Starting a new thread for this to keep the growing Herbstreit firestorm out of the UM game thread, since this will no doubt spawn a huge ancillary discussion for the next three weeks.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/SPORTS0201/611010338/1004
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/SPORTS0201/611010338/1004
Herbstreit rips U-M on radio
TV analyst and ex-OSU quarterback says defense will fail, receiver Breaston is mostly 'worthless.'
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News
The big game is more than two weeks away, but because of the potential matchup of No. 1 Ohio State versus No. 2 Michigan, the talk already has started.
Here are some excerpts from Kirk Herbstreit on his radio show Monday afternoon on "The Big Show" on WBNS 1460 in Columbus. Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, is a well-respected college football television analyst:
# On the Michigan defense: "I personally don't think their defense, the way Ohio State will spread them out, can just dominate the game and shut Ohio State down."
# On Michigan not being able to score enough points to beat OSU: "The way they look right now, I don't think anybody can see that.
"(Receiver) Mario Manningham coming back, one guy doesn't make a big difference in most cases, but the reason it does in Michigan's case is because it's like a domino effect.
"If Manningham's able to come back and be the player that he was before the injury, (receiver Adrian) Arrington can go back to doing what he does, instead of being the go-to guy.
"(Receiver Steve) Breaston can go back to whatever he's doing these days, if they could ever find a way to actually apply him in the offense. He's worthless in my mind, outside of returning a few punts. I'll say that, and he'll end up winning the game for them on Nov. 18. But he hasn't done anything since his freshman year."
# On what would happen today if U-M and OSU met: "If those two teams were to play right now, just the way they're playing, I don't even think it would be close. Ohio State not only wins that game the way they're playing right now, maybe by a few scores."
# On Michigan's fans not sticking around for last Saturday's game against Northwestern: "If you're a Michigan fan, honestly, help me to understand, you have a team that is No. 2 in the country, you only get a chance to see them play at home six or seven times and you bail in the second quarter?"
Comment costs announcer
Former NFL tight end Brian Kinchen will not work as an ESPNU commentator this week because of a comment he made during Saturday's broadcast of the Northern Illinois-Iowa game.
Kinchen was explaining the need for receivers to make catches with their hands because they are "tender" and can "caress" the ball. He then paused and said, "That's kind of gay, but hey ..."
"The comments were inappropriate, and we apologize for them," said Josh Krulewitz , ESPN's vice president of public relations.
Kinchen's future with ESPNU is under review, Krulewitz said.
Kinchen, who played at LSU and in the NFL from 1988-2000 with Miami, Cleveland and Baltimore, also apologized for his remarks.
"They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or the way I perform my work," Kinchen said in a statement issued by ESPN. "I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career."
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