College football has a special, very novel standing in the sports realm. It doesn’t boast of the best players in football. That’s the NFL. It also doesn’t boast the biggest global audience, that’s the NBA. What it does boast, though, is a suspension of all of the pageantry and superficial aspects in exchange for a sense of community. That said, most of the same rules still apply. Kirk Herbstreit broke a couple of rules and has since paid the price. He’s even had to address things head-on now.
Like all other sports, CFB fandom is sacrilegious. Once you don the colors of a team, you’re essentially locked in for life. Getting cozy with other teams is invariably considered taboo. Let alone making allegiances with the sworn enemy. Herbstreit attacked this very core value of sports fandom, alongside some colorful commentary, and fractured a relationship built over three generations and seven decades.
Whatever your opinion of him, Kirk Herbstreit is etched in the fabric of CFB. The former Ohio State Buckeye and GameDay host has been directly involved in the sport since the ‘80s. The game has given Herbstreit a lot, and he has reciprocated it with being a great ambassador for it. While he’s got to keep his neutral hat on when he’s calling games, the blood coursing through his veins is scarlet. Kirk’s father, Jim Herbstreit, captained the Buckeyes in 1960. Kirk himself had this privilege as a player in 1982. His son, Zak Herbstreit, was on the roster that just won the National Championship. So much tradition blemished after 2 separate lines in the sand. One is much bigger and unabsolvable than the other if you’re a Buckeyes fan.
Kirk Herbstreit made a rod for his own back after calling sections of the fanbase a “lunatic fringe.” This was amidst calls for the firing of HC Ryan Day. In hindsight, those calls look awfully bad now that he’s delivered them the Natty. However, at the time, this was a prevalent topic of discourse. Herbstreit got lambasted online for his comments. This was the first of two actions that have earned him widespread hatred from the Columbus faithful. Chase Herbstreit, Kirk’s younger son, has chosen to traverse his career through Ann Arbor wearing Michigan maize and blue. This was deemed a step too far, having had 3 generations of Buckeyes in the clan.
Calling this a “cardinal sin” wouldn’t be hyperbolic. The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry needs no introduction, nor does the animosity between the two fanbases. Naturally, Kirk Herbstreit caught a ton of flak from the Buckeyes faithful for allowing this to transpire. He knew the repercussions but still went through with it. It’s almost equally commendable as it is outlandish. Ironically, the ‘lunatic fringe’ comment came about in the aftermath of The Game against Michigan.
Kirk Herbstreit has a long way to go before he can warm himself to the fans. It’s a more difficult sell now. However, he still insists his loyalties lie with Ohio State. Herbstreit gave his perspective, as well as the reason he thinks the fanbase has soured on him. Alongside pointers on how he remains neutral in his analysis as a Buckeye through and through.
Kirk Herbstreit addresses the hate he’s subjected to via the Buckeyes’ faithful since his Ryan Day stance
Kirk Herbstreit guested on the “Built 4 More” podcast. Initially, he was asked how he manages to keep a level head when calling Ohio State games. “Is your heart still for the Buckeyes, though? When you’re live, are you dying up there?” To this, Herbstreit replied, “I’m not dying. It’s like I flip a switch during the game. When you put so much work into something with your prep, [it’s necessary]… If you’re just going to ask me ‘Am I a fan?’ Oh my God,” Herbstreit elaborated on his psyche when he’s in the booth. As well as addressing his strained relationship with sections of his fellow OSU fans.
“I love Ohio State. I was a captain there. My dad was a captain there. Just the way I grew up,” remarked Kirk Herbstreit. “But when I call their games they’re a team, and the other team’s a team. I’m there to give analytical viewpoints. Try to give the viewer at home kind of the ‘how’ and the ‘why’,” He was then confronted about any teams he hates. A question that accompanied the podcast host being upfront about him “despising” the Buckeyes. While Kirk Herbstreit had no answer for his question, this segued into how the Buckeyes are hated because of their vocal fanbase. Something he believes became a reason for his own standing within them.
“I know Ohio State’s fan base is probably as loud as any fan base in the country on social media, and a lot of that fraction are not fans of mine. Because I am fair. Because I am, you know, objective.” Well, that’s not incorrect. Herbstreit backing Ryan Day was an objective, fair stance. Exuding a patient POV as a public-facing Ohio State fan bore fruit. Something he won’t get credit for.
That said, getting in bed with Michigan doesn’t help matters. Kirk Herbstreit has burned a lot of bridges in the last few months. Chase’s Michigan ties are just the epitome of it. Being able to keep sentiments and pride aside when it came to what was best for his son is a testament to his character, though. Kirk will just have to live with it. He’ll hope Chase can at least make the scrutiny worth it.
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