Paul Finebaum has “no earthly idea” about the reasoning behind Robert Griffin III’s firing at ESPN, but the ESPN radio host said Friday on the “Paul Finebaum Show” that it “was a big surprise to nearly everyone.”
“Everybody always thinks that people that sit in chairs like this don’t ever want to comment on it,” Finebaum said during a segment of his show, after a caller mentioned that they didn’t agree with Griffin’s firing. “I mean, I’ve got strong opinions on a lot of people I work with, and some of them might blow you away.
“… If I had some insight, I would be happy to share it with you. I know him. I know him pretty well and he was completely different than most of the paint-by-number analysts.”
Griffin and Sam Ponder, who has been the host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” since 2017, were fired Thursday in surprising moves by the network just weeks before the league’s regular season begins.
Finebaum’s comment regarding Griffin’s exit occurred a few days after the former quarterback — and the No. 2 overall pick in 2012 who spent eight seasons in the league — appeared to call out the longtime host for “cheap shots” of Florida State.
Griffin was fired by the network two days later in what was probably a coincidence, but one that certainly got people’s attention.
Griffin didn’t specifically reference Finebaum in his X post Tuesday, but Finebaum said during a “First Take” segment earlier in the day that, “I think [Florida State] used up too many tears crying about not getting in the playoffs. That may slow them down a little bit.”
“Anyone who is throwing shade at or trying to take cheap shots at Florida State for being left out of the College Football Playoff last year must be out of touch with reality,” Griffin wrote on X. “FSU wasn’t a team that was kept out because they lost a game down the stretch. They are a team that were kept out because their starting quarterback fractured his ankle. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING TO MAKE LIGHT OF.
“The players on that team, the coaches, their families and the fans certainly were crying tears for one of the most beloved players in all of college football in Jordan Travis. Then they scrapped their way to an undefeated regular season with a 2nd and 3rd string QB. That team should be CELEBRATED for what they pulled off down the stretch not mocked.”
Here is the latest on ESPN’s personnel decisions
- Riley Gaines floats theory about ESPNer’s firing: ‘Not a coincidence’
- Robert Griffin III’s wife responds to his shock ESPN firing
- ‘It’s all gonna come out’ after ESPN fires Sam Ponder: former host
- Robert Griffin III’s shock ESPN firing giving him ‘Friday’ vibes
- ESPN fires two big names in stunning NFL shakeup
The recent hiring of former Eagles center Jason Kelce bumped Griffin from his spot on “Monday NFL Countdown” — a position he held for two full seasons, along with other appearances throughout the network as a college football and an NFL analyst — ahead of the 2024 campaign, and Griffin reportedly had two years remaining on his ESPN contract.
The Athletic reported that the Griffin and Ponder firings were budget moves.
“There were so many awesome experiences and moments that my family and I will never forget from the last 3 years,” Griffin wrote in an X post Thursday. “What people sometimes fail to realize is none of this is possible without you guys, the FANS. So THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my family through my playing days and broadcast career so far. We love you guys and will continue to seek and defend the truth while telling athletes’ stories the right way.”
