QB Kirk ‘Nightmare On’ Herbstreit (Frosted Quips, Afraid of THE Lunatic Fringe)

[buckeyesin07]

OK. If what he said was that offensive, what is the future as far as you are concerned? To get back in your good graces - if he can - what does he have to do? Is he already sentenced to a lifetime of dislike? Do you want him to apologize first...in any special manner with any specific statement repudiated with his remorseful apology? Can be recover from that without an apology in any way? Does he have to quit talking good about Urban or the SEC? Bad about the Big-10? Not dis Tress' offense or never predict a Buckeye loss in upcoming major games? Quit ESPN?

I get all of this, but moving on from his statements of a few years ago (the statement about recruits not going to tOSU would be my main complaint if I were an alumnus) - what does he have to do to get back in the good graces of those who are clearly [censored]ed at him?

I think what irks a lot of OSU fans about KH is the perceived notion that he has used OSU as a stepping stone (in the truest sense) in order to gain his status on ESPN. If ESPN puts some blowhard on national TV that totally trashes OSU, we can all chalk that up to "OSU animosity" or what-have-you. However, when a former OSU QB goes on ESPN and says a certain loss is going to set the OSU program back 10 years or that he can't understand why recruits would go to OSU, then the general public, I believe, is more apt to think such hyperbole is true. Indeed, knowing that KH played at OSU, one would believe that KH doesn't want to believe that such things are true. In short, his status as a former OSU QB gains him extra credibility when it comes to saying anti-OSU things. In that way, I think a lot of OSU fans believe he's stepped on OSU to achieve personal fame.

As for what can he do? I don't know. I'm personally not all that upset with him. I think much of his "analysis" is trite and full of hyperbole, but I'd think the same of him as an analyst if he made the above-mentioned statements about any other college football powerhouse, such as Texas or USC. I'd imagine that in order to get back in the good graces of OSU fans who he's irritated, cutting down on the negative OSU hyperbole in the future would help. Also, if ever directly asked about the hyperbole-laden comments that he's made in the past, I'd imagine OSU fans would expect him to admit those statements were ridiculous.

 

[RugbyBuck]

I would bet that most casual college football fans don't have any idea where he went to school or even that he played football.

 

[Gatorubet]

I think what irks a lot of OSU fans about KH is the perceived notion that he has used OSU as a stepping stone (in the truest sense) in order to gain his status on ESPN. If ESPN puts some blowhard on national TV that totally trashes OSU, we can all chalk that up to "OSU animosity" or what-have-you. However, when a former OSU QB goes on ESPN and says a certain loss is going to set the OSU program back 10 years or that he can't understand why recruits would go to OSU, then the general public, I believe, is more apt to think such hyperbole is true. Indeed, knowing that KH played at OSU, one would believe that KH doesn't want to believe that such things are true. In short, his status as a former OSU QB gains him extra credibility when it comes to saying anti-OSU things. In that way, I think a lot of OSU fans believe he's stepped on OSU to achieve personal fame.

As for what can he do? I don't know. I'm personally not all that upset with him. I think much of his "analysis" is trite and full of hyperbole, but I'd think the same of him as an analyst if he made the above-mentioned statements about any other college football powerhouse, such as Texas or USC. I'd imagine that in order to get back in the good graces of OSU fans who he's irritated, cutting down on the negative OSU hyperbole in the future would help. Also, if ever directly asked about the hyperbole-laden comments that he's made in the past, I'd imagine OSU fans would expect him to admit those statements were ridiculous.

At least he was right about the Hurricanes being in the BCSSG last year.

I view his anti-OSU comments with the same validity, as I would hope most would. These guys are like pro wrestling. They script the general course of the analysis before it is given. Not always, but the party line of ESPN is so clearly evident that I have to think that some of his anti-Buckeye stuff was him following orders (not verbatim quotes, just orders to talk up the ESPN beloved confereces - Pac 10 and SEC).

I think once you get into that culture, and simply do your job per your employer's rules, you forget a little the effect your words have. I think that is what happened, with a sort of disconnect going on where he did not see what he did as especially bad until called on it.

That is not a defense, but I can see how his thought process went.

 

[BigWoof31]

. However, when a former OSU QB goes on ESPN and says a certain loss is going to set the OSU program back 10 years or that he can't understand why recruits would go to OSU, then the general public, I believe, is more apt to think such hyperbole is true.

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

Am I digging too far?

 

[Bleed S & G]

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

That's what I think..

 

[RugbyBuck]

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

Am I digging too far?

I think so. No different from Buck Belue on the radio here and I don't think anyone questions his Dawg-ishness.

 

[AKAK]

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

Am I digging too far?

That's how people should be taking it anyway.

I mean... as for the Urban/Petey/whoever love fest... I mean, they've won a few football games.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

Am I digging too far?

That's exactly what I said on page 1. Totally agree.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Question from an outsider - Any chance KH is going above and beyond in his hyperbole/criticism so that he can he be perceived as totally non-biased?

That is to say, he's extra rough on OSU so that non-OSU fans watching don't say "Ahhh, he's just a homer"

Am I digging too far?

That's been mentioned many times before amongst OSU fans as an explanation for his commentary. I don't know if I buy it or not, but it certainly seems plausible. At least, that's much more plausible to me than him actually believing that a loss would set the program back 10 years.

 

[Gatorubet]

That's exactly what I said on page 1. Totally agree.

+1

I always agree with people who think like I think too

 

[buckeyesin07]

I would bet that most casual college football fans don't have any idea where he went to school or even that he played football.

That's kind of irrelevant, IMO. The "casual college football fan" isn't tuning in to Gameday or KH's spots on SportsCenter, and therefore doesn't hear his commentary. I'd be willing to wager that the vast majority of the people who see him on TV and who pay attention to what he has to say do, in fact, know that he was a former QB at OSU.

 

[RugbyBuck]

That's kind of irrelevant, IMO. The "casual college football fan" isn't tuning in to Gameday or KH's spots on SportsCenter, and therefore doesn't hear his commentary. I'd be willing to wager that the vast majority of the people who see him on TV and who pay attention to what he has to say do, in fact, know that he was a former QB at OSU.

I don't know how to quantify it, but neither Espin not Herbie goes out of the way to publicize his tOSU legacy. If you tune in to most GameDay Saturdays, it just doesn't come up. If you didn't already know, and let's face it, you don't unless you followed tOSU in the early nineties, that he was our QB, and you don't happen to catch a random spot in which it's mentioned, you don't necessarily know that he went to Ohio State. He wasn't that good and neither were we back then.

It is relevant because part of the complaint has been that Herbie's "anti-tOSU" commentary carries some special weight in the minds of other fans and hurts us nationally.

 

[Steve19]

Hey, I agree with SnoopyHangOn. Let's all write Herbstreit a letter. He'll be sure to get back to us.

And, I ask you, why stop there? Let's invite him to take part in one of those Skype conferences. We could sing Carmen Ohio while a recording of the bells ringing across the Oval plays in the background.

There must be hundreds of ways that we could relive old times with Herbie for a couple of hours and just rebuild some of that good, old-fashioned togetherness that we all had with him and each other as we attended different high schools together and got to know each other at Ohio State as one big happy class over the last four decades. Oh, except the folks that didn't go to Ohio State but what the heck, going to different schools together can apply to Ohio State as well!

I don't know, I just get so upset at all this cynicism. He's right, this must be the most cynical place in the entire universe. Oh, and the arguing and bickering. It's just too much for me to take. I don't know, I guess I just feel overwhelmed by it all.

Anyone know where the group is meeting to sing kumbaya tonight?

 

[BB73]

I don't know how to quantify it, but neither Espin not Herbie goes out of the way to publicize his tOSU legacy. If you tune in to most GameDay Saturdays, it just doesn't come up. If you didn't already know, and let's face it, you don't unless you followed tOSU in the early nineties, that he was our QB, and you don't happen to catch a random spot in which it's mentioned, you don't necessarily know that he went to Ohio State. He wasn't that good and neither were we back then.

It is relevant because part of the complaint has been that Herbie's "anti-tOSU" commentary carries some special weight in the minds of other fans and hurts us nationally.

I think most of the College Gameday viewers over the age of 21 are aware that Fowler went to Colorado, Corso played at FSU, Desmond went to TSUN, Andre Ware went to Houston, Jesse Palmer went to Florida, Craig James went to SMU (OK, maybe most viewers don't know that one :tongue2:), Robert Smith went to tOSU, Spiels went to tOSU, Mark May played at Pitt, Lou Holtz coached in Suth Ben, etc.

Gameday has visited Columbus more than any other campus, and he usually has the kids in tOSU gear at the end of the show. Even casual viewers should pick up on that.

They also show his highlight TD run against Minny occasionally.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbbF-nw7l1o]YouTube - Kirk Herbstreit 72yd option keeper TD - Minnesota 1991[/ame]

 

[buckeyesin07]

I don't know how to quantify it, but neither Espin not Herbie goes out of the way to publicize his tOSU legacy. If you tune in to most GameDay Saturdays, it just doesn't come up. If you didn't already know, and let's face it, you don't unless you followed tOSU in the early nineties, that he was our QB, and you don't happen to catch a random spot in which it's mentioned, you don't necessarily know that he went to Ohio State. He wasn't that good and neither were we back then.

I disagree. Like I said, I would be willing to wager that the vast majority of the people who take the time to watch shows specifically targeted at college football analysis know that Herbie is an OSU alum.

It is relevant because part of the complaint has been that Herbie's "anti-tOSU" commentary carries some special weight in the minds of other fans and hurts us nationally.

With all due respect, you're confused. I understand your point here, but your conclusion is incorrect because your premise is off the mark. You said, "I would bet that most casual college football fans don't have any idea where he went to school or even that he played football." That is irrelevant. The relevant group to consider when trying to determine whether people buy into Herbie's comments are those that actually watch and listen to his commentary. And I contend that's not the "casual college football fan," as you seem to think it is. It's die-hard college football fans who, in addition to taking several hours out of their week to watch football games, spend even more time watching commentary on those games.