It’s been a while since ol’ Herbie’s showed his ass.
“I still think,” Herbstreit volunteered, “Michigan waves the white flag and doesn’t play Ohio State next week.”
That was a jaw-dropper of an assertion—that a team would use a COVID-19 excuse to avoid playing its biggest rival, while simultaneously knocking said hated rival out of eligibility for the Big Ten championship game. And he threw in the “white flag” surrender metaphor for added style points. That sound you heard was Bo Schembechler rumbling out of the grave in a rage, ready to haunt Herbstreit for implying that his program is chicken.
Anchor Rece Davis smartly and quickly went back at Herbstreit, asking him if that is indeed what he was implying.
Herbstreit began to double down, albeit more generally. He said he’s heard from coaches who believe losing teams are using the virus to avoid “being humiliated” on the field.
No names, mind you. And a little later, he backtracked.
About an hour later, Herbstreit issued a video apology on Twitter: “I had no business at all saying that. I have no evidence of that. It was completely unfair to Michigan, to Jim Harbaugh, to his players and coaches, and I just want to apologize.”
Forde goes on to credit Herbstreit with “a beloved spot in the sport, and that apology is consistent with who he is”, but the apology isn’t all that’s consistent with who he is. Herbstreit’s run his mouth here and there over the years with off the cuff observations like that. Just ask Georgia fans.
Get The Picture 
Herbie sucks.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yeah, but my wife thinks he’s cute.
LikeLike
So Michigan doesn’t play, and OSU can’t find a replacement team. They don’t play in the conference championship. The gumps didn’t play in the SECCG in 2017 and still made the playoffs. I know they played 12 games but that won’t matter to Mickey. OSU is in unless they lose somehow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a dick
LikeLiked by 5 people
“…off the cuff ‘observations.’ “. Fixed it for you.
LikeLike
–poor punctuation symbols notwithstanding, of course.
LikeLike
“Off the cuff” my ass…Agent Herbstreit knew just when and how he would let his tosu love roll out of his face, he practices that crap when not in camera view, (helping his co hort) Anchor Rece Davis smartly and quickly went back at Herbstreit…”so tell us how you really feel”…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Was quoting the post, of course, but adding the quotation marks for these so-called “observations” of KH’s that are not actually observed.
LikeLike
“Things Herbstreit imagines to be true.” Could be a whole book by now.
LikeLike
Surprised he didn’t start the statement with, “Some people say…”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Do not his kiddos go to Clemson? You know he talks to Dabo.
Michigan is to Ohio State what FSU is to Clemson.
One thing…Herbie mustered enough class to apologize.
I don’t think Dabo has managed to do the same.
Can you even imagine how Herbie will look and feel if the game is played and Michigan wins?
LikeLike
BTW….I give the man credit for the apology.
LikeLike
I don’t. It’s just lip service to cover his ass. He meant every word he said. It was so unprofessional and insulting for a national media personality of a major network to say. He should be suspended or fired despite the apology.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Like everyone else at ESPN, he gets paid to generate clicks and eyeballs, which they do by being saying incendiary things, regardless of whether they believe them to be true, accurate, etc…. The apology is just the middle of the play acting, giving rise to the “was the apology genuine/sufficient/etc.” segments that complete the circle…
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s so much this. Whatever happened to standing behind what you say, regardless if it doesn’t appeal to the woke crowd?
LikeLike
I’m glad I haven’t had to stand behind every dumbass remark I’ve ever made. I’m not a big fan of Herbie, but when a man apologizes I’m prone to give him the benefit of belief. There’s no doubt he’s often running interference for anOSU, I’ll grant that.
LikeLike
His kids play at Clemson so we know what coach he is talking to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Potential unpopular opinion alert: I think that Kirk Herbstreit has been a much bigger positive voice about Georgia football than a negative. I know that we’re all supposed to never forgive him for his flip-flop on the 2007 Dawgs having no place in the BCS because they didn’t win their division and then later supporting a non-division winner making it in a different year. However, Herbstreit was a consistent voice of praise for Mark Richt’s program and now he’s usually got nothing but praise for Kirby’s Dawgs. If his kids weren’t at Clemson, I’ve always gotten the impression that he wouldn’t mind them being in Athens. Back in my sports media days I actually ran into him at Butts-Mehre during the summer, just hanging out on a day when Georgia didn’t even have a practice scheduled.
So, I know we’re supposed to hate him because hurr durr he played at Ohio State so he is a Ohio State homer and hurr durr he said bad things 13 years ago, but I think he’s a pretty neutral figure all told – and I think he’s got a soft spot for Georgia. If he’s an Ohio State homer while he’s on the clock then David Pollack is a Georgia homer when he’s on the clock – and we all know that isn’t the case. Both of them are professionals who do a great job.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Considering what the UGA defense did to him in the 93 Citrus Bowl…I have doubts he has a “soft spot” for the Dawgs
LikeLiked by 2 people
It was a meaningless exhibition game between two teams that had not met before or since with nothing on the line but a literal bowl of oranges. With all due respect, that’s a pretty ridiculous statement. If you think that the guy is still harboring resentment towards Georgia football because he lost a football game 27 years ago now that he’s in the position of being one of the most powerful people in college football media then I really can’t help you. It would still be a ridiculous statement if it had been for the national championship. Instead, he had to purchase fruit that week instead of dropping by the football building and grabbing an orange.
LikeLike
Well, he probably had several soft spots after the beating we gave him in that game.
LikeLike
Herbie was and probably still is an Urban Myer lover. When Mayer was at FU Herbie fawned all over him always at Mark Richt
s expense. When Urban took the FU job Herbie dump CMR. He always pumped up Urban and was a parade leader on Urban taking tOSU job. I know that at the end when it hit the fan for Urban. Herbie dumped him at his own expense with tOSU fanbase. I would say after 2006 Herbie was not a CMR or UGA supporter.ve never seen David pitch a hissy fit when UGA was #5 in the final playoff rankings.I remember being at the AS game in Tempe. There was an ESPN trailer beside the stadium. Herbie came out and waved to the Georgia fans expecting love in return. What he got was a chorus of boos, cat calls and shouting from the highly pissed off UGA fans many of whom where rattling the fence. I clearly remember Herbie hollering to the crowd I love the dawgs. When that did not work he retreated inside the trailer. There was no love from most UGA fans at that game. These were the same fans that drank Tempe dry before the game. The locals had never seen fans like ours.
Once Kirby was hired and FU had another coach Herbie became a supporter of UGA. Herbie like most of us says what he fells best works for him. I agree David Pollack is certainly a UGA supporter just not to the point of being wrong on his picks. David has many times picked against UGA. Herbie stormed off the the ESPN set when his tOSU was left out of the playoffs. I
If you want to name the ultimate homer that was Lou Holtz. He never picked against ND.
LikeLike
Herbie said this to force UofM to play or be called wimps.
It’s like the President Johnson barnyard animals thing.
LikeLike
I don’t care what plays out. I guaran-damn-tee you Ohio State is in the playoff. The Big Ten has backtracked too far to allow that to happen. It’s the only reason they’re playing football right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And I’m fine with that. I have no doubt that they are one of the four best football teams in the country.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I agree. I just think it’s funny that some think OSU might get left out. Nope. Not gonna happen.
LikeLike
It’s nice to consider, at least. But, no, an undefeated tOSU isn’t getting left out even if it’s only 5-0 with it’s best win vs… Indiana. Hey, remember when were piling on Vols for their big comeback bowl win vs Indiana? That was great!
That said, how many picks with Fields throw again once he’s on the big stage? And how many points will Bama win by?
LikeLike
He should have apologized for that comment, so it’s a relief he did. Harbaugh hasn’t lived up to expectations in Ann Arbor, but he has coached a team to multiple NFC title games and a Super Bowl and took Stanford from a doormat to RUTS on Pete Carrol’s USC. Dude has chops even if he is a bit over the top. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who is going to back down to tOSU if he can help it.
I also noticed that there was general agreement on the show that they all understand some coaches are ducking games. If it was just Herbie, then I’d say he needs to quit talking so much with Dabo; but when Rece agreed that they all knew some of that was going on, that got my attention.
LikeLiked by 2 people