ESPN Media personality Paul Finebaum used Big 12 Media Days to prop up the SEC, but that was only the beginning. Two weeks later, he blasted Dabo Swinney for his take on the College Football Playoff and said he would fire Lincoln Riley for not living up to expectations at USC.
Finebaum’s sights have fallen on Michigan and the NCAA this week. He began by calling out former head coach Jim Harbaugh for “pulling off this scam and then acting like he didn’t do anything wrong” regarding the ongoing investigation into the Wolverines’ sign-stealing allegations. On Thursday, Aug. 8, it was the NCAA’s turn to bear his wrath.
Paul Finebaum Blasts Turns Attention on NCAA Following Jim Harbaugh Punishment
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, the NCAA handed down a four-year show-cause order and suspended Harbaugh for one season due to the recruiting violations during his tenure.
The governing body found the program conducted in-person recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period, had impermissible tryouts involving recruits, and exceeded the number of coaches allowed in practice.
As a result, Michigan received a three-year probation, recruiting restrictions, and an unspecified fine.
The Big Ten also suspended Harbaugh for three games and then-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore for one to begin last season as part of a negotiated resolution with the NCAA.
Yet, Harbaugh was not part of an earlier agreement with the institution that allowed other staffers to begin serving their penalties immediately, hence the new punishment.
Now, if a collegiate program hires Harbaugh during his four-year show-cause timeframe, he will have to sit out an entire season and would be “barred from all athletically related activities, including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting, and team meetings” until the is fulfilled.
Finebaum ripped the NCAA for the move on ESPN’s “Get Up,” saying, “I’m searching desperately to come up with new words to describe the NCAA, but the same ones apply every time. They are completely dysfunctional, vindictive, petty, but mostly, they are laughable.
“Nobody respects this organization, nobody really cares about them anymore, because Jim Harbaugh is never ever coming back — I know I’m reciting Taylor Swift here. That’s why he left — he left to get away from this posse.”
Finebaum went on to compare Harbaugh’s departure for the NFL to Pete Carroll’s and Chip Kelly’s, who left their collegiate programs — USC and Oregon, respectively — following forthcoming recruiting violations.
But the media mouthpiece was also quick to point out that Harbaugh’s punishment wasn’t “for the serious stuff. This is not for the Connor Stalions sign-stealing.”
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Michigan is awaiting a Notice of Allegations for the situation and could face sanctions, but the new Los Angeles Chargers head coach should go scot-free. Fans will be able to watch Stalions address the allegations for the first time when Netlfix’s “Untold: Sign Stealer” releases on Aug. 27.
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