Finebaum gets heated on ESPN's 'Outside the Lines' over Hank Williams Jr.

Three grown men, including Paul Finebaum, yelled at each other on television over ESPN's decision to end its relationship with country music singer Hank Williams Jr., who recently compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler on Fox News.

The Associated Press reports that Williams and ESPN each took credit for the decision Thursday morning to ax his popular song intro to "Monday Night Football." ESPN previously pulled the song after Williams' now-infamous analogy.

Finebaum appeared along with sportswriter Dave Zirin and sports radio talk show host Bomani Jones on the ESPN afternoon program "Outside the Lines" to discuss ESPN's decision to pull the song.

Things quickly got heated when Finebaum took his first opportunity to speak to bash Zirin's earlier comment that ESPN should have never affiliated itself with Williams because of his music's pro-Confederacy themes, including a song called "If the South Would Have Won," which Zirin referenced specifically.

Finebaum called that one of the stupidest things he's ever heard before defending Williams' right to express those opinions.

The Birmingham-based talk show host took issue with comments made by both Zirin and Jones, whom he said were spouting the same "condescending putdown of the South," each suggesting that no blacks listen to country music.

The satellite delay didn't help matters either, as all four men on the show, including the host, began yelling at once to make points and attempt to keep the discussion in order.

After his appearance on ESPN, Finebaum returned to his program, "The Paul Finebaum Radio Network," where he said he did not go into the segment with such a strong opinion. He said he thinks Williams made a stupid comment, but he does not think he ought be fired over it.

He then set his sights on Zirin again.

"I respect Dave, but that's the single stupidest thing I've heard on the show," Finebaum said. "I don't remember what else I said, and I don't think I really want to see it because I don't think I made a whole lot of sense because Zirin really ticked me off."

Finebaum did not sound particularly proud of the segment.

"It was Ricky Lake meets 'Outside the Lines,'" Finebaum said.

When Finebaum brought up the fact that his parents are from New York and that he has relatives who died during the Holocaust, Jones and Zirin each said that point had nothing to do with the reason they were appearing on the ESPN show.

"Dave Zirin and Bomani Jones don't have the right to insult every southerner," Finebaum said on his show. "Zirin insulted every soldier who fought for the Confederacy. I don't have relatives from the South, but I'm not going to let that person insult the good name of all these people because Hank Williams happens to be a country music star."

Referring back to the song "If the South Would Have Won" Zirin previously referred to on the show, Finebaum said, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, "It's too bad they didn't."

"I'm sure they'll never have me back," Finebaum said. "I'll be banned from ESPN for life."

Watch the video below.  Finebaum's segment starts at about 12:05 into the show.

WATCH HERE