You won’t find many former Ohio State players who get as much hate from Buckeyes fans as ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit does. But by his own admission, he thinks he knows why.
On the latest episode of the Built 4 More podcast this week, Herbstreit made it clear that he is a diehard Ohio State fan no matter what people say about his rooting interests. He pointed out that he was a captain of the team like his father before him. However, he prefers to give objective viewpoints when calling their games – or any game for that matter.
“When you go on a national network, you can talk like sound like you’re talking to your Columbus audience,” said Herbstreit. “If you want to grow in the business, you have to talk like you’re talking to the country. The goal would be for them to never to know where you went to school.
“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… if you’re just going to ask me, ‘Am I a fan?’ Oh my God.
“I love Ohio State. I was a captain there. My dad was a captain there. Just the way I grew up. 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 of how things are happening during a game.”
But Herbstreit also made it clear that he remains “fair” and “objective” when talking about college football. He recognizes that it may not sit well with Buckeyes fans for him to act that way when talking about their team.
“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.”
That answer still may not sit well with Ohio State fans who feel that you can’t be a real Buckeyes fan if you ever talk down to the team in public.
But that’s just how Herbstreit operates.
Related: ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit Sounds Off On ‘Embarrassing’ Ohio State Fans