It's never too late to switch gears and ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is the latest example. The 70-year old recently shared that he might be leaving the network for a shot at Congress. He shared that the death of Charlie Kirk — a political activist who was killed earlier this month — aided in his consideration to go into politics.
“I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,” Finebaum told Outkick. “I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day … It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening.”
Finebaum was a radio host in Alabama for 30 years before joining ESPN and the SEC Network. He shared that while he didn't know Charlie Kirk personally, his death was eye-opening for him.
“One or two people in Washington had reached out to me about whether I would be interested in politics, something I never thought about before. Something I didn't really think possible,” he said. “I gave some thought to it as the weekend [after Kirk's murder] unfolded and got a little bit more interested.”
The ESPN analyst will be running as a Republican and was not considering running, given that Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pear had previously expressed a run of his own but later decided not to go for it.
“I was… hesitant at first because I was very aware of Bruce’s interest and [I'm a] huge fan of Bruce… I didn’t take it too seriously,” Finebaum said. “I ended up talking to someone… who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved. And this person… was compelling and compassionate in the approach to me, and I started thinking about this.”
Tommy Tuberville, who was a previous Auburn Tigers football coach before becoming a senator of Alabama announced his candidacy for the 2026 Alabama gubernatorial election which could be Finebaum's pathway into the seat. He spoke highly of the state of Alabama after working there for over 30 years.
“Alabama has always been the place I've felt the most welcome, that I've cared the most about the people,” he said. “I've spoken to people from Alabama for 35 years, and I feel there is a connection that is hard to explain.”
He has not yet announced an actual run for senate but we'll soon find out if he'll run as the deadline is Jan. 26, 2026 and he will make his decision in the next 30-45 days.
