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Paul Finebaum Takes Firm Stand for SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Amid Criticism

Paul Finebaum didn't care for what Oklahoma's top guy had to say about the SEC, especially in the midst of a national emergency.
James Parks|
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The head of the SEC found himself in the rhetorical crosshairs of Oklahoma brass after the conference’s decision to postpone the Sooners’ game against Ole Miss to Sunday as a result of the national FAA grounding.

Right after that decision came down, Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny issued a blistering statement in which he decried the SEC’s decision as “the wrong outcome,” and said he only agreed to it after the SEC threatened the Sooners with a forfeit.

Mouth of the South responds

Paul Finebaum heard what Denny had to say. He didn’t like it one bit.

“What I don’t think is correct is Roger Denny, the athletic director there, pathetically pandering to his fan base at midnight to try to cover up whatever, I don’t know,” Finebaum said bluntly on SEC Network on Saturday.

“But, Mr. Denny, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference made a decision for the entire conference and for the safety of everyone. He’s not concerned about what you’re doing with your fan base. And what Roger Denny has been doing all year is pandering to his fan base.”

Finebaum takes aim at OU’s AD

Part of that alleged pandering? According to Finebaum, it was the decision by Denny to award Sooners head coach Brent Venables with a contract extension.

“They were ranked No. 9 in the country. They have now lost four games and are out of the playoffs. Why did he do that? He’s an impulsive leader,” Finebaum said.

“He’s a former tax attorney. I’m making or castigating tax attorneys or attorneys in general, but they run differently, and what he did here is really against the code of the SEC. To call out a commissioner during a national crisis and emergency?”

Finebaum thinks Denny lashed out in an attempt to win back Oklahoma’s fans.

“He’s thinking about himself and his fan base, who’s already on tinder hooks because of the season and I think he is dead wrong. And quite frankly, I think it’s unbecoming of a leader in college athletics or anywhere to do what he did,” he said.

FAA grounding affects college football

Several college football programs were forced to make changes to kickoff times, but Oklahoma’s home game against Ole Miss was the only one to be postponed.

Denny’s issue was being threatened with a forfeit, and he expressed concern for the logistical complications that fans will have to endure by moving it to Sunday.

But whatever his problems with the SEC’s decision, Paul Finebaum doesn’t care for them being aired out in public.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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