THE SHOALS-The Shoals Chamber is currently accepting sponsorships for its 2019 Annual Celebration highlighting Paul Finebaum, a longtime sports talk radio host known by many as the leading sports authority in the South and the “Voice of the SEC’. The event will be held on Thursday, March 7 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center, with reception beginning at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m.
The Celebration also includes the announcement of the Chamber’s prestigious Citizen of the Year Award, as well as remarks from Chair of the Shoals Chamber Board of Directors, Jan Ingle and incoming Chair Mark Reid.
The Chamber is currently accepting event and speaker sponsorships. The speaker sponsorships include a VIP meet & greet with photo opportunity with Finebaum, as well as additional options, such as seating at the head table with Finebaum during dinner. To reserve a sponsorship, visit www.shoalschamber.com or contact the Shoals Chamber at 256-764-4661.
Individual tickets will be released for sale on Tuesday, January 15.
About Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum joined ESPN in August 2013 as host of the The Paul Finebaum Show. The four-hour daily program, heard on ESPN Radio and simulcast on SEC Network, showcases Finebaum’s compelling opinions and deep knowledge of the SEC as well as his interactions with his passionate callers, many of whom have followed him for years. In 2017, Finebaum debuted a TV-only hour of his show on ESPN2.
In addition to hosting The Paul Finebaum Show, he serves as a weekly analyst on SEC Nation, the traveling pregame show for SEC Network. And he appears on a variety of other ESPN shows and outlets, including SportsCenter, College Football Live, College GameDay and in ESPN The Magazine.
Prior to joining ESPN, Finebaum served as host of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network (2001- 2012). Finebaum arrived in Birmingham in 1980 and became an award-winning columnist and investigative reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald and later the Mobile Press-Register. From 2011 – 2012, Finebaum wrote a college football column for SI.com.
Finebaum has received many honors for his work. In March 2013, Sports Illustrated ranked him one of the 20 Most Powerful People in Sports Media nationally (#17). Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic of ESPN (at No. 14) were the only other radio hosts mentioned on the list. In 2004, Sports Illustrated named the show as one of the top 12 sports radio shows in the United States.
In January 2012, The Bleacher Report named Finebaum one of the “25 Most Influential People” in college football. Bunn Sports, a regional website, listed Finebaum as “the No. 1 must-follow in college football’’ on twitter. In July 2009, The Orlando Sentinel named Finebaum one of the SEC’s “10 most powerful people.” In 2002, Finebaum was named by The Tennesseanin Nashville as one of the “Southeastern Conference’s Top Power Brokers,” coming in at No. 4.
Finebaum is a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee and resides in Charlotte with his wife.
