Paul Finebaum explains intense altercation with Nick Saban at 2016 SEC Media Days

Paul Finebaum and Nick Saban may be chummy nowadays, but an altercation between the SEC duo took the college football world by storm back at the 2016 SEC Media Days.

Harkening back to the intense war of words, Finebaum joined former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy to explain the story in full.

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“That is something that happened I believe 2015, 2016 — I really don’t even remember but a couple of players at Alabama had been arrested in Louisiana, and one had a gun in his car. He claimed he had fallen asleep. I don’t remember all the details,” stated Finebaum. “What I didn’t understand, and I’ll explain this in a minute, at the big press conference, the one that we televised, we’re all sitting there and I vaguely remember you being on the set. I was next to Saban, and the first question of Saban from the room came from Touchdown Alabama, which is a great organization, about who he thought would be the starting right tackle. Next one was even more obscure. I mean, they came back to us on set and Dari Nowkhah said I mean, it’s amazing that nobody was going to ask the question.

“Five minutes later here comes Saban, and Dari asked the first question and then I followed up, and Saban gave a typical Nick Saban response, you’ve heard a million of. I interrupted him. Have you ever seen anybody interrupt him? So he didn’t like it. He expounded on his answer. I interrupted his bloviating and he basically said, ‘Well, you want to see this guy suspended.’ I said, I came back and said, ‘No I don’t.’ And it went back and forth. The second it was over, everybody was holding their breath.”

Then, Finebaum notes that the moment that would intertwine him and Saban forever began to take place.

“We were, all the media was behind us, I didn’t realize a crowd had gathered. I wasn’t thinking about it. He started chewing me out even worse,” added Finebaum. “Somebody from AL.com had the video, and it went crazy. So, about an hour later I’m going to the washroom and he stops me again. He said, ‘You don’t know what it’s like to be a parent.’ At that point I’m just nodding my head and he’s screaming and hollering. Finally, he left. .. I think he realized, I’m getting calls from Colin Cowherd, Jim Rome — everybody’s calling. ‘Hey, it’s about time you stood up to that guy.’ Meanwhile Alabama fans are all just excoriating me for being taken behind the woodshed by Nick Saban.

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“I don’t really know or even care anymore. .. Finally the coordinator of SEC Nation came and said, ‘You know Nick Saban is trying to get ahold of you.’ I’m going, ‘So what?’ I’ve been chewed out by him four times today, why would I want to talk to him again? This went on for about an hour. Finally, someone a little more senior at the company said we all think it’s a good idea if you call him back.”

Continuing, the SEC Network expert would eventually return Saban’s call, and what followed was a baffling turn of events.

“So I called him back, and it was quintessential Nick Saban. ‘Hey Buddy, how you doing?’ I said, ‘Doing fine Coach.’ Instead of saying I’m sorry, I apologize, maybe we’re both at fault, maybe you’re at fault. He said, ‘Hey buddy, hope you don’t think I’m mad at you.’ I’m going I’m good, I’m fine. He’s going, I mean we’ve been friends a long time, you’ve been great for us, you always help the program, you mean a lot to college football. I said, ‘Well thank you Coach.’ It was utterly bewildering having that experience that so many people like you have dealt with on a much worse basis,” stated Finebaum. “It really, and I’m not self aggrandizing here but it was the story of media day. Nothing else came close.”

Nevertheless, Nick Saban’s wife — Terry Saban — believes the altercation was tremendous, both for the career of her husband, and the career of Finebaum.

“I ran into Terry Saban at the national championship game that year. I was at the restaurant and she was having trouble getting in. I helped her get it, which sounds crazy but they didn’t know who she was in Tampa,” stated Finebaum. “She comes over and goes, ‘By the way, I’ve been meaning to call you.’ She said, ‘You have no idea. That was the best thing to ever happen to you, and the best thing to ever happen to Nick.’ Because everybody knew that Nick was standing up for the players, and it helped you because it looked like you were willing to stand up to him.”

Hilariously, Finebaum was scarred by the encounter with Terry’s husband, telling her, ‘That’s never happening again.’

All is well that ends well — Nick Saban and Paul Finebaum may have had beef in the past, but the duo are both in pretty admirable positions nowadays.