Beano Cooke?
On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 8:58 AM, Keith Baldwin <[email protected]> wrote: > I’ve been watching Erin Andrews on ESPN College Football Live. They had > erin and Jesse Palmer on the other day. > > > > Kirk has been on separate set with one of the older guys (classic guy – can > not remember his name – voice is very familiar). I guess allows Kirk to > stay at home some > > > > Wonder if Lee Corso will be back this year? Last year he looked rough. > > > > > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *Art Wroble > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 24, 2010 11:07 PM > *To:* GatorNews > *Subject:* [gatornews] Commentary: Kirk Herbstreit dreams of being the > Dick Vitale of college football > > > > > > > [image: PalmBeachPost.com] <http://www.palmbeachpost.com/> > > - Print this page > - Close > > Commentary: Kirk Herbstreit dreams of being the Dick Vitale of college > football > > By Dave > George<http://www.palmbeachpost.com/services/staff/dave-george-15326.html> > > Palm Beach Post Staff Writer > > Updated: 9:23 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 > > Posted: 6:11 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 > > Who is the face of college football? Like every other sweeping question in > sports today, that is for ESPN to decide. > > In this case, the network has chosen well, plucking Kirk Herbstreit from a > long ago audition tape and systematically positioning the former Ohio State > quarterback for decades of racing around the country as an eyewitness, an > ambassador, a mirror of the game. > > All the guy's missing is a catchphrase or two and - Whoa, Nelly! - we may > be thinking of him in 20 years the way we do of Keith Jackson. > > How did it happen? Well, other than the fact that Herbstreit is very smooth > and natural on camera and knows the game instinctively, there is his age, > 41, and his passion for the chaos and the fun of a Saturday stadium on red > alert, which should be good for another 41 years. > > As for ESPN's role in setting the American weekend agenda, they and the > parent ABC network own the rights to the BCS bowls and the national > championship game, plus a couple of prime-time Saturday showcase games per > week, plus a new 15-year deal with the almighty SEC. > > That last one with Div. I's glamour conference goes for $2.25 billion all > by itself, a pretty fair indicator of how important it was for Herbstreit to > find a space on this runaway broadcast locomotive, even if it was originally > the caboose. > > "I was doing local radio (in Columbus, Ohio) and I put this little tape > together, never thinking I would hear anything back," said Herbstreit, who > was in West Palm Beach Monday for a waterfront rally to kick off the high > school football season and highlight the area's best players. "I went in for > an audition (at ESPN) back in 1995 and, other than being interviewed in the > locker room after games, I had never been on that side of the camera." > > Long story short, Herbstreit flew to ESPN headquarters in Connecticut, > logged three minutes of play-by-play simulation work behind a SportsCenter > desk and headed home for seven months of silence from the network honchos. > When the phone finally rang, it was to offer a job as sideline reporter. > Herbstreit jumped at it enthusiastically, just as he did the College GameDay > gig that came along the following year. > > "My goal when I started on GameDay was to one day be looked at in the same > way that Dick Vitale is looked at in college basketball," Herbstreit said. > > Actually, that's a little too Lee Corso for my taste. With all the clowning > that goes on at ESPN, all the driving of public opinion on which teams are > truly worthy on a minute-by-minute basis, it might be better for Herbstreit > to stay focused on the facts, no matter who likes it. That's how his dad, > former Ohio State assistant coach Jim Herbstreit, always operated, and so > did the Buckeyes' ultimate boss, Woody Hayes. > > "I have memories of being 6 or 7 and going into the Ohio State locker room > after a game and putting on Archie Griffin's helmet," Herbstreit said. "I > remember sitting on Woody Hayes' lap and him looking down and it was like > God was looking and talking to me when Woody Hayes talked. I was just in awe > of that whole setting." > > Now don't get mad about Herbstreit's choice of deities. He was born into a > specific college football culture but has grown to appreciate them all. When > Miami heads to Ohio State on Sept. 11, for instance, Herbstreit won't be > calling for a Buckeyes blowout, the way his neighbors in Columbus would want > it. > > "These two teams met not only in 2002, which everyone remembers, but also > in 1999, at East Rutherford," Herbstreit said. "It was when Butch Davis was > trying to get Miami up and out of probation and they had an opportunity in > that Kickoff Classic to show America that the 'U' was back. They took > advantage of it and won the game (23-12). > > "I feel like Miami's on the verge of some great, great times and I think > they need a game like Ohio State to show the country, and to show > themselves, where they are. They're not going to have a bigger opportunity > in any other game they play this year ... If they play up to their > capabilities, I think it could be a great game." > > The face of college football is smiling as he speaks, which can only mean > that a new season is upon us. > > Aren't you smiling, too? > > Find this article at: > > > http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/commentary-kirk-herbstreit-dreams-of-being-the-dick-874789.html > > - Print this page > - Close > > Loading... > > > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
