Oklahoma AD Hits Back After ESPN’s Paul Finebaum Calls Him Out for Losing Cool Over Ole Miss Clash Delay: “Send Their Carnival Barker Out”

What was supposed to be a straightforward schedule change quickly spiraled into a war of words. Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny was furious after the Sooners’ game against Ole Miss was moved to Sunday, accusing the conference of disregarding the fans. His criticism didn’t sit well with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who defended Ole Miss. Denny, however, wasn’t going to back down without firing another shot.

Speaking with SoonerScoop, Denny was asked whether the move had damaged Oklahoma’s relationship with the SEC. He answered with a healthy dose of sarcasm, in an apparent reference to Finebaum’s accusation that he was pandering to his fan base.

“They’ll probably send their carnival barker out there to accuse me of pandering again. And candidly, I don’t care,” Denny remarked.

The anger comes from what Denny described as the conference’s ultimatum. According to his statement, when the Sooners objected to moving the game from Saturday to Sunday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told the school that failing to play at the directed time would result in a forfeit. With that threat hanging over them, the Sooners had little choice but to accept the decision.

For Denny, the frustration goes beyond a scheduling change. Fans were made to bear the brunt of a decision they had no say in, and many had already arranged their plans around Saturday’s game.

“After continued discussions, he further informed us that our failure to play on Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit. Rescheduling the game has a significant impact, particularly on our fans,” said Denny in a statement.

“Those who have made travel arrangements, accommodations, and personal plans around a Saturday game now face unnecessary disruption and hardship. Their time, commitment, and investment deserve greater consideration than they were afforded in the conference’s decision tonight.”

The decision has not gone down well in Oklahoma, and some have questioned why Ole Miss didn’t simply drive. Oklahoma’s stadium in Norman is roughly an eight-hour drive from the Ole Miss campus, leading some to argue that the Rebels could have made the trip and played Saturday had they wanted to. Instead, the SEC moved the game to Sunday after Ole Miss’ charter flight was delayed.

Amid the escalating back-and-forth, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum stepped in with a sharp attack on Denny, accusing him of pandering to his fan base during a nationwide air travel disruption.

“What I don’t think is correct is Roger Denny, the athletic director there, pathetically pandering to his fan base at midnight to try to cover up whatever, I don’t know.”

“But Mr. Denny, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, made a decision for the entire conference and for the safety of everyone. He’s not concerned about what you’re doing with your fan base. And what Roger Denny has been doing all year is pandering to his fan base.”

While Oklahoma has reason to be frustrated, the situation was largely beyond Ole Miss’ control. The nationwide ground stop disrupted travel across the country and affected sporting events in several leagues.

Ole Miss’ challenges were compounded by the ground stop. The Rebels fly out of Tupelo Regional Airport, roughly an hour from Oxford, and had limited options once their JetBlue crew timed out Friday night. Tupelo is not a JetBlue hub, so no replacement crew was readily available, and the airport had no incoming commercial flights that could bring one in.

Even after the crew completed the mandatory 10-hour rest period, the team would still have faced hours of travel, boarding, and ground transfers. Reaching Norman in time for a Saturday kickoff would have been difficult, which is why the SEC moved the game to Sunday.

The post Oklahoma AD Hits Back After ESPN’s Paul Finebaum Calls Him Out for Losing Cool Over Ole Miss Clash Delay: “Send Their Carnival Barker Out” appeared first on EssentiallySports.