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- [00:00]
A
You know, when you're locked in, focused and fearless. Welcome to the wnba. Your vision narrows. You can't look away. Every assist, every stop, every logo, three from beyond the logo, every did you see that moment, you big what records are going to be broken this season? All of it right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN all season long.
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B
Pride, passion and pageantry of college football lives here. This is the Paul Feinbaum show, our 1 podcast.
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C
This might be college football. And welcome in as we continue day two already. How about that? Day two of media day. We are here in Tampa and always enjoy getting to know a lot of new people. And one of them starts off our show today and it's Amy Zimmer from the sports director at WJCL and beautiful Savannah, Ga. Which I have visited once or twice and you should too as well if you have never been there. Amy, thank you. Great to see you.
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D
Thanks for having me. You mentioned you've been to Savannah. Any favorite spots or anything?
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C
I have. I was invited to speak there once. I think the speech was out at the military basement, I vaguely remember. And I stayed downtown and having read and seen Midnight, I couldn't wait to take in all the hotshots. But I definitely would like to get back. I have not been back since that talk a couple years ago, but it is an amazing place and I know there's quite a connection to the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern and every other school.
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E
It is a fertile ground for college football players.
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D
It really has been. And you bring up Georgia, it is. Every year we see head coach Kirby Smart flying in his helicopter landing on the football fields of these high schools to come and look at the talent and of course Georgia and many other big time programs. But you know, when we talk about players that come from Savannah to Georgia, it's Warren Brinson, Nolan Smith, who's now, you know, a Super bowl champ with the Eagles and now currently on the roster. This year you got Elijah Griffin coming back for year two, big time defensive lineman that played in every game yet last year as a true freshman and talked with Kirby earlier today about him and what he expects for him to do this year. And then someone to watch out for. Thomas Blackshear, wide receiver. He was a big time player in Savannah, one of the best receivers to come out of the 91 2, as we like to say. And he only played in three games last year but hopefully he'll be a little bit more of a breakout this year. Talk to Gunner about him. And Gunner was saying that he had A really good offseason with him.
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E
I want to ask you about Gunner
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C
because he showed up last year and no one knew what to expect and quite frankly, there wasn't much to take away because it was a new experience for him. Tell the audience what you saw and heard today.
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D
Yeah, you know, compared to last year in Atlanta, to this year's SEC media days here in Tampa, I don't know if there's something in the water here in Florida, but I think it goes to show that Gunner has just truly become more comfortable and confident now that he's entering year two as the starting quarterback for Georgia. Last year, you know, he. We talked about this, Paul, before your show, but he was just saying maybe a sentence or two when the media was asking him a question. Rarely making eye contact. Obviously, it's a lot to take in when you come to SEC media days. There's so much craziness going on between the main stage and radio row. But this year he was confident, he was composed, he was very comfortable and he would talk. I mean, he had so much to say. And something that really stood out to me with, with Gunner was just him saying how much that he feels like he's gotten more healthy. A really big thing that he focused on this offseason was just when it comes down to nutrition, he felt like that could play a very big factor in this upcoming season for him. Really focusing on that. That way he can you sure that he's able to main himself and remaining healthy? Because one thing that they want to do is be more explosive. That's something that Kirby Smart talked about. And so with Gunner on the field and wanting to run that ball every now and then, you know, he's got to be able to do it and power through those guys.
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E
Certainly a lot of questions about Georgia and it's the kind of questions.
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C
I was on one of the ESPN
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E
shows today and I finally said, yeah, Kirby Smart slipped. He slipped from maybe number one in the country as the best coach to number two. Maybe not, but that's such a fine line. But we started to expect him to win the championship every year. And I've never seen a coach who has won two straight SEC championships really come under as much scrutiny.
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D
Yeah, you know, something that stood out to me today too, and it's something that we've heard before from Coach Smart is you go and you win back to back SEC championships and then you go back to the College Football Playoff and then you fall short in the quarterfinal for back to back seasons and he brings up that layoff. And he truly believes that those 25 to 30 days off are crucial. And there's no other sport that does that. So I wonder, too, as a former college volleyball player, I played at St. John's obviously a very different schedule when it comes to those things and kind of competition, but I can't imagine, you know, going and winning and then all of a sudden having to take 25, 30 days off from competing and then being expected to go out on a huge spot stage.
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C
And when I do this every. Every day of the year and then, you know, we had a break last week. I did a show Sunday and I was just telling the producer, I said I was somewhat lost. I mean, you start getting things wrong and you look and it's just, that's. That's brief. Of course. I'm not an athlete like these guys are. In terms of expectations, I don't know yet. There's a tug of war right now who will be picked to win. Not that it makes one bit of difference, but in terms of expectations.
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E
For you, as somebody who follows this
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C
program and covers it very closely, is it or are the expectations still the same at Georgia?
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D
Yeah, I think so. You know, I'm never going to count Georgia out. I think every year they go on to impress. There's a reason why I've covered, you know, college football playoffs every season with them. We've been to two national championships in my time with them. They always, when it comes to being the time for them to perform and turn it on, they do. And something with Georgia, too, that I've really. It's a love hate relationship with them. When it comes down to these games and being in the local media, you. They just always make sure they give it their all to the very end. It seems like, you know, we saw it with Georgia tech back in 2024. They went to eight overtimes, by the way. For local media, we're on the field shooting that and having to go sideline to sideline. That is a workout, let me tell you. I played Division 1 volleyball. Like I said, that was more of a workout than that. And then, you know, we saw it too, just at the, you know, Sugar bowl or, excuse me, last year in the College Football Playoff when they fell short, you know, it did come down to the final wire. They tried to turn it on in the end, but ultimately they fell short. So they come and they compete. I think that they will be a contender again this year, but I'm interested to see what they do. I think I saw you had you had really been talking about Texas being the guys to beat this year.
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A
Yeah.
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C
And that's only because I'm tired of picking Georgia. I mean, I'm just looking for somebody new.
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D
That's fair.
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C
I think Texas does have the, you know, if you talk about like this is an NFL club, roster wise, I think they have the most proven roster.
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E
The unknown at Georgia, young receivers.
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C
Have enough movements been made in the defensive side of the ball? And I don't know those answers, but we will. We will find out fairly quickly. As you look at the Georgia schedule,
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E
no schedule is easy. And I know nine conference games.
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C
We've heard all that rhetoric, but I think Georgia schedule is more manageable than some. Maybe because they don't play Georgia.
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D
That's a good point.
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F
Yeah.
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D
You know, they. They've got opening with Tennessee State, and then as they get into that SEC slate, you know, it's. It's kind of the same song of dance. For Georgia, though. They, they're used to playing tough games, tough competition. There's no one tougher than the sec. So I think their schedule is, you know, maybe a little more doable this year for them. We'll see what they do.
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E
Or they're just not having that Clemson,
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C
Oregon, Notre Dame type of beginning.
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D
Yeah, absolutely. It's more of a beginning for them to maybe get their feet wet a little bit. But that comes with pros and cons because if you kind of have a slow start, can they turn it on when they need to turn it on? It gets complicated with that in the student athletes.
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C
Well, they'll have to go to Alabama. I think that will get their attention.
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D
Oh, that will definitely be one of those games where it's like, okay, wake up. It's time to play ball, guys.
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E
Amy, thank you. It's always a pleasure to see you.
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C
And thanks for coming by and all the very best.
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D
Thank you so much for having me.
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C
It was our pleasure.
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E
Amy Zimmer joining us from wjcl, the sports director there. And we are beginning. We are off and running as today, the schools, of course, Vanderbilt, South Carolina. We saw, we talked about Georgia, obviously. So there's a lot to. In Auburn. In fact, I met Byron Brown in the elevator about two hours ago. I thought I recognized him. He started, he introduced himself. I mean, just a really impressive young man. And we'll talk more about him a little bit later on as we work our way through the program. We'll have a couple of Auburn correspondents here. We'll also talk later to Clark Lee and Shane Beamer. They're in our window today. We'll also talk to a couple of Vanderbilt players. So you're somewhat dependent. People say, well, are you going to have this guy on the coaches rotate? The morning coaches end up doing the shows on SEC Network in the first half of the day and then the last two coaches are in our window. That's how we had Josh Hypo on. And we'll have, I think Sarkeesian, I believe on if I quit, if I don't say anything more negative about him on TV in the morning, he'll be with us on Thursday. We'll take a short break. A lot of other things to get to, and we'll get to all of them throughout the next four hours.
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G
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B
You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum Show Podcast.
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E
You see media days day two for
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C
those of us who are here all week, including our next guest. But when you say day four, you
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E
feel a certain glee in your voice
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C
like, okay, that we're that much closer to the season. Cadence Smith joins us from on three. He spent a lot of time with
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E
our friend JD Packel who dropped by yesterday.
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C
So Kaden, thanks.
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E
We are obviously in the radio and TV business. The digital side I'm intrigued by. I spent a lot of time talking to various people at your company.
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C
What intrigued you, interested you in getting in that part of the world?
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F
First of all, Paul, appreciate you having me. You have the face of the hard count all the time, but now you have the brains on here with the producer of it. But I think that ever since I learned that people talk and write about sports, I try to do that for a living. I played college football. I was thankful enough to play at Appalachian State and have been writing for my school newspapers and sports, college newspapers, trying to do my own podcasting stuff. So I was thankful enough to get hired by Shannon Terry. My first job out of college was writing for the On3 national news desk and did that for a couple years but always wanted to do more so kind of took a chance Moved to Nashville without a real big plan other than to move up in the industry, and was thankful enough in a couple months time to get the job as the producer for the hardcount with J.D. pikel. So the journalist to me loves media days and stuff like this. The closer you get to the season, so exciting. And being in a place like this, doing a job like this, it's. You have to pinch yourself sometimes, for sure.
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C
Well, thank you. I'm glad to hear that, because I started my career, you know, just about five years ago in the. As a. At the school paper as well. It opened a lot of doors and it's interesting. You don't hear the word journalism very much anymore, and people frown on it, but what does that really mean to me? And I'm curious what it means to you, because it means seeking information and making sure it's accurate.
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F
Oh, yeah. Seek truth and report it. I feel like we all learned that back in college, if you came from that background. But yeah, the landscape's changing. I feel like just like every landscape with social media and the rise of that, I feel like the definition of a journalist has changed over the years. And I feel like there are still people who've been in the industry for a long time that are trying to keep those values and try to avoid some of the negative that comes with the Internet and social media and things like that. But I think at the end of the day, I was talking to App State to some students this summer and were in journalism, and they have more opportunities, I feel like, than you had. Than I had, because they have what they have in their pocket. Daniel Jeremiah was a mentor of mine, and I never forget when he told me, after doing some podcasting and doing some writing, he was like, you're further along than I was when I was your age. And I was like, wow, that's. That's a big deal. That's one of the top guys in the NFL draft space. But now these kids can create those opportunities for themselves and get far more reps. So I just feel like there's more reps, there's more opportunities out there. And I think that's the plus side of what we see in journalism now, is that there's more people out there with opportunities to give their opinion, share their opinions, report, interview, and do all the basics and do all the things that make this thing go.
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C
You are right. I'm going to get to the problem with what you just laid out in a minute, because I run into a lot of young people and they say I got a podcast. Okay, you have that and it's great. But how do you get somebody to pay attention to it like you folks at On3? Because it's the top college sports platform in the medium. In a lot of these places, as good or as inferior as they are, they're not being heard by anybody.
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F
Yeah, I think the audience is what you make of it. I think if you're early and young in this industry, you can't get obsessed with the audience. You obviously want to grow it and that's where you create the best opportunities for yourself. But I think reps, if anything, there's better opportunity to get reps. There's nothing stopping you from grabbing your phone and sharing your opinion or investing a little bit in yourself when it comes to equipment and setting up your own YouTube channel, whatever you want to do in the media space. So the audience comes with time and reps. But I think in this time in the industry you can get as many reps as you can so that when you do get some opportunities or you do get noticed, then you can get a bigger platform. I mean a show like the Hard Count with JD Picard and learnt how I was on it, that was a couple thousand subscriber operation and JD's work was seen though, despite him not having the audience. And then on three empowered him with the audience and the rest is kind of history. So I think right now for young people getting in the industry, get the reps, don't get over obsessed with the audience part of it. And if you do it the right way and don't do it the wrong way and take those shortcuts to maybe get click baity and try to get the audience kind of in your pocket the non traditional way or not the right way then not as good. But there's so much opportunity out there now. I think that's the plus side of it.
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C
Well, that's an intriguing thing you said because you have to, at some point you have to cross over, you have to say something, you have to be compelling enough to get an audience.
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F
Yeah.
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C
How do you do that?
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F
I think it's partly finding your own lane and also taking some from the greats and the people that you look up to in the industry for sure. I mean there's people who've done this for years that you should idolize in the industry, that you should try to be like, who might have a voice you like or the way they get their information out you like. But there's also so many lanes that you can create for yourself. So I feel like it's a balance of both, I think, for people getting in the industry, definitely try to create your own lane and try to stand out. And I think there's opportunity for that, despite it feeling like oversaturated sometimes. And of course, there's plenty of people to look up to as well. So I think it's a combination of both. That's how you get success in this
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C
industry, just being around here. I'm curious how you view this event, because I've been interviewed a couple of times, like, what does it mean? What's the meaning? What's the purpose of it? I mean, there's a lot of. There's a lot of haters, like, yeah, because it is. I mean, I say this because, you know, we're on, but in many ways is a television event for the information. Now, what you do with that information, you have to be here to do what you're doing. Just in your short career. How do you view SEC media days?
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F
Yeah, it's really interesting, Paul, because I remember when I worked for On3's national news desk, that was a remote job, which is a job that probably would have existed more so in person 10, 15, 20 years ago. But we were covering SEC media days fully through the broadcast, and we were getting the information just as fast as some of the journalists here. So that is that side of things where you hear people saying it's pointless. But I think purely from a journalism standpoint, purely from a former player standpoint, and these players, it is an honor for them to be able to represent their schools for media days. You get to fly the jet private, you get to represent your team. There's that aspect of it. And we call ourselves the People's College Football Show. We put out college football content every single day, and we get excited for this because it's a mark of college football season. So I think ultimately, the people who feel one way or another about media days, I feel like down to its core, the bottom line, I feel like, is if you love college football, if you're excited for college football, you will get excited about talking to these new coaches that are here, talking to these players and learning about them, I think it is a signal that college football season is coming. And I think no matter what happens in the media landscape, how many people are here, whatever the case may be, this is the signal of college football starting. And if you're a fan, you're going to get excited about it. And we're fans in our country.
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C
And you're right and you know, being with espn, I mean, I understand the World cup dominated the entire world for the last five weeks, but today I'm sitting there talking to Stephen A. Smith and he hasn't thought about college football since the end of last season, but today he was forced to. And some of his comments were just
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F
downright hilarious, especially about Caleb DeBoer.
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C
But the point is that I think more than anything, from a, from a macro standpoint, it tells those who are, who have not been paying attention, it's time to do it.
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F
Yeah, I think it's a, it's. It's. So the ebbs and flows of the offseason are very funny in this industry. I feel like people always ask me, what do y' all do in the offseason when it's not college football season? And it's like, well, we try to keep people interested in college football in the months where it's not happening. And thankfully this sport now is more of a year round sport than it's ever been with the transfer portal and some of the sound bites we get from coaches and the access you can get at spring practice. So that's just the fun in it though. It's fun trying to get people engaged in college football. And in the months of April, and thankfully every April, we have a Nico Story or a Brendan Sorsby story that keeps people interested for sure, and we kind of get the spotlight there. But now is the time where everyone starts to get on board for sure. So after months and months of trying to keep people's attention, it feels easier and easier to get that attention. And media days is a good marker of that.
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C
I feel like I want to close with what you said a minute ago because as a former player, I've run into a couple of players here just walking through the hotel and yeah, it may be my 80 millionth media days, but it's their first.
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F
Right.
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C
And tell us what it would mean, what it does mean to. Even though no matter who it is, whether they're the biggest name in the SEC or just a lineman from anywhere to come and do what everyone is doing this week.
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F
Yeah. And coming from the Sunbelt, I feel like it was an even bigger deal because obviously the money is different, the media day setup is different, but it's very adjacent to almost being named a captain of your team, which I feel like if you ask any former player what their greatest accomplishments are, no matter what they are, no matter what their accolades are, being a captain of the team is always an honor because you're voted on by your teammates and you get to represent your team. This is adjacent to that. You get to represent your team. It means you have the trust of your program top to bottom to step onto the microphone and represent your program the right way. So it's a big deal. I think it's adjacent to the captainship. People might feel like that's a stretch, but being able to fly private and take the pictures and deliver for your team on a media level, it's very exciting stuff, for sure. And now with the nil and stuff, the suits are a little bit nicer as well. The jewelry's a little bit nicer as well. And you get to flaunt some of. So I think big picture, it's cool for your team. In the small picture, I feel like there's a lot of cool perks of talking to people like you talking to the SEC network and things like that. So very cool opportunities for these players for sure. And I feel like not one of them has taken it for granted that we've talked to at least.
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C
Well, Caden, thank you for coming by. Kaden Smith from On3. We appreciate you breaking from what you're doing to come talk to us.
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F
Courseball anytime.
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C
Talk to you soon. We are here first hour of Day two. We'll talk a little bit about the dogs coming up in a few minutes as well as South Carolina later. About an hour from now, we'll talk to Shane Beamer. We'll come right back.
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B
You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum Show Podcast.
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C
And welcome back. As we continue Day two, a lot of news happening over here, including some of our own callers. If you haven't heard, you might check out aol.com if you are wondering what I'm talking about. Graham Coffey joining us from Dog Central. Obviously it was a huge day here. Anytime Kirby Smart shows up, Graham just let's start with him. Just a guy who is now being criticized because he's no longer the unanimous best coach in America, but he understands that when you're expected to win everything every year.
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H
Yeah, maybe not the tip top of the heap the last couple years, but I still think the most consistent coach in America and certainly seemed very relaxed here today. Certainly kind of handled this event like you would expect the dean of SEC coaches to do. I thought it was interesting. You know, we've had an off season in college football, college sports in general that has been very, very focused on things off the field and Congress and different laws and a lack of enforcement. And Kirby was pretty kind of you know, I think focused on, hey, like, what do we have to do to be a winning football team? These are the things that we've defined ourselves on. We want to get back to those things and keeping the main thing, the main thing, like he's talked about for better part of a decade now. So it's interesting to kind of see him walk around and sort of try and shift, I think, back into football mode. Now that we're here on the edge
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C
of fall camp in terms of expectations, they're going to be high. They'll be a top five team. They may not be the pick to win the sec. Not that it makes one bit of difference. As you look at the team, the fans talk about wide receivers. They worry or they wonder about, okay, what's new applications on the defense will shore it up. Where are you focused on?
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H
I think the wide receiver room is a fair place to ask questions about. That's where they lost the most of their production. You look across the rest of that offense. They were young on the offensive line last year, but the guys that were young and started ended up playing very well towards the end of the season. And they bring back four of their five starters up front. They bring back their top four rushers from last season. So if they can get someone to replace that production they lose with Zachariah Branch, Colby Young, Dylan Bell, that's really the big question. They have a very deep tight end room. I think the deepest and most talented tight end room in the country. Without question. In my opinion. They've got four or five guys in there that'll probably be NFL draft picks one day, but you still have to have speed and explosiveness. And Zach Riot Branch was such an easy button for them last year where they could just throw the ball to him behind the line of scrimmage and get from second and 10 to third and three, third and four. I don't think they're going to have anybody that can do that. He was pretty unique in that skill set. But they have some guys like Talon Taylor, who was a five star recruit, C.J. wiley, who was a top 50 recruit in the country. Those guys got some reps last year. It's kind of time for them to step up and be productive.
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C
We're chatting here at Media Days with Graham Coffey, Dog Central. I've heard good things about Gunner Stockton. I was doing some other stuff on tv, so I couldn't pay attention to what he said. But your impressions of what is now the face of the Georgia Bulldogs?
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H
Yeah, you know, he was here Last year at this event and looked very uncomfortable. You know, it was not very comfortable, especially in the big room in that scrum. He seems a little more relaxed, I think, a little more sure of himself this time around. Certainly not ever going to be the most, you know, social, gregarious guy in front of a microphone. But I think he understands now where his place is and has gone and done it versus last year when he was here, he had, he'd really played in two games. Right. And lost a college football playoff game. So I think he's in a spot where he's kind of the real, you know, assert. He's done what he did, needed to do on the field to assert himself as a leader. And you're kind of seeing that carry over, I think, into the confidence that he shows around here.
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C
Chatting with Graham Coffey, we assume Georgia
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E
is going to play for the title and the SEC and make the playoff.
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C
But as you look at Georgia's schedule
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E
and that's all we can do really in the offseason, just, you know, schedule ourselves until we're fuzzy. What do you see on that schedule and where are the, where are the possible pitfalls?
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H
Yeah, I mean, I think that Oklahoma game is going to be one that everyone's excited about there early in the season. That's kind of the first big home game for them, obviously the road game at Alabama. I know they, they had a good day against Alabama and Atlanta, but that was a rematch and we saw Ole Miss get Georgia in a rematch. Those dynamics are a little different. Georgia's not won in Tuscaloosa since 2007. So that, that would be a big statement for them to go and get that done. Even if whatever Alabama is, it doesn't matter. That's still a great environment and very intimidating. So those are the early season spots, but you look late. I think that road game at South Carolina the week before the rivalry game against Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving, that's kind of a sneaky trap game. Shane Beamer is, has been a guy that kind of pulls those late season upsets. He did that to Tennessee in 2022 and derailed their playoff chances. So that's a spot to look out for that. That place at night with arrival especially on the ropes, can get really, really raucous. So they need to come into, I think, November handling business early on. So if they do drop a game there, maybe they don't go to the SEC championship to your point, but their playoff hopes are not at risk.
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C
Talking to Graham in terms of expectations, where would you vote Georgia. Where will you vote? Georgia, I guess I should say in the poll coming out in a couple of days.
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H
I got to put them first. I mean, I love what Texas has. I know Georgia and Texas, Texas don't play each other this year, but I like Georgia's schedule more than I like Texas's. I think Texas has a tougher schedule, and their road games are a little bit more intimidating. So just the chances of Georgia getting through their SEC schedule at 8 and 1 or 9 and oh seem a little greater than Texas, even if Texas might have, you know, a little more proven overall talent or maybe a higher ceiling right now on paper. But if those two are 1 and 2 and they meet in Atlanta, I'm picking Kirby Smart until I see something different. I think that's a logical position to be in.
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C
So much has been made because there's really nothing more to say after a season's over than try to figure out what either went right or wrong. About two years in a row. Winning the title, getting the bye, and then the same result, although much differently in New Orleans. I mean, I remember being in New Orleans last year, hearing Kirby Smart talk about what he was tweaking. It didn't look much different. The game came down to the wire, but still it ended badly. Is there anything, assuming he wins the SEC again, which I'm not sure I'd want to anymore, what have you heard from that program about trying to get over this sudden problem in December?
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H
Yeah, I mean, we talked to Kirby about it today, and he kind of talked about they haven't handled that layoff well. It's an unnatural thing. They've got to figure that out. And there were guys, you know, they. They talked about, hey, basically, we just didn't play our best game when we needed to. And Kirby said, we look forward to showing that we can play our best game when we need to. So we'll see where they go with that. But I do think with Georgia in this playoff situation, those were two very different games, and I think it might be good for them not to win an SEC title and have confetti rain down on them before that long layoff if they go back.
- [29:43]
C
Graham Coffey, thank you very much. We'll take a short break. We have another guest or two. I am going to also update you on the story I alluded to heading to the break. It is just literally broken from al.com and it involves legend. So if you have not heard what this is all about, stick around. I'll be right back.
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B
You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show podcast.
- [30:16]
C
We'll talk to David Collinger from COVID South Carolina in just a minute. Before Let me update you on the story that is literally just breaking at SEC Media Days and it involves Legend. As many of you know, he was coming over here with Kip Keeper covering SEC Media Days and apparently Kip told me earlier that they got two credentials and they put Legend outside the actual media room where the barricades are. Two interviewed people and I saw he posted a picture yesterday with Commissioner Sankey. This is a story that just broke from AL.com by Matt Stahl and the headline is SEC Ejects Legendary Fine Bomb Caller from Media Days. The first line I won't read the whole thing, but you're welcome to go read it. The SEC apparently decided Tuesday it would get one of its best known fans as far away from its media days as as far possible. Gary Legend Wilson, a regular caller on the Fine Bomb show and host of his Saturday morning show on Jocks, was ejected from the main floor at Media Days in Tampa by SEC staff and hired security. Legend of Die Hard Alabama fan made headlines, has made headlines for his lengthy rants on the Fine bombshell was not credentialed for the event, but was seated on the second floor of the Tampa Marriott hosting Media Days in an area where credentials were not required. He was conducting interviews in that area Monday and early on Tuesday. Late Tuesday morning, SEC Director of Communications Craig Pinkerton told Legend he needed to leave the floor after the Feinbaum mainstay protested. Pinkerton had security whisk Wilson off the floor, though he was allowed to remain in the hotel lobby. There was like 30 people out there
- [32:11]
E
without credentials, Legend told AL.com, he just came in and sinkled me out and started yelling in my face.
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C
The area of the second floor appeared to be open to hotel guests and
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E
credential media walked through in order to reach various rooms. The floor also includes a UPS store.
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C
I'm trying to read this with a
- [32:28]
E
straight face, which AL.com confirmed was open on Tuesday and did not require did not appear to require credentials. While others without credentials were in the area Times Monday and Tuesday, they were not conducting conducting interviews. Legend said he had applied for credentials, but the SEC denied his request. They got every podcaster and basement dweller in the country at this meeting with credentials and he wants to come after the Legend, legend said. I'm on tv, I'm on radio. I think he's got a problem with the Legend personally and I think it's discriminatory. Pinkerton, I wish you would help me with this. David Pinkerton said he had no comment on the matter. AL.com observed a portion of the incident in progress when Pinkerton told Legend to just go and retrieved hired security, but was not raising his voice in any notable way, nor was he standing especially close to Legend. In the meanwhile they quoted me and all this other stuff. But one more thing from Legend. He came out here yelling in my face and screaming at me like I was some kind of hoodlum or criminal or something. I'm really ashamed of the way the SEC treats the media, man. Treats the fans. Man, they just treat the fans like crap. I've seen them run other people off even getting up close. It just seems disgraceful how the SEC treats the fans and screams at them and stuff. Anyway, article is available on yale.com I didn't mean to, but that story just broke. David, you understand you've been in the business a long time at a day when there wasn't really a lot of news. This certainly is fascinating. David Cloninger from the Post and Courier. I won't get your comment on that since you just walked in, but I will get your comment on Shane Beamer and how the Gamecocks handled media days.
- [34:14]
I
Sure. Basically they just got done off the main podium with Shane Paul. The players are in there right now. And of course the main question is, you know, you guys had sky high expectations last year, went 4 and 8. So the expectations are low this year. How are you handling that? And most of them have said they're paying as much attention to the expectations this year as they did last year, which Shane even said before going on the main podium last year. Look, they won nine games and brought back their quarterback. So of course expectations are going to be high. Doesn't affect us in the least. So he's saying the low expectations don't affect them in the least. And as he said, and I'm paraphrasing here, but it's like, that's fine. Nobody wants to talk about it. Just leave us alone, let us work and we'll see you in September.
- [34:55]
C
Yeah, and you know, this hot seat talk is. I mean, you have to have a hot seat. But I was asked by somebody and I answered this way. I said everybody was fired last year. There's nobody left to put on the hot seat.
- [35:07]
I
Yeah, pretty much. And it's fortunate you bring it up every year. I kind of have a summer sit down with Shane in his office. We just talk. And I went in and said all Right, look, man, you know, the hot topic. And I said, hot seat, what do you think? And he answered honestly. He's like, I get it, you know, I mean, you had a bad year and you're not in the sec even at South Carolina, you shouldn't have two bad years in a row. So he understands the talk and he knows it's like it's not something that you can think about because there's always pressure to win. And then he did bring it up, who was on the hottest of hot seats last year in 25? And I said, probably Brent Venables, Billy Naper. He said, okay, Brent Venables, they handled it pretty well, won 10 games, went to playoff. So, you know, it's not anything that you can think about going through the season. But he does certainly realize the importance of needing to have a good season this year.
- [35:53]
C
How quickly we've forgotten Sam Pittman. But I did an interview, I think it was with your publication yesterday. And you tell me. I mean, I don't think anybody wants to run him off.
- [36:07]
I
No, no, I don't think so. I mean, I think a lot of people agree with me and I do feel this personally. Shane Beamer is the best coach for South Africa, Carolina and South Carolina is the best place for him. I do realize a lot of people think, man, year six, you shouldn't, you shouldn't have this. You should be consistently winning and like outside of Steve Spurrier, when in South Carolina ever had a really consistent winner. And it took Steve Spurrier until his seventh, eighth year or early sixth or seventh year to finally find that consistency. So you have to be patient, especially a place like South Carolina. And for the fans out there are saying it's got to be eight or nine wins this year. No, no, it just needs to be a winning season. That should be the floor always at South Carolina, a win more than you lose and occasionally beat the rival in the upstate. And that's what you should start at and then build from there.
- [36:53]
C
And that has happened a few times, which I'm sure has helped Shane Beamer a great deal.
- [36:59]
I
Oh, absolutely. You know, Paul, I'm sure you know this, but when they had the nine and four season in 2024, how many nine win seasons has South Carolina ever had in over 130 years of football? Eight.
- [37:11]
C
That's amazing.
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I
Eight. That's it.
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C
They get you fired at Alabama, but it's South Carolina.
- [37:15]
I
There you go. So Shane's got one of them and say, you know how quickly you forget. Yeah, last year was bad and it was not great and it was inexcusable. But this year is this year. And you say you just get back to a winning season and that frankly needs to happen because you have a third year starting quarterback. And as they've been mentioning said last year you guys were sky high with the expectations. This year you're not. But it's the same group of kids, most of the same group of players. So which is it? They're not paying any attention to it and they're hoping to get off to a good start, which has kind of been their bugaboo under Shane. They've not had good starts this season.
- [37:48]
C
We're about to run out of time. But what do you think? What would you, what number would you put on this season?
- [37:52]
I
I would say probably 7 and 5. And then who knows what will happen in the bowl game. 7.
- [37:57]
C
That's good enough, though.
- [37:58]
I
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
- [37:58]
C
Good, man. That's a lifetime job if you can keep it.
- [38:03]
I
Absolutely. And I think he wants to be here. As he said, it's his dream job and this is where he wants to be.
- [38:08]
C
David, thank you.
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E
Didn't mean to upstage you with the breaking news crossing the country right now about legend. More on that tonight on the CNN Primetime Show.
- [38:18]
C
Thank you very much. Great to see you.
- [38:26]
B
Thank you for listening to the best of the paul feinbaum show podcast. Watch the paul fine bomb show weekdays from 3 to 7 eastern on the sec network. Plus you can listen and watch on the espn apple.