Paul Finebaum evaluates Jimbo Fisher’s stance on Bobby Petrino’s addition, role

Jimbo Fisher only made the hire of Bobby Petrino at Texas A&M more of a headline with his behavior regarding the move while at SEC Media Days. It was such a blunder that even Paul Finebaum didn’t truly know what to make of it while in Nashville last week.

Finebaum addressed Fisher’s handling of the matter while in Music City and his own interactions with the Aggie’s head coach on ‘The Matt Barrie Show’ last week. He said it was very clear that Fisher was frustrated while making the rounds and may have accidentally let some news about Petrino on his own show. All in all, though, Finebaum sees it as the mannerisms of a coach that, at this point, has nothing to lose.

“He’s heard all this chatter. And I think that he came there with an attitude. What’s really funny is he did that interview. And then the SEC Network goes off the air. So he’s obligated, I guess, to do one more with the network. He comes up with me. I had not heard what he had said because I was doing something else, I was interviewing someone else,” Finebaum said. “It’s so awkward talking to him and he’s talking a mile a minute. I didn’t even realize he had said it because one of the TexAg guys came up to me afterward and said, ‘I can’t believe he admitted on your show that Bobby Petrino is calling the plays’. And I think he slipped up.”

“He was rambling on about (everything). He said it. And you can’t understand Jimbo anyway so I missed it. He just cannot relax,” continued Finebaum. “But I got the distinct impression that he feels really good about this situation. He doesn’t care about the $75 million buyout and why should he? Would you care?”

Again, nothing would have been made of the matter had Fisher handled it how many expected. Instead, the answer to who is calling plays on offense this season in College Station remained clouded at best.

Still, Finebaum does believe that Petrino, regardless of if he has the headset on or not, will make a difference for Texas A&M. People may feel some type of way about him but, with the Aggie’s weapons, Finebaum believes he has a chance to succeed again in another shot in the SEC.

“Petrino is a punchline because of the Harley incident at Arkansas. But, you know, he coached Lamar Jackson. 12 years ago? He was the second-best coach in the SEC behind (Nick) Saban. I mean he was rolling,” Finebaum said. “It doesn’t matter anymore that he’s a bad guy or that he doesn’t care about that. Listen, there are a lot of bad guys in every sport. But he is going to help that program.”

“They have a good quarterback in Conner Weigman. He’s very capable. They have stars across the board,” said Finebaum. “I think they’re going to have a seriously good year.”

Fisher’s handling of the questions about Petrino was perplexing at best at times while inside the Grand Hyatt. Even so, Finebaum closed by reminding everyone that that’s just who Fisher is, at least at this point, considering the recent scrutiny he has faced.

“I wish Jimbo could handle the media better but he’s not going to,” Finebaum added. “He’s still angry. I don’t know what he’s angry about but that’s just who he is.”

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