The lengths to which Michigan and Ohio State folks will often go to spite one another are legendary.
For fans of both schools and football programs, these are lifelong grudges that can border on petty and asisine, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
The idea of a Michigan fan wearing scarlet and gray is unconscionable while the notion of a Buckeye faithful donning maize and blue is unthinkable.
Well, in theory at least.
Kirk Herbstreit has had his fair share of drama with Ohio State fans in recent years. The former OSU quarterback and longtime ESPN college football host had feuded with the fanbase, calling out their “lunatic fringe” and going out of his way to discuss how Tennessee took over their stadium in the CFP. He’s tried to defend himself by saying he’s only trying to be objective and that he remains an “Ohio State junkie.”
His appearance at Michigan’s spring game while wearing UM-branded gear is unlikely to help his cause, even if it was for a legitimate reason.
Isaiah Hole of Wolverines Wire snapped a photo of Herbstreit while he was in town to watch son Chase in his first season playing for Michigan.
Kirk seemingly tried to keep things lowkey, opting for outerwear that was Michigan blue but lacked any logos. However, the interior of his jacket was festooned with the Michigan M logo.
We’re sure that won’t come up again the next time Herbstreit has harsh words for OSU fans.
To be fair, the ESPN analyst had previously noted that the Buckeyes didn’t recruit Chase (his son Zak plays for Ohio State).
“Ohio State didn’t really pursue him to the point of offering him a scholarship,” Herbstreit told Pardon My Take. “They were close.”
“I know that 80 percent of [Ohio State] people are thrilled and 20 percent are jackasses,” he said. “I just decided, it’s one thing to take shots at me, but if you take a shot at me, and you want to get into a fight, it’s not hard for me to do that. So I just try to ignore that stuff the best I can and stay focused on the positive.”
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.