'Carnival Barker' vs. 'Pandering': Finebaum and Oklahoma's AD Trade Shots Over the Ole Miss Postponement

A nationwide flight stop forced one of the SEC's biggest weekend games to Sunday, and by Saturday the fight over that decision had moved from the league office to the airwaves. Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny and SEC Network host Paul Finebaum spent the day trading sharp words, while the Sooners and Ole Miss still have a football game to play.

The trouble started Friday afternoon, when the FAA's nationwide ground stop kept Ole Miss from flying to Oklahoma City in time for Saturday's game in Norman, which had been set for 3:15 p.m. Central. The Rebels could not fly until Saturday, and the SEC moved the game to Sunday.

Oklahoma did not like it. In a statement released late Friday night, Denny said Commissioner Greg Sankey made the call "over our strong objection" after several conversations with the league office. He added that Sankey told the school a failure to play at the directed time on Sunday would result in a forfeit. Denny argued the change was unfair to athletes, to the university and to fans who had already made gameday and travel plans, and he raised the economic toll on the city.

The effects were real on the ground. The OU Daily reported that businesses on Campus Corner, the popular district next to campus, were scrambling to adjust to the new schedule.

Finebaum, who speaks for many SEC fans every weekday, took up the league's side on Saturday's SEC Nation. He said he understood Oklahoma's disappointment, telling viewers, "I understand the frustration," and said the Ole Miss administration did everything it could to get to Norman. Then he turned on Denny, accusing him of "pathetically pandering to his fan base" with a midnight statement.

According to The Big Lead, Finebaum also described Denny as impulsive, pointing to the preseason contract extension Denny gave head coach Brent Venables, and argued that calling out the commissioner in public during a national emergency broke with the way the conference does business.

Denny was ready for it. In a Saturday interview with SoonerScoop and On3, he called Finebaum a "carnival barker" and said he expected to be accused of pandering again. He said he did not care, and that "my duty is to our players, our university and our fan base". Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops also criticized the SEC's decision on social media.

Start with the facts that are not in dispute. A ground stop that grounded flights across the country is not a normal weekend problem, and it was nobody's fault in Norman or Oxford. The league had to make a call with two teams in two states and no airplanes. Moving the game a day keeps it on the field instead of forcing a last-minute scramble on game eve.

Denny's frustration is fair too. He works for a school that hosts thousands of fans who book hotels, plan tailgates and shut their businesses around a kickoff time. Standing up for those families is part of the job, and he did not hide from it.

Where both men went wrong is in the name-calling. "Carnival barker" and "pandering" make for good television, but they do not move a single airplane. Scripture puts it plainly: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). College sports already has enough division between conferences, networks and schools. Leaders who model calm in a crisis teach their players more than any pregame speech.

The best voices in this story may belong to the people saying the least: the Ole Miss staff who, by Finebaum's account, tried every option to get to Oklahoma, and the players on both sides who will simply show up and play when they are told.

The game is on for Sunday under the league's directive, and Oklahoma has been told a no-show would mean a forfeit. Expect the Sooners to play and to use the slight as fuel in front of their home crowd.

The bigger fight is over who decides when the unexpected hits. Denny has made clear he will keep pressing the league on how it handles these calls, and Finebaum has made clear he thinks the commissioner deserves the benefit of the doubt. With the College Football Playoff picture tightening every week, the SEC may want a clearer rulebook for travel emergencies before the next storm, power outage or ground stop arrives.