of radio shows these days don’t even take callers, and Finebaum has even less of a filter on who he allows on than most.
But Finebaum couldn’t see it any other way. Bringing these people to the fore is what he is most proud of in his career.
“That will be my legacy,” Finebaum said. “It won’t be yelling at Stephen A. Smith or (Mike) Greenberg or anything else, it will be that.”
Finebaum callers are legendary among sports fans, but rarely do we hear Finebaum speak about his fans. In the case of Legend, the relationship goes deep and represents something in which Finebaum believes deeply about the country and who it values.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.