ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit found himself in hot water this week, and unfortunately, dragged his College GameDay teammate Desmond Howard down into the muck with him.
In an appearance on John Crist's YouTube show, Herbstreit called out ESPN colleague Elle Duncan for openly cheering for Georgia when she appears on SportsCenter. Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, questioned the professionalism of openly rooting for a team when you are supposed to remain unbiased.
"I don’t think you can cheer when you do games on a national level, said Herbstreit. "You watch 'SportsCenter' and Elle Duncan is sitting there cheering for Georgia. She’s openly cheering. I’m not a fan of that personally. I think it hurts your credibility."
Duncan responded to Herbstreit's comments on X:
Didn’t have this on my bingo card for today but my fandom doesn’t impact in any way what or how we talk about teams on air. Ever. I…JUST..BARK?? Also **whispers** I’m not the only one. So why I get singled out?
— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) July 4, 2025
Fans agreed with Duncan questioning why she was singled out by Herbstreit, especially considering the close proximity in which he works on College GameDay with Michigan alumn Desmond Howard, who has never shied away from showing his favoritism to his Alma mater in Ann Arbor.
It's a fair point, to be certain. Herbstreit isn't wrong, per se, and "no cheering in the press box" has been a standing journalistic rule for many years. But in defense of Duncan, she's not "covering" Georgia, either. She's a news anchor more than anything, and her cheering for the Bulldogs doesn't hinder her job. I also don't think Howard's clear Michigan bias hinders his, either.
I mean, Nick Saban is still technically employed by the University of Alabama and yet the ratings for College GameDay skyrocketed with the legendary coach joining the show this past season.
So no, Herbstreit isn't "wrong" in his thinking, but his decision to single out Duncan reeks of hypocrisy as he stays quiet about Howard and Saban.
Despite the public outcry, Herbstreit and Howard will still be on your T.V. in the fall
Fans have taken to social media to call for the removal of both Herbstreit and Howard from College GameDay and ESPN in general.
But those two aren't going anywhere. They are staples of college football coverage, and this, too, shall pass.
Herbstreit will likely issue a public apology to Duncan at some point for singling her out, as he should. Howard will continue being an innocent bystander who just caught strays because his co-worker stuck his foot in his mouth.
He'll continue favoring Michigan, and it would be unrealistic to expect him not to. He's a Michigan legend, after all, and his Heisman-winning career with the Wolverines that led him to College GameDay in the first place.
Howard isn't a journalist. Neither is Herbstreit. And neither, really, is Duncan. Not in the traditional sense, at least. Who they root for, and how they choose to show it, is irrelevant to their ability to do their jobs.