By Kyle Golik
It’s December and once again Kirk Herbstreit is waging war against fans, using his platform and position to speak to a group without any fear of retaliation, although his Twitter (X) profile may be interesting to view over the next few weeks.
During ESPN’s broadcast of Tennessee and Ohio State, Herbstreit took the opportunity to blast a very vocal minority in the Buckeye community to defend Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.
The exchange began with Herbstreit’s broadcast partner Chris Fowler asking if Ohio State’s performance against Tennessee made up for the Michigan disappointment.
“I can’t speak on behalf of the lunatic fringe,” Herbstreit replied. “I’m not sure how they operate. The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country.”
Fowler then inquired about the size of the “fringe.”
“It used to be 8-10 (percent). I think it’s grown now to about 15-20 (percent),” Herbstreit said. “So I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll be happy tonight — be fired up about what the Ohio State team did. But God forbid they lose to Oregon. They may want to fire him again.”
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“But that’s not reality,” Fowler replied.
Herbstreit then immediately went into defense of Day and went into the fringe, “That’s the thing. When you hear pundits on this network and other places talk about that with certainty, it’s nonsense, frankly. The public doesn’t pull the trigger and get rid of the coach. The administrators do — and they’re behind him.”
Herbstreit then took on another show on ESPN – Stephen A. Smith’s First Take, a show that usually talks about Patrick Mahomes, the Dallas Cowboys, LeBron James, Caitlin Clark, and Deion Sanders.
“First Take tried to fire him,” Herbstreit said. “They thought he was done. So I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance. They had him out. They’re trying to find replacements. But here he is. He’s still got his hat on. He’s still coaching.”
It seems in recent years, Herbstreit’s filter doesn’t exist and he isn’t afraid to tackle issues straight on considering his influence on football as a personality.
Herbstreit’s comments against the “lunatic fringe” became instant fodder for the Ohio State beat who began attacking Herbstreit immediately.
“The Buckeyes aren’t victims here. I think the loss to Michigan was as bad as any Ohio State loss in the last 28 years. And they did that, and that coaching staff did that. And I think Kirk Herbstreit, I think Kirk Herbstreit is wounded, particularly when it comes to Ohio State fans, and he turns everything on fans,” Doug Lesmerises of the Kings Of The North podcast commented.
“He was talking about how the lunatic fringe has expanded. And I think he makes it too personal. If you think the lunatic fringe has expanded, maybe it’s that your definition of lunatics is no longer correct. Maybe what these people are is just sort of justifiably, reasonably upset Ohio State fans, that Ohio State on the most important weekend of the year for the fourth straight year came out and played a horrible game in the most important game of the year,” Lesmerises continued.
“And let’s not forget why any of this exists; it’s the fans. So if you are a fan who was personally attacking a player on social media or sending ‘death threats’ or whatever, then you are the lunatic fringe. If you’re just mad that the team lost and think that the coach should be fired if he doesn’t do a better job, you’re not a lunatic. So Herbie can chill with that stuff, because I’m a little sick of everyone coming after the fans all the time.”
Overall, Lesmerises summarized fan behavior. If you are angry with the program about falling short of expectations that is acceptable but if you are part that sends death threats and make things personal, that is fringe behavior and we can all agree with it.
There is legitimate beef between the media in Columbus and Herbstreit that has been very well chronicled over the years. I am one of Herbstreit’s biggest critics and I felt his comments weren’t exactly over the line either. I feel society today is very divisive and people take things all or nothing when it doesn’t have to be that way.
Herbstreit will forever be the face for Florida State’s omission from last season’s playoffs, he is persona non grata with many Seminoles fans. The war Herbstreit started here isn’t winnable for either side. If anything it hurts Herbstreit more because there will be more than his identifiable fringe that will side with Lesmerises and take it personal.
I feel Herbstreit, even the most seasoned veteran, needs to stop being the pro wrestling heel he tries to be sometimes, and be the exceptional analyst that he is. He isn’t going to be that bigger-than-life personality his set partner Pat McAfee is, and that is okay. Herbstreit is seen as the leading voice of college football, he doesn’t need to be someone he isn’t because quite frankly that is fringe behavior.
