ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum goes on a 2-minute rant lambasting University of Michigan football fans for being the most ‘arrogant’ fan base in college sports

pulse

December 29, 2016 3:22 PM

Finebaum said he may be "tone deaf" to Alabama fans because he used to live there, but said he's "pretty firm" on his stance about Michigan fans.

jim harbaugh

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum is not a fan of the University of Michigan.

Speaking on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" on Thursday, Finebaum ripped into Michigan football fans, seemingly out of the blue, when asked which school's fan base he finds the most "arrogant."

"Michigan fans lately have been the worst," Finebaum said. "Because they have won, let's see, half of a national championship in about 60 years, and they talk like they're Alabama, Ohio State, [Southern California], Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Penn State wrapped into one."

When one of the hosts made a joke about Notre Dame, Finebaum then turned it back to the Wolverines and unleashed on Michigan and its fans for having a sense of entitlement that he believes became worse when the school hired Jim Harbaugh.

"I respect Notre Dame. I don't respect Michigan. Notre Dame stands for something. Notre Dame doesn't think its better than everyone else because it has a record. It, for the most part, has stood on integrity and tradition. Michigan thinks its better than everyone else, and I don't understand why.

"It's a good school. But it's not Harvard, it's not Princeton, it's the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. So, I just get freaked out when Michigan fans walk around like they've done something. When Harbaugh showed up, it gave them a sense of entitlement that they really haven't earned. Harbaugh's a very good coach, he's one of the best coaches in the country. He's yet to beat his chief rival [Urban Meyer], he's yet to win a championship in two years, and I'm sure in two more years, if he hasn't done that, he'll kick the lockers and walk out and go back to the NFL. But right now, to me, they don't have a seat at the big boy table."

Finebaum took another shot at Harbaugh, saying he lost the "biggest game of the year" and then blamed the officiating. He said he feels sorry for the families of the officials in Michigan's upcoming Orange Bowl game because Harbaugh is already "researching them, trying to find someone to blame if the game doesn't go his way."

It's unclear what, exactly, set Finebaum off, other than unpleasant interactions with Michigan fans throughout the season. But if he was having unpleasant exchanges before Thursday, he likely didn't help his case for future run-ins.

Watch the segment below:

pulse