Paul Feinbaum’s comment regarding Miami as a third-world program is troubling beyond his thinly veiled apology issued on Tuesday.
Paul Feinbaum’s ESPN colleague and University of Miami alum Dan LeBetard was correct to call out Feinbaum. Feinbaum’s comment calling the University of Miami and their football team a third world program is troubling on many levels.
Dan LeBetard is a colleague of Paul Feinbaum at ESPN and a University of Miami alum. LeBetard admitted that his show would never ask for an apology. They did request that Feinbaum clarify his comments.
Feinbaum’s comment was in response to a caller asking the SEC shill about an incident involving a band director for the University of Florida being attacked following Saturday night’s game in Orlando against Miami.
There have been many claims against Feinbaum over the years of having a bias against the University of Miami and their football program. It is tough to substantiate that Feinbaum or anyone else has a clear bias against Miami or anyone else. He seems to have a clear dislike and lack of respect for Miami.
The comments by Feinbaum were in response to the Florida band director being pushed to the ground and hitting his head on the pavement. He was alleged to have been protecting band members following a female Miami fan trying to push her way through the band. It is still unclear what actually happened.
The caller asked Feinbaum if he heard about the incident. It nearly sounds like it was set up for a response from Feinbaum. Feinbaum saying he doesn’t want to incite the crowd indicates a troubling notion that he has about Miami.
"Caller: “One other story I saw this morning, the Florida band director was attacked out in the parking lot going to the bus. I was wondering if you heard anything about that?”Finebaum: “I haven’t heard much, but I did hear about it. You know, I don’t want to incite the crowd here, but when it comes to Miami, nothing surprises me. It’s just a… it’s a third-world program if you ask me.”"
LeBetard has had his own issues with ESPN lately. He was off the air for one day last month by his choosing for calling out racism in the past. ESPN has a strict no politics policy with their hosts. It is clear by asking Feinbaum to clarify his comments that LeBetard is asking him to explain his comments that can be construed as racist.
LeBetard asked for the clarification from Feinbaum on his show on Tuesday and played the comments from Feinbaum.
LeBetard is the child of Cuban immigrants. He is sensitive to the plight of immigrants and minorities in the U.S. LeBetard understands that Feinbaum who has hosted talk shows for decades centered around the SEC is going to lean that way. The Miami native did not have a problem with that.
What LeBetard did have an issue with was in his words was “coded dogwhistle language” regarding the University of Miami and their football program. Feinbaum practically stopped short of the pejorative thugs for the Hurricanes athletic programs. USA Today quoted part of LeBetard’s comments.
"“We are not the show that demands apologies. We are the show that makes fun of the idea of demanding, from someone, an apology. However, this show is vigorously demanding a clarification from Paul Finebaum on something he said on his show yesterday.He’s in SEC country, and it’s fine to make fun of all things Miami, right up until you get into some coded dogwhistle language that is dangerous. That sort of demands a clarification.So what did you mean by ‘third-world program,’ Paul? Can you clarify that for us, please? We are not in the business of demanding apologies. We are unlikely to demand an apology, unless your clarification does not suit us, and then we will rally all the brown people in Miami and demand that you talk about our banana republic more respectfully than that.”"
Feinbaum responded with a very thinly veiled apology later on Tuesday. LeBetard’s show airs in Miami on WQAM from 10AM-1PM ET. The Paul Feinbaum show airs weekdays from 3PM-7PM ET.