Ofentimes the one to crush the head coaches himself with his harsh criticism, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum saw red after hearing Florida State’s QB Thomas Castellanos’ trash talk about the Alabama Crimson Tide and its head football coach Kalen DeBoer.
Besides standing up for DeBoer, the SEC mouthpiece also underlined how silly the move looked, both for him and his university.
“When I saw it yesterday, I laughed. Some people in the media love stuff like that, (but) I think it’s a terrible look for him and for the university,” Finebaum explained on WJOX’s McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning.
“Does it make people mad? Of course. But we’re also sitting here on June 24th when most of the news cycle has dried up and won’t change dramatically. So, a story like that metastasizes.”
That said, Finebaum believes this one comment from Castellanos will give all Alabama players exactly the type of motivation they need to rout Florida State during their season-opening matchup on August 31.
“Some people say these things don’t matter, but I know one thing: every Alabama player has read it. They didn’t really need motivation, it’s the first game of the season, but the motivation comes from the perception that Florida State sucks,” Finebaum continued.
“They had the worst season that any major team has probably ever had and even somebody like me who’d normally respect a game (like Alabama vs. FSU) … it’s impossible for me to respect Florida State. And his comment just made it even worse.”
In all, Finebaum thinks, “Alabama will go in there and obliterate them,” and that “this comment will be stuffed down his throat like somebody being stuffed in a locker in junior high.”