AI Summary
5 min read“Rat poison” is the phrase Lane Kiffin borrowed from Nick Saban to describe Paul Finebaum, and the exchange is the perfect entry point into a college football ecosystem where both men desperately need each other. That is the throughline of Ben Maller’s overnight sports talk show: the sport’s biggest personalities, contracts, and controversies are all performances, and the audience is supposed to know it.
The Finebaum-Kiffin Feud as Mutualism
Maller argues that nobody should believe Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum genuinely dislike each other. They are “two professional pot stirrers fighting over who’s got custody of the spoon.” Finebaum built a career shaking up the “porta potty tank” of college football media, and Kiffin loves looking in the rearview mirror at the mushroom cloud he leaves behind. When Finebaum calls Kiffin a publicity-seeking child, Maller compares it to Guy Fieri complaining that someone put too much cheese on his nachos — it is the nature of the thing being complained about. The relationship is “college football’s perfect dysfunctional marriage,” and Maller grades the entire exchange as a publicity stunt on his Maller Scorecard. College football would be far less entertaining if the two stopped throwing tomatoes at each other.
The Bryce Underwood Money Problem
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What you'll learn
- 1 (04:04) **Patriots Extend Christian Gonzalez** - Ben reports the late-breaking news that New England has signed its star cornerback to a four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed, just ahead of the season opener in Seattle.
- 2 (05:22) **Lane Kiffin vs. Paul Finebaum: Rat Poison or Publicity Stunt?** - Ben introduces the ongoing feud between LSU's coach and the longtime SEC pundit, sparked by Kiffin calling Finebaum "the definition of rat poison" after LSU's win over Clemson.
- 3 (10:29) **Michigan's QB Crisis: Bryce Underwood in Big Trouble** - Ben analyzes Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham's lukewarm endorsement of quarterback Bryce Underwood, who performed poorly in a near-loss to Western Michigan.
- 4 (14:38) **Big Ten Clock Controversy: Mike Pereira Says the Quiet Part Out Loud** - Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira criticized the Big Ten for giving Michigan an extra second to complete a Hail Mary, saying the NFL would have trusted the TV clock showing zero.
- 5 (22:17) **Aaron Judge Returns: Ben Sells the Comeback Hype** - The Yankees have reinstated Aaron Judge after missing three months with a broken rib, and Judge refused a minor league rehab assignment.
- 6 (27:31) **Ronald Acuña Jr. Wants Another Extension: Buyer Beware** - Acuña expressed interest in a new long-term deal with the Braves, but Ben argues Atlanta should say no given his extensive injury history.
- 7 (31:31) **Jack Collinsworth: Nepotism with a Peacock Logo** - Ben discusses Jack Collinsworth's continued role on NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage, arguing his job is a product of his father Chris Collinsworth's influence.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Big Ben talks about Lane Kiffin calling out Paul Finebaum for his criticism over Kiffin's roster building at LSU, Aaron Judge returning to the Yankees lineup after his lengthy IL stint, Maller to the Third Degree, Maller's Mountain of Money: Patsy Cline Edition, and more!
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