Did ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit Insult Or Compliment Michigan Fans?

I guess it depends on your point of view. I took it as a compliment.

The former Ohio State quarterback turned ESPN color commentator appeared on the talk show Pardon my Take this week, and said some things about University of Michigan fans that some took as a slam.

I, on the other hand, thought he couldn’t have been more complimentary.

Let’s break it down.

So Herbstreit says that Michigan fans are not as passionate as those in other Big Ten cities like Columbus, State College, Madison or Iowa City because they have more important things to worry about than silly things like college football.

“They’re not as passionate about sports…it’s almost like, hey, we went to the game, but  we’re like running companies and doing other things, and we got other things going on besides football. Our lives are bigger than if we win on a Saturday, where in Columbus or Madison, or State College, their lives are predicated on what happens last Saturday, in Michigan they got more things going on, it seems like…”

Is that an insult? To say we’ve evolved to a point where our lives don’t revolve around a football game?

I don’t see it that way. I see it that we’ve found other things in our lives that are more important, like good jobs and a solid family base so that when we lose on a Saturday, it’s not a big deal.

It’s not.

I LOVE watching college football. The tailgating, the pageantry, hanging out in Ann Arbor or Mount Pleasant with my friends or family. There’s nothing I enjoy more. And it’s made more fun when my team wins, but, if they lose, it truly is no big deal. Because in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a game, and it doesn’t matter.

If having that perspective means I’m not super passionate about my college teams, so be it. Having a bad week because your favorite college team lost is a bit weird. Sorry.

Thanks, Kirk.