Finebaum is not to Blame for the Toomer’s Corner Incident
Posted on February 21, 2011 by Jacob Bunn
On January 27th, 2011, Paul Finebaum received a call on his syndicated radio show, the Paul Finebaum Radio Network, from someone who went by the screen name ‘Al from Dadeville.’ Finebaum receives many calls during the course of each show. I imagine this call, though, will be forever lodged in his memory.
After ‘Al’ told Finebaum about a newspaper clipping that showed Toomer’s Corner in Auburn being rolled the day legendary Alabama coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant passed away, he proceeded to explain that he had driven to Auburn the week after the Iron Bowl and attempted to poison the trees located at Toomer’s Corner.
“They’re not dead yet, but they definitely will die,” Al from Dadeville told Finebaum.
Last week, Harvey Updyke was arrested in connection with the poisoning of the oak trees located at Toomer’s Corner, and WJOX radio in Birmingham, the station from which Finebaum’s show originates, confirmed on the air that they believe Updyke is the same person who called Finebaum in January. So, Updyke presumably poisoned the trees in Auburn then called a radio show to boast about it.
Since the arrest, there have been numerous reports and comments about the situation. Some righteously said that the rivalry has gotten out of hand, and every Alabama and Auburn fan should stand together in peace. Some thought it was much ado about a tree, while others placed the blame at the feet of Paul Finebaum.
Yes, the Birmingham News published a story Thursday with the headline, “Radio host Paul Finebaum says his show played a role and he won’t tone it down.” With all due respect to the publication in Birmingham, why should he?
Finebaum’s show has been rated one of America’s top sports shows by Sports Illustrated, and the Orlando Sentinel calls Finebaum the most powerful media member in the SEC. The respect and accolades Finebaum has received have come because of the swashbuckling attitude that he takes into each show.
Plus, the competitiveness between Alabama and Auburn is at an all-time high with both teams winning a national title in consecutive years. So the Finebaum Network, in a sense, has become the media center for college football.
Some may say that Finebaum allows callers to verbally destroy one another, so something like this was bound to eventually occur. If that were true, though, why did Finebaum and his staff give all possible assistance to the authorities so they could find out who the caller was?
When an act like this occurs, some immediately want to place blame. Oftentimes, TV and radio personalities are the first ones held responsible. Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and now Paul Finebaum know all too well how this works.
There are many out there who are passionate about the game of college football. A few may be overly consumed with it to the point that they would poison a tree. But allow me to send a message to the rest of the nation: There is a Harvey Updyke in every state. Some may want to beat up on ‘sweet home Alabama’ because of this man’s alleged actions. Every state, though, has its share of embarrassing activity.
Contact Jacob Bunn at Jacob@BunnSports.com
