Dye And Stallings Double-Team Finebaum

And, yes, we always ask at the HQ...

"Who the hell is Paul Finebaum...?"

One of the most influential members of the SEC media was taken to the woodshed today on his nationally-aired program by coaches Pat Dye and Gene Stallings...

The two coaches are, normally, on the air to discuss football with the man, but the discussion deteriorated into a 2-on-1 where Finebaum backtracked and could not defend a position he took in an interview with CBS-CSTV's Mike Leach.

To set this stuff up...

Leach was on Finebaum's program a week previous, and in the length of the discussion disclosed that he was "never fired for an NCAA violation."

Finebaum could have taken this soundbite two separate ways: 1) That Leach was talking about himself and slamming Texas Tech's administration for his dismissal, or 2) That Leach, because he was talking to an SEC host, made a thinly-veiled reference about Coaches Dye and Stallings and intimated that they had.

Stallings wasted no time in chasing after Finebaum...
((HT: Paul Finebaum Radio Network))

"It was also reported to me that you said that you knew... without a doubt that I was asked to resign. And that's not right at all... I just want to make sure that your listeners know what's true and what's not true."

Leach had said that they (meaning Dye and Stallings) were fired, too "based on the success they had so I guess I'm in pretty good company. Although, sufficed it to say I wasn't fired for violating NCAA rules."

Dye admitted in the exchange that he wasn't fired, either. Finebaum asserted that he knew that Stallings was asked to resign, and tried to determine that both coaches had their "panties in a wad" over the argument.

The main issue with both coaches toward the host that he did not defend their cases when Leach was on Finebaum's show, and when Finebaum was pressed, he went to commercial.

Part Two of the exchange had Dye so upset, at one point, he wondered aloud if the sponsor of the segment would still sponsor it if Leach was swapped out for the former Auburn coach.

"... if you want to have Mike Leach take my place, then call David up and see if he'll sponsor Mike Leach on the program..."

It was confrontational radio, and the HQ has to side with the coaches in this one...
Stallings admitted his feelings were hurt by Finebaum's lack of a defense of two of the most storied coaches in the SEC.

We also wonder if the relationship is now forever strained among these three...

For those not familiar with F-Baum's work, here's a story that CSTV did on him almost three seasons ago...
((HT: CBS))


Interestingly enough the day CSTV showed up, Coach Dye would be the topic...