The sports media world got a jolt Monday when OutKick’s Clay Travis dropped a bombshell on social media, claiming ESPN had quietly removed Paul Finebaum from all network appearances. This happened after the longtime SEC analyst expressed interest in running for U.S. Senate in Alabama. Travis didn’t hold back, stating that “Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama” and that the network “has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus.”
But as soon as the tweet started to garner attention, a swift denial came from ESPN’s Bill Hofheimer, the network’s VP of public relations. Bill wasted no time in shutting down the report by Travis, saying, “This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE.” It was the categorical denial that either shuts down a story immediately or sets up an even bigger confrontation, and in this case, it was the latter.
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Travis wasn’t having it. His response to Hofheimer was dripping with condescension and doubled down on the original claim. “LOL. This decision is above your pay grade, Bill. Why wasn’t @finebaum on Sunday AM SportsCenter yesterday? Or First Take this morning? For the first time in over a decade? Reacting to one of the biggest college football weekends of the year? I stand by my sources,” Travis fired back. All these questions are fair, and they make sense. Finebaum is known for his Sunday SportsCenter appearances, but decided not to be there out of the blue? More reports are incoming as the news becomes widespread, with On3’s Pete Nakos confirming the firing.
This is a developing story…