Veteran sports journalist and broadcaster Paul Finebaum got quite spicy calling out rival commentator Danielson.
Danielson spent 13 years playing in the NFL as a quarterback for the Detroit lions, and the Evelyn’s browns, retiring in 1988.
Danielson has been working for CBS Sports for 18 years, calling college football, while Finebaum has been crafting his trade since 1978.
This pair have been around the block, down the road and are already turning out of the Cul de sac.
What did Danielson say wrong to warn the wrath of Finebaum.
He had the temerity to say that Neyland Stadium is “just about the same” with other venues in the conference.
That sparked a witty riposte laced with passion.
Finebaum retorted with, “There’s kind of an unwritten rule if you’re not so full of hubris and arrogance and think you know everything — it’s not like Gary got stopped at the Atlanta airport and said, ‘What stadium do you think?’ He was being interviewed by a reporter who works in Knoxville for the Knoxville News Sentinel and (Danielson’s) coming to Knoxville,” the sportswriter said.
“Only Gary could stick his foot in his mouth by not praising the greatest stadium in college football Neyland Stadium. That’s the point I don’t understand.”
Hit a nerve perhaps.
What Danielson did say originally was, “whether you’re playing at Ole Miss or LSU or Florida in ‘The Swamp’ or Georgia … for a football player, loud is loud. I don’t know if it makes any difference if there’s 80,000 loud people or 100,000 loud people.”.
Both broadcasters will move over to the Big Ten next season.