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Paul Finebaum shockingly considering leaving ESPN to run for Senate after Charlie Kirk assassination: ‘It was an awakening’
New York Post ^ | Sep. 29, 2025 | Jenna Lemoncelli Published Sep. 29, 2025

Posted on 09/29/2025 3:46:20 PM PDT by nickcarraway

ESPN SEC Network host and analyst Paul Finebaum said he is “considering” leaving the Worldwide Leader to run for the US Senate on the republican ticket following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

In a recent interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, the 70-year-old Finebaum explained that “one or two people in Washington had reached out” to gauge his interest in politics — and that Kirk’s murder fueled a desire for him to be involved.

“It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening,” Finebaum said of Kirk, who was killed on Sept. 10 during a Utah Valley University event at the age of 31. “… One or two people in Washington had reached out to me about whether I would be interested in politics, something I never thought about before. Something I didn’t really think possible. I gave some thought to it as the [after Kirk’s murder] weekend unfolded and got a little bit more interested.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: alabama; charliekirk; espn; paulfinebaum
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I am kind of surprised he isn't a Democrat.

As far as running for Senate, what advantages does he bring? He's hardly high profile, even on ESPN. I doubt he's on the top 25 most popular on ESPN.

1 posted on 09/29/2025 3:46:20 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

He’s considering running for Tommy Tuberville’s Alabama seat, who is now running for Alabama governor.

As an Alabamian, I never heard much about him. He sounds like a carpetbagger. We vote for people based on their conservative values, Finebaum.


2 posted on 09/29/2025 3:50:14 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (They don't kill you because you're a Nazi, they call you a Nazi so they can kill you.--CFW)
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To: nickcarraway

Well I used to listen to him on the radio long ago. I found him obnoxious and not very likable. He had this caller named Shane that he enjoyed humiliating. :-)

But that was many years ago.


3 posted on 09/29/2025 3:53:22 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: nickcarraway

Trump was a Democrat as Reagan was and both saw the light.

TO ALL get this FREEPATHON done. DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?


4 posted on 09/29/2025 3:54:15 PM PDT by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: nickcarraway
I am kind of surprised he isn't a Democrat.

I'd be afraid of a wolf in sheep's clothing. The Disney carpet munching, pedo pushing, race baiters might give Finebaum a "severance package" to help him in his political future.

5 posted on 09/29/2025 3:54:16 PM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: nickcarraway

He is 70, only one or two people have reached out to him and he thinks that Arch Manning is the best football player in a generation?

That is not much of a basis for a U.S. Senate campaign.


6 posted on 09/29/2025 3:59:34 PM PDT by Round Earther
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To: nickcarraway

Can’t he run in a blue state somewhere?


7 posted on 09/29/2025 4:00:27 PM PDT by montag813
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To: Alas Babylon!
He sounds like a carpetbagger.

He was born in Tennessee, but he started working for The Birmingham Post-Herald in 1980, so he's been in Alabama for 2/3rds of his life. He covers the sports of University of Alabama. Apparently, because of that he is hugely known in Alabama:


King of the South

8 posted on 09/29/2025 4:09:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

His talk show caters to rabid SEC fans from the original founding conference members.

He seems like a fish out of water to me.

He cultivates callers who are Good ‘ol Boys but there is NOTHING Good ‘ol Boy about him.

And Southern politics in particular is old school where hand shaking, back slapping, and stroking those in powerful positions who needed to be stroked.

I don’t mean to demean Southerners, but there ain’t no Bubba in Finebaum and a little Bubba goes a long way to winning elections in the South.

Bill Clinton and Jimmah Carter were not good ol’ boys by any means but they played the Bubba card to perfection.


9 posted on 09/29/2025 4:16:25 PM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: Alas Babylon!

I heard Bruce Pearl retired as Auburn basketball coach to run for Senate.


10 posted on 09/29/2025 4:18:02 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: montag813

He was born, and worked all his life in the South. I guess he could try North Carolina or Georgia, but he’s most famous in Alabama. And his ties to the Crimson Tide would probably hurt him in Georgia.


11 posted on 09/29/2025 4:18:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Biblebelter

He was born, and lived his entire life in the South.


12 posted on 09/29/2025 4:19:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Biblebelter

He cultivates callers who are Good ‘ol Boys but there is NOTHING Good ‘ol Boy about him.


Just because he’s Jewish, is that it?


13 posted on 09/29/2025 4:19:52 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: nickcarraway

14 posted on 09/29/2025 5:18:53 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: plain talk
Well I used to listen to him on the radio long ago. I found him obnoxious and not very likable. He had this caller named Shane that he enjoyed humiliating. :-) But that was many years ago.

Same here. He always came across as a gadfly, though I did enjoy his dustup with Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister.

He's 70 years old and nobody really knows where he stands. Pass....

15 posted on 09/29/2025 5:51:02 PM PDT by awelliott (What one generation tolerates, the next embraces....)
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To: Libloather

His ears are too big.


16 posted on 09/29/2025 6:01:30 PM PDT by Reynoldo (BurnLootMurder)
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To: dfwgator; Biblebelter

There are Jewish good ol’ boys.


17 posted on 09/29/2025 6:02:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

I’m lukewarm on him. Used to be a regular listener of his when waiting in car line picking up kids. Loved the callers.

I do remember his show when one of his regular callers Tammy (die-hard Auburn fan) was killed with her grandchild on the 280 a few years back. He could barely speak. Tough show.


18 posted on 09/29/2025 7:22:21 PM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: nickcarraway

To quote an old line from Ball Four - he looks like a taxi cab going down the street with the doors open.

Would be a historic event if he gets in - Alabama would have one of the best looking senators (Katie Britt) and one of the ugliest.


19 posted on 09/29/2025 7:31:06 PM PDT by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite its unfashionability)
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To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.
Would be a historic event if he gets in - Alabama would have one of the best looking senators (Katie Britt) and one of the ugliest.

That is par for the course in SEC country. 🤣

20 posted on 09/29/2025 8:18:19 PM PDT by Mozzafiato
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