Paul Finebaum gets emotional discussing Tuscaloosa News columnist Cecil Hurt's death

Silence opened the 5 o'clock hour of "The Paul Finebaum Show" on Tuesday night. 

The camera zoomed in on Paul Finebaum, and his eyes were red. Finebaum started to talk with a quiver in his voice. 

"And we welcome you back to the final hour with some incredibly sad news to share with the audience," Finebaum said. "A friend of ours — not only a friend but an institution — has passed away. Cecil Hurt, who forever has been the sports editor of the Tuscaloosa News and their lead sports columnist and an absolute institution and arguably one of the most influential people to ever write sports or talk in that state or the SEC, has passed away. He died earlier at UAB hospital. He was 62 years old. He fell ill several weeks ago and just never recovered." 

Finebaum then brought on Aaron Suttles as a guest to discuss Hurt. Suttles covers Alabama at The Atheltic and previously worked at the Tuscaloosa News. 

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Suttles and Finebaum discussed aspects of Hurt that they loved the most.

"I think the first time I met him, he was carrying a copy of 'Catcher in the Rye,' and he was reading it during halftime of a basketball game," Finebaum said. "He was so unique. Those are quirky things that friends laugh at, but no one could laugh at his brilliance as a writer, as a reporter, as an opinionist, but also someone — who I think — was the most influential voice of the last 30 years in relation to the University of Alabama. Because it wasn't that he had the largest audience, but those who mattered the most paid attention to what he had to say." 

Hurt was the first guest Finebaum ever had on the radio.

"We would have Cecil on this program, as you remember, twice a week," Finebaum said. "The last time we talked to him not that long ago I said, he's the longest-running guest on this program, because he was there the first day. And you had to listen to his words like Wall Street would listen to what the fed chairman had to say about interest rates, because you never knew when he was going to say that word ... that tipped the balance, because he was so careful and cautious."

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The discussion between Finebaum and Suttles continued for about 17 minutes. Suttles shared many of his own memories of Hurt during the conversation. 

"I will forever be in your debt for coming on to talk about Cecil so quickly," Finebaum said to Suttles.

The rest of the hour, Finebaum's callers shared condolences to Hurt and his family. Finebaum also discussed Hurt with Tommy Deas, the SEC Enterprise Editor for the USA Today Network in Tuscaloosa. 

A pastor who identified himself as Jeremy in Tuscaloosa offered to give a prayer near the end of the show. Finebaum encouraged him to say the prayer. 

"God, we come to you with broken hearts," Jeremy said. "Lord, Cecil has impacted the lives of so many in so many positive ways. You called him home. We don't question your plan. We don't question your purpose. But Lord, we need your peace and your comfort. I just ask that in this moment that you would send your Holy Spirit to Cecil's family. Lord, you called him the great comforter in the Bible. I pray that your Holy Spirit would just go to them and comfort them. God, give them peace and understanding. 

"And Lord, for those, the rest of us who knew him as a writer, as a sportsman, God, as a friend, I would ask that you give that same comfort," Jeremy continued. "Lord, I know for Paul they had such a great friendship, and I just pray that you would encourage Paul during this time. Give him peace and grace. And Lord, I ask that ... everyone associated with the Tuscaloosa News, with the SEC Network and, Lord, everything that he had a hand in, I pray that you would lend encouragement and comfort. Lord, we don't know why these things happen, but we do know that nothing has ever caught you by surprise. And Lord, we know that you're God and you have a plan. And we trust it, but we just need you in the midst of it. So God, I ask for these blessings, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen." 

Finebaum responded, "Pastor, thank you. Thank you so very much. We deeply appreciate that."

The Tuscaloosa News invites its readers to share their remembrances of Cecil Hurt and his impact on them through his words and their interactions with him, whether in person or on social media. Send them to tdeas@gannett.com.