Ric Flair on The Rich Eisen Show - Addresses Experience with Finebaum
Interesting interview pre-Maryland Game. Particularly at the 2:50 mark when Flair comments on a snarky text received from Finebaum. It demonstrates the malice with which the media attacks Michigan. There is undoubtably a bias, denied by ESPN on GameDay, out there when media representatives are personally attacking Michigan by going out of their way to text notable fans and advocates of the program. These media members are propaganda and their existence is based upon their narrative being correct. I hope that Michigan wins...so bad. Just win baby.
On a sidenote, glad to have Rich Eisen on Michigan's side. There are not many in the media with his platform and sensibility. Unfortunately, the noise from the mob drowns him and others like him out.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
Pete's so butthurt.
Dreaming of an M win over OSU and Iowa and somehow keeping any SEC team out of the CFP.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
A guy can dream right? If Michigan, Washington, FSU were to win out that's guaranteed 3.
Say Auburn beats Alabama, and Alabama beats Georgia, and Texas wins out? How do you keep Texas out with a head to head win over Alabama?
Would love a rematch of 2005 with Texas in Pasadena 🤤
November 21st, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
Yep, need Texas to win out as well. Could get interesting if that scenario plays out and you have Texas, OSU, Bama and GA all with one loss but, agreed - not sure how you could keep TX out at that stage.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Only so long as Vince Young stays home.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
I believe FSU would get left out in your scenario especially now with Travis out.
I live in Florida and I can tell you that before JT got hurt they felt like if Bama beat UGA that both Bama & UGA along with B1G champ/Wash would get in before their undefeated Seminoles.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:13 PM ^
But if UW, UM and FSU all end up winning their conferences and are all undefeated AND Alabama beats UGA (I know those are all big if's but not improbable) then you are down to 1-loss teams of Texas, Alabama and Georgia and OSU. In this scenario Alabama HAS to be ahead of UGA because they won head to head and are conference champs..............and UT would logically have to be ahead of Bama because they won head to head. And OSU plays in some January bowl game. Lots of permutations and logic gates but if it comes down to that specific scenario I don't know how you slot Bama ahead of Texas or say an undefeated conference champ of UW/FSU/UM aren't in 3 of the 4 slots.
November 21st, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
I don't think FSU makes it, even if undefeated. The committee is tasked with putting the "best 4 teams in" and while resume is the leading consideration, losing your Heisman contending starting QB this late in the season makes it very difficult for the committee to determine if they are still one of the 4 best teams.
1 loss Texas, Bama, Georgia, and OSU (in your scenario) would all be ahead of FSU I think. Two of them get in (Texas and Bama probably?)
November 21st, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
It's the "1973 Dennis Franklin broke his collarbone in the 10-10 tie" vote all over again!
November 21st, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
WOOOOO!!!!!!
November 21st, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
It is fun to hear Ric Flair say it, but "Paul Finebaum has an outrageous SEC bias" is hardly breaking news. Because of the "scandal" and my recent work schedule, I've tuned into his SiriusXM show a few times (really for the first time) recently and it is truly hilarious. The combination of the serious, professional, even intellectual way he presents and discusses the CFB topics combined with the unavoidable pure SEC bias underlying every word he says is a masterclass in propaganda. He would have made an excellent cult leader.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
I don't think Finebaum has enough personality to be a cult leader. To paraphrase an old line the "The West Wing," Paul would be the guy who runs into 7-Eleven to fetch the cult leader a pack of cigarettes.
November 21st, 2023 at 8:31 PM ^
I keep saying he has a late-Weimar vibe about him. He's like the toady in Cabaret who rats out the hero to the SS.
And OF COURSE he has an SEC bias; he works for the people who televise the fuckers. No one should expect straight up commercial shills like him to unbiased just because they deign to style themselves as journalists. He's not one.
November 22nd, 2023 at 2:30 AM ^
He's more like one of a cult leader's 15 wives explaining, on air, how his husband is reincarnated Jesus and loves all mankind so much he should impregnate every woman on earth
November 21st, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
I'd assume (and still do) that Pete is effectively an act. Texting Ric Flair is just a part of it. You have to read the lines AND go through the motions to make it look legitimate, don't you know.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Sometimes things start out as an act, but a person repeats it so frequently they start to believe it's true.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
As George Constanza once said, "It's not a lie if you believe it".
It applies everywhere in life, even things on here that get repeated.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
And sometimes people are just pencil-necked, dumbo-eared, scrawny, sub-100 IQ douchebags.
November 21st, 2023 at 3:25 PM ^
Maybe it was an act at some point but I feel like people look at certain assholes and think "oh that's an act, no way he's like that" but at some point being this guy for decades and never breaking character means he's that guy now. I think the big thing with Pete is that he looks so boring and not-Southern homer that we all assume it's a gag when in reality he's just a shitty sports taker who happens to look like a turtle in search of his shell.
November 21st, 2023 at 4:14 PM ^
Leave Franklin out of this.
November 21st, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
Man o man...tiny Pete really thinks he is THAT guy. HAHAH gtfo you bum.
Dude thinks he can talk to sports legends like he is on their same level.... well dude, hate to tell you that every coach, pro athlete you speak/argue with, they are thinking one thing while they muddle through your dumb shit...its "why am I speaking to this jock sniffer"
He is a WAY crappier version of John Clayton (RIP). John was a mega football nerd who always admitted he never touched a ball in his life, and even made fun of himself with that sometimes, but always said what he though in terms of analysis...and thats what earned him respect. Plus he always kept it light and added humor
November 21st, 2023 at 8:23 PM ^
John Clayton was a good quality human being. Pete Finebaum is not.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
Feldman has been a major disappointment unless he has smoking gun solid info we do not know about. I enjoyed his views until this and if he wasn't piling on the narrative then I wouldn't feel this way but it seems a job security take.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:11 PM ^
MgoUser Blinkin makes an important point above: Pall Finebaum is an entertainer. He releases statements for the exclusive purpose of trolling Michigan, so that opposing fanbases can laugh. There is no factual basis to anything he says about Michigan.
The big difference with Finebaum is that I've never seen a media personality go after the FANS in the way he has. Just look at these Google results: just a one-second glance finds four different instances in which he's attacked the fans, calling us "sniveling" "obnoxious" "aimless" and an "angry mob." You'll note that calling us sniveling while also calling us an angry mob is self-contradictory: doesn't matter! Nothing he says matters. He's a troll and he's spamming the button that gets him attention.
This is why I think we need to give him less attention. He is literally doing 2nd grade bully tactics with Michigan fans and calling it journalism. Enough.
*subtly edited to correct Finebaum's first name
November 21st, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
I commend you for a very well articulated and researched counterpoint...however, that is unfortunately not how the battle is won. Controlling the narrative is important. The University was the target of a PR "hit job." We failed miserably at navigating through this and it has impacted the players, we lost our head coach, and public face. At work, at school, and anywhere outside of campus we are known as "cheaters." All I am saying is that eventually the media has to be held accountable, even if we fight back in the smallest of ways. Ignoring them is not the solution.
November 21st, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
I agree that the university itself shouldn't kowtow to the media onslaught, but as fans our voice is represented very strongly in the media already. The owner of Barstool, Desmond Howard, Rich Eisen, Taylor Lewan, this blog. Then of course the AD itself has a strong media voice. I can't think of another university with a stronger national media presence. I encourage all of them to speak up loudly against the BS. What I don't think is helpful for us to post every provocation on this board so anyone who is having a bad day and happens to see it and react is suddenly emblematic of a "sniveling" fanbase.
November 21st, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
Finebaum would have called Richard Jewell's protestations sniveling as well. Didn't work out well for those who did.
November 21st, 2023 at 8:34 PM ^
Yes, I think that the Finebaums and Diniches of this world think they are redressing a balance toward UM in the media. Here in Tallahassee, I'm always being told that the media toadies to Michigan.
November 21st, 2023 at 1:50 PM ^
Dear Ric. Plz go on the Paul Finebaum show and bodyslam his ass on ESPN !
November 21st, 2023 at 5:07 PM ^
I care about 2 things, in this order:
(1) 〽️🏈 goes 4-0 from here on out.
(2) OSU doesn't get into the CFP, because F@#& Ohio & F@#& the B1G!