Paul Finebaum believes Tennessee debacle benefitted Lane Kiffin

Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back when describing the debacle that unraveled at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night. However, Finebaum has an interesting theory regarding the fall out for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.

On The ESPN College Football Show, Finebaum mentioned that he believes the scene benefitted Kiffin.

“The Lane Kiffin thing was 2010, but Tennessee fans have been unable to get over that,” stated Finebaum. “If Lane Kiffin had been sitting there with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen in Hollywood, say ‘let’s come up with the best thing that can happen to me. Let’s win the game at the end, and have people throw things at me and nearly kill me coming off the field.’

“Kiffin comes off as a sympathetic figure. You just can’t make it up.”

After the victory, Kiffin addressed the fan’s behavior in a postgame interview. Instead of disparaging the Volunteers’ fanbase like Finebaum did prior, the Rebels head coach opted to compliment them.

“Relief,” Kiffin told ESPN’s Cole Cubelic during the post-game interview about what he felt. “I don’t know if I’m more excited we found a way to win or I didn’t get hit with the golf balls they were throwing at me. But no really, our defense rose to the occasion. We did horrible on offense by not finishing off. (Matt Carrol) battled with a ton of injuries around him. We had basically four starters didn’t play on offense. So an electric crowd —  credit to them — this is a great place and great fans.”

Moreover, Kiffin talked about the message he sent to his team after being hit with the golf ball.

“Well, they were just throwing stuff and I said ‘put your helmets on let’s play,’” he said. “It was actually their people who came over and moved us off. … It is what it is. They’re passionate fans and they’re 100,00 people who came to see a show. It didn’t end up the way they wanted; so it is what it is.”

Finebaum: ‘Classless and unconscionable behavior.’

Furthermore, Finebaum was appalled by the actions of Tennessee Volunteers fans inside Neyland Stadium last night. On Sportscenter Sunday morning, Finebaum eviscerated the fanbase’s behavior.

“I thought it was classless and unconscionable behavior,” stated Finebaum. “It was an absolute disgrace. And I realize this — as everyone does, in a stadium of 100,000-plus — this was not just a handful. It was maybe a couple hundred. But that’s one too many.

“The idea that somebody would throw a golf ball and nearly hit Lane Kiffin. … It’s hard to wrap your arms around what a bad and ugly look that was for the University of Tennessee.”

Like Finebaum, the rest of the world was in shock and awe over the behavior witnessed last night. It harkened back to when Cleveland Browns fans threw beer bottles onto the field in 2001, following a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It was a perfect storm of chaos last night in Knoxville. First, Kiffin‘s return and the hunger to defeat him ran wild throughout the university. Additionally, a nail-biter of a game featuring multiple momentum shifts had everyone on edge.

However, as Finebaum mentions, there’s no excuse for the behavior we witnessed last night. While the thrill of a big-time SEC matchup was on display, so was the ugly side of intense fandom.