PTFO - The Legend of The Paul Finebaum Show: Behind the Scenes in "Scrooge City"

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode Summary: PTFO - The Legend of The Paul Finebaum Show: Behind the Scenes in "Scrooge City" Release Date: December 20, 2024

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Introduction to Paul Feinbaum and His Show

In this episode, hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz delve deep into the phenomenon that is The Paul Feinbaum Show, a cornerstone of Southern sports radio. Originating from Alabama, Feinbaum’s show has cultivated a passionate and sometimes controversial listener base, making it a significant cultural institution within the sports community.

Notable Quote:

• Pablo Torre [04:05]: "The Paul Feinbaum show, to be very clear, is a singular cultural institution."

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The Legacy of Nick Saban and Alabama Football

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the immense impact Nick Saban has had on Alabama football and the subsequent challenges following his departure. Feinbaum emphasizes Saban's unparalleled success and the void his exit has created.

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Feinbaum [07:12]: "I do not agree that Alabama should have went all the way to the number one spot. That is the most ridiculous thing that could have happened."
• Legend [07:50]: "Alabama has practically either played for the national championship or been in the playoffs all but two or three years."

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Notable Callers: Harvey Updike, Smokey, Phyllis

The show is renowned for its colorful callers, each bringing unique stories and perspectives. Feinbaum recounts memorable interactions, including those with Harvey Updike, Smokey, and Phyllis, highlighting the show's role as a therapeutic outlet for listeners.

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Feinbaum [14:33]: "62 year old Harvey Updike Jr. Was taken into custody early this morning."
• Legend [17:36]: "I can be legend. I mean, he is. He's a personification of what our show is all about."

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Focus on Legend: Gary Wilson's Story

A pivotal moment in the episode is the exploration of the caller known as "Legend," whose real name is Gary Wilson. Feinbaum and Torre uncover Legend's troubled past, including a tragic incident at age 17 and his subsequent transformation into a rehabilitated and influential figure within the Feinbaum community.

Notable Quotes:

• Legend [33:21]: "When I was 17 years old, I took a young man's life. Another 17 year old young man."
• Paul Feinbaum [36:21]: "Legend is a genuinely good person. He helps a lot of people."

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The Cultural Impact of The Feinbaum Show

Feinbaum’s show serves as a voice for the "castaways" and "throwaway fans"—those who feel marginalized by mainstream sports media. The conversation underscores how the show taps into the cultural fabric of Alabama, addressing issues beyond just sports, and providing a platform for genuine expression.

Notable Quotes:

• Legend [27:13]: "We are the castaways. We are the throwaway fans."
• Paul Feinbaum [28:05]: "We work hard, we stay real, and we have a voice."

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Current State of Alabama Football and Future Outlook

With Kalyn DeBoer at the helm, the discussion shifts to the current struggles of Alabama football. Feinbaum expresses longing for the return of Nick Saban to restore the program's former glory, reflecting the fans' deep-rooted passion and high expectations.

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Feinbaum [45:02]: "What I wish would show up under the Christmas tree was a 40 year old Nick Saban ready to go back to work at the University of Alabama."
• Legend [42:46]: "If you're an Alabama fan, it's Scrooge City."

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Conclusions and Host Insights

The episode concludes with hosts reflecting on the unique bond between Feinbaum and his listeners, and the broader implications of passionate fandom in sports culture. They acknowledge the enduring legacy of the Feinbaum Show and its ability to adapt and resonate even amidst changing times and leadership within Alabama football.

Notable Quotes:

• Pablo Torre [45:48]: "Paul Feinbaum, thank you for introducing me to your community and happy holidays."
• Legend [31:16]: "I'm a fanatic. I'm a fanatic crazy fan. And we are real."

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Key Takeaways

• Paul Feinbaum Show is a significant cultural force within Southern sports radio, fostering a dedicated and passionate community.
• Nick Saban’s departure has left a notable void in Alabama football, with listeners yearning for his return.
• Callers like Legend exemplify the deep emotional connections fans have with the team and the show, highlighting personal redemption and the power of sports as a unifying force.
• The show serves as a therapeutic outlet for fans, providing a platform for genuine expression and community building.
• Future outlook for Alabama football remains uncertain but is deeply intertwined with the legacy and influence of Paul Feinbaum’s broadcasting.

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This episode offers an insightful exploration into the dynamics of sports fandom, the enduring impact of influential radio personalities, and the profound ways in which sports intersect with personal and cultural identities.

Transcript

[Pablo Torre]

Welcome to Pablo Torre finds out. I am Pablo Torre. And today we're gonna find out what this sound is.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Blame Paula Fine Bomb. He's the reason for this monster.

[Pablo Torre]

Right after this ad.

[Legend]

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network with.

[Pablo Torre]

Less than a minute till halftime.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Arnie, please put your phone down.

[Pablo Torre]

You're missing your own kids football game. I know, hon, but a branch is blowing in front of the DIY video camera I set up, and I keep getting annoying alerts.

[Paul Feinbaum]

The biggest fumble was not getting a.

[Pablo Torre]

Local security Pro to install Alarm.com Alarm.com? how would that help?

[Paul Feinbaum]

The Bensons have it.

[Pablo Torre]

Their cameras filter out false alerts, but also detect trespassers and scare them away.

[Legend]

Before they even get close to the house.

[Pablo Torre]

How? Flashing lights, whistles. The camera even gives verbal warnings like.

[Legend]

Hey, you in the black jacket in the driveway.

[Pablo Torre]

This is private property. Leave now.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Wow. Best of all, the Benson's Alarm.com system is professionally monitored, so they don't have.

[Pablo Torre]

To call for help in an emergency. Huh. I really could put my phone away.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yes. Touchdown. Let's get an Alarm.com system before the team goes to states.

[Legend]

Alarm.com, your home field advantage. Visit Alarm.com to find an authorized service provider.

[Pablo Torre]

This is surreal, though, the setup we have right now. I do feel like a caller on.

[Legend]

Your show, which is, well, you're a FaceTime caller.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I'm a first time, long time. That is also true. I was thinking about how to explain you and your show to people in my life who don't already know the legend of your show, so to speak. And I realize that it's hard because I have to explain that I spend time with Paul Feinbaum early in the morning on MSNBC. Quite a bit.

[Paul Feinbaum]

CSVN's Paul Feinbaum, thank you so much. Good luck today.

[Legend]

It's going to be rough.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Pablo.

[Pablo Torre]

So last about the Mets, and then Paul, you go off and you do a show that I would dare say is not exactly the same audience.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You're jealous. That's the bottom line. You're jealous. And Bama's coming back. Belmont has not lost. The dynasty is not over. Do you hear me counter?

[Pablo Torre]

Belma's dynasty has just begun.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Kiss my butt. Roll Tide.

[Legend]

We don't have a lot of New York Times, reading npr, listening Pablo Torrey, podcast aficionados.

[Paul Feinbaum]

My teacher came up and took everything from me because I was supposed to be doing my math sheet. I told her it's okay, though, because the Tide just hired the board and I smell a Natty in 24. Roll damn Tide. Paul. See you later, buddy.

[Legend]

But we have tapped into something, Pablo. We tapped into the culture of America.

[Paul Feinbaum]

West Virginia is where Saban is from and they fought with the Union. Saban is a Yankee.

[Legend]

I frankly think we found this audience before Donald Trump did.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, Paul, going from Coach Saban to Coach Du Bois is like going to bed married to Beyonce and waking up with Whoopi Goldberg laying next to you, brother. Is this acceptable, Alabama fans? Is this Alabama football? Is this. That's what we signed up for.

[Legend]

I understand what's going on in this country because we deal with it every day. And these are, these are hard working people who love college football and love to express themselves on it.

[Pablo Torre]

So if you're already wondering here why the most popular and influential sports radio show in the entirety of the south, beloved by those voices we just played for you, happens to be a program called the Paul Feinbaum Show. I get the question. Paul is a bald, 69 year old Jewish guy who is not from Alabama, although he has lived in Alabama now for 45 years. And those same voices you heard have taken to comparing Paul's General look to Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, for instance, among other things. But the Paul Feinbaum show, to be very clear, is a singular cultural institution. And this particular holiday season, Tuscaloosa's first without Nick Saban, arguably the greatest college football coach who ever lived. There is no radio show that I would rather hear.

[Legend]

There was almost a sitcom done on this program. I was in D.C. about seven or eight years ago. I was on Kornheiser's show. Some guy heard it who used to be the, the final EP for Cheers. We went to Hollywood with this concept, you know, 25, 30 years ago, me starting as a talk show host from, from New York in Alabama. My family's all from New York.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, yeah.

[Legend]

And all four networks passed on it. We, we fired the guy who came up with the idea, went back to Hollywood the next year. In 2019, ABC bought the sitcom. Jason Biggs, who did the American Pie trilogy, signed on to play me. And it was in the early stages of development. I had already signed a contract to be the executive, one of three executive producers. Covid happened.

[Pablo Torre]

And so all we're left with now is a mental image, I suppose, of a young Paul Feinbaum. A pie. And you're welcome for that. But what I did want to find out today is how Paul got into this mess, so to speak, in the first place.

[Legend]

I'll spare you the long explanation of how I got here, I was a sports writer much like you, except at a much lower level, I might add. And it eventually led into talk radio at a time when talk radio was blossoming.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Greetings to you conversationalists all across the fruited plain. Rush Limb ball raring and ready to go and eager. Bieber couldn't wait to get to the EIB microphone today, ladies and gentlemen. Once I started perusing the news the.

[Legend]

First time, the show really started resonating. We followed Rush Limbaugh on a news talk station in Birmingham. So Rush got the audience ready for us, and then we took them and fed them even more red meat. We weren't feeding them red meat about Bill Clinton and Congress or Barack Obama. We were feeding them red meat about Alabama and Auburn football primarily.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Let me tell you something. I do not agree that Alabama should have went all the way to the number one spot. That is the most ridiculous thing that could have happened. Paul, they are all the way to the number one spot. Who has done that yet?

[Pablo Torre]

Nobody.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oregon. Why did he jump Oregon? There's no way.

[Legend]

Have you ever thought that this is just not going to be your year? Everything you wanted to happen hasn't happened. Oh, my gosh.

[Paul Feinbaum]

It's always my year when I'll replace.

[Pablo Torre]

Among all of the rabid cultures across the south and the Midwest, why is Alabama the place where this show is like this?

[Legend]

I know this is ancient history, but you have to go back 42 years when Bear Bryant died. He was the most famous coach in college football in the modern era. And I say the modern era, but the previous most famous was Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. And then Bryant took it over. He won six national championships. And I got there, I covered his last two years. And that was the. That was a badge that I wore that I covered the Bear because those next 25 years were a disaster. Alabama head coaches by the name of Mike Shua. Not Don Shua, but Mike Shua and Mike Price and Mike Dubose. It was a wasteland until Nick Saban showed up. So you go from 1982 to 2007 where nothing good happened. And then Saban shows up and only wins six national championships.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. And now I come to you in the post Nick Saban era at a time when I think I am more interested in you and your audience than I've ever been. It's been a hell of a season for your show in all of these senses.

[Legend]

Let me take you back to September 28th.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Milro Keeper, first down and more tightroping down the sideline touchdown. Unbelievable start for Milroe in this offense. 36 yard lightning strike.

[Legend]

Alabama beat Georgia. It was a major upset. Even though the game was in Tuscaloosa. It was just one of the wildest games. Alabama got off to somebody on 28th, nothing lead. Georgia came back, Alabama won by one touchdown.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Back launches for the end zone. Jeff Ball intercepted.

[Legend]

And Xavian Brown, the freshman makes a.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Game saving play for Alabama.

[Legend]

I sat on on the show with you and Joe Scarborough, who's an Alabama graduate, and I was joking, but I said it anyway. I said, would it be blasphemous for me to say here on Morning Joe that it looks like Kaywin DeBoer is doing a better job coaching than Nick Saban did even a year ago? You cannot say.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oh, come on.

[Legend]

Okay, come on. I just wanted to try that out. What happened on that Saturday, Pablo?

[Pablo Torre]

This attitude, this program.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And the biggest win on the west end. Vanderbilt takes down number one Alabama.

[Legend]

It was the first time in 40 years Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. And I swear I don't think I'll be reporting when the world comes to an end. But I was alive that night and it felt like that had happened.

[Paul Feinbaum]

He can't control this thing. And isn't it amazing when the Urban Meyers and Harsons and the deboers and all these other guys come in from around the country, they just don't get Southeastern football. They don't understand the religion, Paul. They don't understand the dedication. They don't understand the terminology. They don't understand the opponents.

[Pablo Torre]

When I tell you though that I first became aware of your show in earnest in about 2010, I imagine you can guess why.

[Legend]

Oh yeah.

[Pablo Torre]

The saga of Al from Dadeville. Paul. I struggle to begin to summarize the Shakespearean and then criminal drama that was that story. How do you tell it for people not familiar with the lore?

[Paul Feinbaum]

It's Auburn and it's Alabama and it's the Iron bowl and here comes Alabama.

[Legend]

It was a Friday game right after Thanksgiving. Alabama led 24 to nothing. Here comes Cam Newton, leads them back.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And in the face of all of the turmoil, he leads his team from 24 down to a 28, 27th victory in the Iron Bowl.

[Legend]

And in the aftermath of it, a couple weeks later, we got a call from Al from Dadeville. Al is in Dadeville, Alabama. Hey, Al.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey, Paul. How you doing? Well, thanks. When Bear Bryant died, I was living in Texas and I really didn't.

[Legend]

Auburn rolls what's called Toomer's Corners after a win. Toilet Paper on the trees. They're iconic oak trees, national landmarks, famous. He starts off in this Bear Bryant thing that on the night that Bear Bryant died, Auburn fans rolled Toomer's Corner. I said, no, they didn't. I've looked into that urban legend. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. I. I just have the most difficult time ever believing that Auburn students rolled Toomer's Corner when the news broke that Coach Bryant died. Does anyone else remember that? I don't.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Do you want me to send you a copy of. I still have newspaper clipping.

[Legend]

And he just kept arguing with me. He's a former state trooper in Texas. And he finally just blurted out, I'll tell you what I did.

[Paul Feinbaum]

The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I.

[Pablo Torre]

Went to Auburn, Alabama, because I live.

[Paul Feinbaum]

30 miles away and I poisoned the two tumor trees.

[Legend]

Okay, well that's fair.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I put Spike 80 DL in them.

[Legend]

Did they die?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Do what?

[Legend]

Did they die?

[Paul Feinbaum]

They're not dead yet, but they definitely will die.

[Legend]

Is that against the law to poison a tree? He said, do you think I care?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Okay, I really don't. Roll down tight.

[Legend]

A week later we got a call from somebody asking if we could hand over the tape, which we did. Two weeks later I get a call from a friend of mine, Pat Smith, my producer, actually got the call from a guy on the Senate Homeland Security Committee in Washington saying that they were investigating this for terrorism to the water system of Lee County. Next day they arrested this guy whose name was not Al, but Harvey Updike.

[Pablo Torre]

And just a day after announcing that the oak trees in Tumors Corner up.

[Paul Feinbaum]

In Auburn were intentionally poisoned, police there.

[Pablo Torre]

Made an arrest in the case.

[Legend]

62 year old Harvey Updike Jr. Was taken into custody early this morning. I got to know him afterwards. I said, why did you do it? He said, I had to do it for Nick Saban. I couldn't. I couldn't let Scam Newton beat Nick Saban. And I guess he finally admitted. He said, I guess I just had too much Alabama in me. Anyway, he, he later spent time in the Lee County Penitentiary.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

[Pablo Torre]

Sentenced to three years in prison. Pleaded guilty to criminal damage of an agricultural facility. And it would be one thing if it was the story of your show, if that was like the one thing people talked about. I think it was the next year when, when a gentleman named Smokey calls you and he has a predicament.

[Legend]

Well, I mean, you've been in radio studios often and you have the name of the person and what they want to talk about. And I kept looking down and it Said, smokey in the er And I. It just didn't quite register what that meant. Finally, after about 30 minutes, I hit Smokey. And I said, smokey, what's going on? And he said, paul, I just want to tell you how much I love you.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I'm in. I'm getting an EKG that said, I've had a heart attack. Paul, I love your show. I got to your show. You know what I'm saying? I love all your listeners. I'll end up being your best caller.

[Legend]

So, Smokey, are you telling me that you're listening to the show while you're having a heart attack?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yes, I am. That's stupid. I know.

[Legend]

I said, so what's wrong? He said, I'm dying. I'm in the er. I said, is it serious? I mean, it's not a smart question, by the way. He said. He said, yes.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I've already had five bypasses and two stints.

[Legend]

I know I've had a heart attack. Okay, but you wanted to call us while this is going on.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Kind of a death wish.

[Legend]

Well, I'm glad you did. And certainly, Smokey, we wish you well. And at that point, I remember Howard Stern having a bit like this once, and he asked for confirmation. I said, smokey, is it possible you could put a nurse on? I mean, I just wanted to confirm this guy wasn't just some quack.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Tell her who you are. As Paul. I'm a nurse in the ER at Trinity.

[Legend]

Okay. I'm speaking to a nurse right now at Trinity Hospital. Right. She said, oh, yeah, I'm Jeannie Jones. I'm an LPN in the er. I said, is he really having a heart attack? She said, yes. You know, he's got. He's had six heart attacks on his chart. And I'm, like, going, has a Hippocratic oath not made it to the state of Alabama yet?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey, can you get up close? They told me I got to hang out the phone. I love you, Paul. Bye.

[Legend]

He survived. He did not die. And I wasn't really sure if I was happy or sad about that, because it would have been a great final phone call, but.

[Pablo Torre]

Okay, hold on. What I'm finding out immediately is that Smokey still. Today is all right.

[Legend]

He's still around still. And I'm still milking that story on any podcast I can find.

[Pablo Torre]

Look, it's Smokey. It's Al. But really, Harvey, it's Phyllis from Mulga. I mean, Paul, these are characters that I feel like I know. And of course, Phyllis, God rest her soul. Her call in 2017 about Jim Harbaugh is still seared into my brain.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You ain't better than nobody and don't you be after Paul and don't you dare come down on the University of Alabama. I will eat your ass for lunch and I can make that a promise.

[Legend]

Phyllis could have put out her own Christmas cd. And I say CD for a reason because Phyllis is of the era of the eight track tape and the cd. She was amazing.

[Pablo Torre]

There's an aspect of your show, of course, that is both therapy, that is confessional booth, that is frankly Occupy Wall street when it comes to just the populism taking control of what feels like a very top down bureaucracy otherwise. And in this scenario, like the person of course who has most grabbed my attention all season this season is a guy who goes by a single name, Legend.

[Legend]

My favorite three words during the football season on a Monday after a loss by Alabama, that's his team. Legend is next.

[Pablo Torre]

It is the most wonderful time of the year for getting in on all the hoops, all the football, all the hockey action over at DraftKings Sportsbook. And in this season of giving, we are being gifted college football and basketball, pro football and basketball and pro hockey. Almost 24 7. And so here's a gift for all new customers. Bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins. So download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code Pablo, that is code Pablo for new customers to get $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins when you bet just five bucks. Happy holidays from DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York. Call 877-8-Hopeny or text hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on Beh Hill Casino in resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bet must win to receive reward. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG co B ball. All right, so legend, okay, you may recall legend from like 15 minutes ago, actually, because legend happens to be the caller whose analysis of a team coached by Nick Saban's replacement, Kalyn DeBoer. After losing to 5 and 5 Oklahoma earlier this season, Bama's third loss of said season was this.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know Paul going from coach Saban to coach the board. It's like going to bed married to Beyonce and waking up with Whoopi Goldberg laying next to your brother.

[Pablo Torre]

And so the first thing I wanted to find out about Legend was simple. Do you ever call Legend his real name Paul?

[Legend]

No, I believe his real name is Gary.

[Pablo Torre]

And it is Gary Wilson, it turns out, who has otherwise been working all sorts of jobs in Birmingham, Alabama. And so I decided that I should probably call up Gary myself.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey, bro, can you hear me?

[Pablo Torre]

I can hear you. I can see you. I can. Are you always wearing the glasses when you do this, when you make calls, when you, when you talk, or is this just for me?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I always wear them. Have like a little eye problem I've had since I was a kid. Anytime I'm in a bright room, I kind of have to wear some glasses. Kind of like Jim McMahon got the Jim McMahon syndrome, you know?

[Pablo Torre]

What's your day job?

[Paul Feinbaum]

My day job is I work at a steakhouse. A few years ago I was working construction. I had worked construction for 20 years. About two years ago on a construction site, I was working on an exhaust fan when a restraining bar broke and shattered my front grill. Shattered it. I still can't have a conversation with any of my partials in the front. So I'm toothless in Alabama this morning for one reason, brother. On this show because I love Paul Feinbaum. That friggin bunch that I'd come on two flips from Alabama to tell folks how much I love this man. This man has given.

[Pablo Torre]

Paul, when did you realize. How long did it take you to realize that Legend was going to be one of these special callers? Maybe even special in a way that no one could quite replicate?

[Legend]

After that aforementioned Vanderbilt game, he unloaded on the coaching staff.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Paul, I meant sports hell, brother. I'm in sports hell. I never thought I would other these words. Andy is my daddy.

[Legend]

The call went viral.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Let me tell you how pissed I am. Paul, can I tell you, brother, I wish you would.

[Legend]

Go right ahead.

[Paul Feinbaum]

My neighbor gave me A picture of Kos Dvor last Thursday. A signed picture, 8 by 12 in a frame. And I put it in the fire pit Saturday night and set a match to it.

[Legend]

You burned it.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You don't lose the Vanderbilt. That's the ugliest little sister on the block. You don't lose the Vanderbilt. The honeymoon's over and we need some damn marriage counseling. Legend has left the damn building.

[Pablo Torre]

When did sports radio become a thing that you knew you would enjoy?

[Paul Feinbaum]

2008. I'm riding down the road. I'm Listening to rock radio in Birmingham, and, you know, it was just sucking. So I got flipping through the dial and came across somebody talking. It was Tim Brando talking to Fine. Bob, you made some crazy statements this year concerning Alabama.

[Legend]

That sounds like a beat down, Tim.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And I just wondered if you'd be willing to admit now that you were wrong concerning several statements that you made over the last year. But he was talking how Alabama should keep Mark Godfrey. And I said to myself, well, that's the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life. So just off the top of my head, I told the guy that picked up the phone, I said, I'm the legend and I want to talk to that moron Tim Brando about Mark Godfrey. They sent me through that day, and it went viral that day. Me attacking Brando and telling him what an idiot he was for wanting to keep Mark Godfrey. You know what the funniest moment of this football season was to me, Tim? A Brando is when they came to you at the halftime of the Ole Miss Alabama game and you realized that Alabama was kicking the fire out of your Ole Miss Rebels. It looked like somebody had hit you in the face with a big mouth bath. And that's how the Legend was born, ladies and gentlemen. Blame Paula Fine Bomb. He's the reason for this monster.

[Pablo Torre]

But there is something else that I needed to clarify about Legend, Gary, that is critical to understanding the broader Feinbaum community of collars and also how it is mathematically even possible that college football is the second most popular sport in the United States, right behind the NFL, and easily the most unhinged, which is that Legend never actually attended the University of Alabama.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, I was born in Annapolis, Maryland. My father was from Alabama. And it's pouring down rain outside. I hope it don't start leaking here in the little ledger cave. My father was from Alabama. He was in the military. My mama was from Maryland. We spent the first 10 years of my life right outside of Baltimore, Maryland, and Glen Burnie, MD, and Rivera Beach, Maryland. So I grew up in a sports fanatic family in Maryland, but the whole time, my father's influence of Alabama. My first rattler was an Alabama roadside rattler. My first words were road tide, daddy. But roll tide. That was my first words.

[Pablo Torre]

All of which qualifies legend according to his own personal estimation, for a very special form of office. A leadership position in a truly startlingly enormous community. And it's the kind of office that, by definition, you cannot pay for.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I'm president of the Sidewalk Alumni, you know, and a Lot of good people with diplomas love me. But there's a lot of people in Alabama don't like the legend. I am that fan that the administration don't want to talk about. The one that never went to school, that never got a diploma and never been in class. You know, how dare him talk with the older bubble crunching tower. And they don't like that because they think, you know, that old fan, sidewalk alumni fan, he's stupid. The only thing he knows about his flag football, he don't know nothing about road ramp football set up.

[Legend]

I can make it really simple. Legend is the president of the Sidewalk Alumni. And your colleague Joe Scarborough is the president of the upper crust elite Alabama alumni. I love Joe, but I gravitate more toward the sidewalk. That's, that's what I do. You know, some of them have been to Tuscaloosa, some of them have actually even been to an Alabama game. But that doesn't matter to me because those folks have always needed representation. I think, I think you can look at, you can bring a political scientist in here. And this is really where the country is. And I think we have heard in elections that they're not being paid attention to. And I really believe that we give them a voice. And you know, it may make the athletic directors and the chancellors and the, the bow tied crowd in the ivory towers uncomfortable, but I really don't care.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I can say whatever the hell I want to. I work my ass off today. I might have made $120. Don't you agree? I could say whatever the hell I want to about somebody that makes $10 billion a year. Wouldn't you agree with that, brother Legend?

[Legend]

If somebody told me we can't allow that, it will. It would be my last day here.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hell yeah. We can say whatever the hell we want to say. And I got a few things to say.

[Pablo Torre]

It's an unbelievable asset to hear from a guy like Legend what he did after Tennessee, after Alabama loses to Tennessee.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, they say that a team takes on the personality of their coach. Well, our team is undisciplined and soft. And no doubt you, Coach DeBoer are undisciplined and soft. Strike. Friggin dude, man. Strike friggin too. We about to go to the Birmingham Bowl. I ain't left the building. I've kicked the damn door down. Cause I'm pissed off at this crap. This ain't Alabama football. And any Alabama fan that accepts it ain't a real damn plan.

[Legend]

Tony Kornheiser said this to me once, and I'll clean it up for this family podcast. He said, how come you talk to those effing people? And of course, he did it with, you know, you know, the Long island accent. And you can't explain it. I mean, Tony, you don't have to talk to them. You. You pontificate. Used to have a show in Washington where you got James Carville and all these muckety mucks around the table, and then you sit around with Wilbon and opine for 30 minutes and don't laugh. I saw you co hosting that show yesterday.

[Pablo Torre]

Guilty. The Ivory Tower still has a nice padded cushion in my seat.

[Legend]

Yeah, I love it. And I feel like whenever they take me away, I hear the barbarians at the gate right this moment. That will be my legacy. It won't be yell at Stephen A. Smith or Greenberg or. Or anyone else. It will be that.

[Pablo Torre]

No, you will be forever. The guy who brought me the caller who said that losing to Oklahoma was like going to bed with Beyonce and waking up next to Whoopy Goldberg.

[Legend]

I. I thought that was the line of the year. And I was not surprised at all that the next morning on espn, they edited that out, knowing that. That Whoopi was probably watching. And I think she's employed by the.

[Pablo Torre]

By the larger. The larger. The larger family of networks.

[Legend]

I think.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think.

[Legend]

I think the View should have had. Should have both of us on after this is published and let us let the group hear that call.

[Pablo Torre]

I concur in terms of just the callers and their own views of themselves. You know, I was talking to Legend, and Legend wanted to be very clear about this. He said, I am not Harvey Updike. Harvey Updike is a criminal. That's not me.

[Paul Feinbaum]

It's not a performance. I'm a fanatic in the sports world. I'm not a criminal. I'm a fanatic. There's a difference. A criminal poisons trees, hurts other people. A fanatic might cuss his coach out, might cuss the quarterback out, might cuss the general manager out, the owner. That's what a fanatic is. But he's doing all that and the fact that he loves his team.

[Pablo Torre]

And of course, in my mind, I immediately went to, of course, Legend's own past.

[Legend]

Well, I knew there was a story behind Legend. Legend was part of a group called Sons of Saban. Sounds like one of those groups in New York that go around and keep the law.

[Pablo Torre]

That's right.

[Legend]

So we had lunch, and I said, legend, what's the deal? I know You've alluded to your past. And he looked at me, he said, there's nothing to run away from. He said, I've been to prison. I said, okay. Couldn't really counter that by saying, well, so have I. I said, what were you in for? He said, murder.

[Pablo Torre]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime.

[Paul Feinbaum]

There's nothing sweeter than baking cookies during the holidays. With Prime, I get all my ingredients.

[Pablo Torre]

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[Paul Feinbaum]

No last minute store trips needed. And of course, I blast my favorite holiday playlist on Amazon Music. It's the ultimate soundtrack for creating unforgettable memories.

[Pablo Torre]

From streaming to shopping, it's on Prime.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Pablo Torre]

On paper, it is grizzly, right? I mean, what we're talking about with Legend is a story of him when he's 17 years old. It's Winston county, it's northwest Alabama. The argument with his cousin over a girl. I believe he also mentioned we were distant cousins.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, we grew up in a little town where there wasn't but 30 people in the whole town. You know, we grew up around each other all of our lives. And then when we got up to about 17, you know, I was already deep in the drugs, you know, and so when we got to that age, we got into a fight over a young lady. And it escalated from the fight over the young lady and to the incident that happened, you know, but we.

[Pablo Torre]

And he goes to his father's gun cabinet. His dad's out, his dad apparently working in the coal mine. It's a.22 rifle. And he takes his cousin out to the woods and he shoots Randy Barton, also 17, twice in the back of the head.

[Paul Feinbaum]

When I was 17 years old, I took a young man's life. Another 17 year old young man. It was an act of a coward. Anybody that takes a gun and takes a life is committing an act of cowsy. You know, God gave you a brain and we ought to be able to use it. I killed a man, destroyed his life. I threw my life away as a young man. I destroyed many families associated. It was a horrible, horrible thing. I'm very ashamed of it. I faced the electric chair for 18 months. And at the time in the state of Alabama, Charles Graddick was running for governor. He was the Attorney general of the state of Alabama and he wanted to lock everybody up and throw away the key. I'm Charlie Graddick. For vicious killings like this, it's been proven that capital punishment can be an Effective deterrent. That was his big commercial. So they were going to intently, they was going to make an example of me. They was intended to give me the electric chair. For 18 months, from 17 till I was 18, I faced the possibility of going to what they call the big yellow mama in Alabama. And it looked for a while like that is what would happen. And then we went to court and my lawyer worked out a deal for a life sentence with the possibility of parole. And we went that route, realizing how young I was, that, you know, there was. It wasn't guaranteed, but there was a possibility that I would get another chance in society, you know, and I'm so thankful for it.

[Legend]

That day at lunch when he was telling me the story, I said, so what exactly do you do, Legend? He said, I'm an electrician. He said, and by the way, if you or your wife ever need any. And I started thinking, maybe I gotta get to know this guy a little bit better. But today I would give him the keys to my house.

[Pablo Torre]

You believe that this guy who had served his time, who has come out and gotten to know you over the airwaves and apparently in person, that he is in fact, rehabilitated. That is not a question to you 100%.

[Legend]

Not only that, Pablo, I mean, he's a genuinely good person. He. He helps a lot of people. And I think a lot of people hear him on the show. Plenty of people have had problems, as you well know, and they go, I can. I'll try to say this with a straight face. I can be legend. I mean, he is. He's a personification of what our show is all about. A guy that probably should be dead, but now he's a. He's a famous fine bomb caller.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, I spent 15 years in prison, 15 hard years in prison. It was a rough life. And when I came out, I was determined to make it. When I came out.

[Pablo Torre]

Paul, you say you don't know the story of actually how legend got the name Legend.

[Legend]

I don't.

[Paul Feinbaum]

The first few years I was out of prison, I traveled the country as an evangelist, preaching the gospel and sharing the goodness of what the Lord had done in my life. And when I would go to different churches across the country because I had been in prison, one of the things they would do is have me go into the prisons and preach in the area. So I was in Defuniak Springs, Florida, preaching at a big church, and they had me go down to the prison one Sunday night and preach at a minimum security prison. And I preached there that night. And over 100 men came to know the Lord. And as I was leaving the prison, an inmate was running behind me saying, that guy is a legend. That guy is a legend. He's a legend. And preacher that had brought me in with him, he picked it up and he started calling me legend that day. And before I knew it, everybody around me was calling me legendary.

[Pablo Torre]

And that's, that's how it happened.

[Legend]

That's legendary.

[Pablo Torre]

He had mentioned, I don't know if you remember this, but there was a moment, I guess about a year and a half ago. I believe it was a school shooting of some kind.

[Paul Feinbaum]

The first emergency calls coming Tuesday morning.

[Pablo Torre]

And they were horrific. An active shooter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. And he said that this was the thing that made him want to go and actually take his act, so to speak out on the road to these, to these prisons.

[Legend]

Oh, he gave an impassioned speech that day on, on our program, Pablo.

[Paul Feinbaum]

They think, hey, Lance is crazy. That might be in sports, but in real life it's serious. Real life is different than sports. And in real life. Put the guns down. Put them down.

[Legend]

Somebody called in off the air and said that they were thinking about killing someone that day. It was a guy, I think it was in Philadelphia that. But he'd had some run in with a guy down the street and he had already. He'd gone back to get his gun. And somehow he thought of what legend had said.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I grew up in a house, you know, watching my grandfather throw the remote at the television, cuss the tv. You know, I grew up in that kind of house, you know what I'm saying? But thanks to Paul in that therapy that I get each day, I'll manage to move on.

[Pablo Torre]

It does feel like Paul is giving out a kind of medication.

[Paul Feinbaum]

We are the castaways. We are the throwaway fans. We are the fans that nobody says. I'm not kidding. One of them fine bomb callers. You know what I'm saying? I'm fine, Bob. Callers are crazy. We're that fan. We're that fanatical crazy fan. And we are real. We are real.

[Pablo Torre]

This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online, and more personal info in places that could expose you to identity theft. That's why LifeLock monitors millions of data points every second. If your identity is stolen, their US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed. Or your money back. Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com podcast terms apply Legend now. Okay, his mission now, right? He has a couple of missions. Crusades for the good in life. He also wants to fire Cale into boar.

[Legend]

Yeah, well, I mean, let's. Let's forget saving mankind. Let's get to the important things right now. Kayewin DeBoer, I'll have to keep reminding the audience, is. Is the man who replaced Nick Saban.

[Pablo Torre]

Paul, I don't know if you could even begin to disagree with my assessment here. That stuff is what makes the job itself at times so hard, isn't it? The idea that this is a hot seat and the. The. The fire underneath. You can tune in and listen to it every time you put on the fine bomb show.

[Legend]

To me, it's the part of the job that probably is the most interesting and challenging. And by the way, I mean, we just went through 17 years with Nick Saban, and a week ago, I don't know if you saw, he was on the McAfee show and he was defending DeBoer, and he talked about how he never paid attention to the media, and he proceeded to identify me. We got criticized every time we lost a game. I don't know how many times I heard Paul Feinbaum say, this is the beginning of the end. I mean, but it never was. But I always like it when a guy mentions your name in terms of. I never listened to him. But the point was, of course he listened. But we never really had. We may have had six Mondays in 17 years where there was really. I mean, we would criticize Saban for losing the national championship. That's how difficult it was to find something to say about it. DeBoer took care of it by the first weekend in October.

[Pablo Torre]

But the influence is obvious to everybody, I think, who spends a couple minutes listening to the people that. That listen to you. And when I listen to Legend talk about what this particular holiday season is going to be like, Paul, I mean, let's just say it bluntly. This is a weird Christmas.

[Legend]

Yeah.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

[Legend]

If you're an Alabama fan, it's Scrooge City. I mean, there's nothing. There's nothing to be happy about. Alabama is going to the ReliaQuest Bowl.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes. Against a 75 Michigan team.

[Legend]

If you go back to 2009, I mean, Alabama has practically either played for the national championship or been in the playoffs all but two or three years. And this year, it feels very empty.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. Legend, for the record here, offered me his ticket to the Reliaquest Bowl.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You can have my tickets, brother. Listen, if it ain't for Champ. No, no offense. You know, a lot of Alabama fans say, oh, good boy, Legend. We pull for Alabama in every game. Let me ask you something. If the Yankees are out of the playoffs, do they care about an exhibition game with the Toronto Blue Jays? I don't.

[Legend]

Something tells me that you will not be there on New Year's Eve.

[Pablo Torre]

I, I, I hesitate to leave the Ivory Tower for the Reliaquest Bowl.

[Legend]

Yeah, don't do it. You don't, you don't want, you don't want to be seen there.

[Pablo Torre]

No, no.

[Legend]

God, no.

[Pablo Torre]

And so the question becomes, ahead of Christmas now, what do you want for Christmas, Paul Feinbaum? What do you hope for your audience?

[Legend]

I tell you what. I, I, I, I just thought of this and I don't know, I think Legend is currently unattached. I can't do any better than Legend in my career, which is starting to creep toward. It's late autumn, okay? It's wintertime.

[Pablo Torre]

The leaves are rustling. Paul, the leaves are still rustling.

[Legend]

I just had this, I've never thought. I have this idea that Legend gets married again. I don't care if he gets married or not. Has a child and produces the next generation's legend. Can you imagine 20 years from now some guy sitting where I'm sitting 25 years from now, 30 years from now and going, Legend Jr. Is next.

[Pablo Torre]

Paul, it's such a beautiful sentiment. And it may not surprise you to learn that when I asked Legend this same question, he said this, man, I.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Tell you the truth, man. What I wish would show up under the Christmas tree was a 40 year old nick Saban ready to go back to work at the University of Alabama, baby. That's what I wish would show up under my Christmas tree. Yes, a 40 year old nick Saban ready to go kick some butt and lead this university and this program back to where it belongs. The mountaintop. The mountaintop. We're in the gutter this morning, Deborah. No playoffs for us. Playoffs. Come on, man. Are you kidding me? Give me a 40 year old nick Saban ready to go back to work. That would be the greatest Christmas ever.

[Pablo Torre]

So, Paul Feinbaum, thank you for introducing me to your community and happy holidays.

[Legend]

Thank you. It's been a great pleasure, Pablo.

[Pablo Torre]

This has been Pablo Torre Finds Out a Meadowlark Media production and I'll talk to you next time.

[Paul Feinbaum]

How do you feel when you switch.

[Pablo Torre]

To Geico and save on your car insurance? It's like finishing your laundry successfully matching all your daughter's baby socks together on the first try.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Let's see.

[Pablo Torre]

Panda socks, fire truck socks. Socks with those cute little strawberries on them. You matched each and every one of those tiny socks? I mean, has this ever happened in the history of laundry and a penguin wearing a cowboy hat? Socks. Done. Enjoy the moment, dad. You've earned it.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yep.

[Pablo Torre]

Switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico.