ESPN football analyst Kirk Herbstreit announced the death of his golden retriever, Ben, earlier this week.
The dog had become popular and a celebrity at college football stadiums where Herbstreit would visit as part of ESPN’s ‘College GameDay.’ On Saturday, ahead of the LSU-Alabama matchup from Baton Rouge, Louisana, ESPN paid tribute to Ben, which included a somber and emotional Herbstreit providing commentary. Herbstreit broke down on the ‘College GameDay’ set leading into the tribute:
‘Dogs are known as man’s best friend. But what do you call a dog that becomes a nation’s best friend?’ Herbstreit asked in the tribute video. ‘You call him, ‘Ben.’ I’ll be honest with you, when I first started bringing Ben on the road, it was for me. I needed a travel companion. Hotel rooms can sometimes feel like islands of solitude. His warm presence became my anchor to home, making my journeys feel less like wandering and more like belonging.
‘When I was working in a hotel room or a broadcast booth, on the ‘College GameDay’ set, reaching down and feeling that fur at my feet, made me feel like I was home.’
Herbstreit then went on to talk about how Ben went from aiding him in his travels to becoming a national celebrity which the country celebrates.
‘Ben wasn’t out here to become a social media star, but he became one just by being himself,’ Herbstreit added. ‘The Rose Bowl named him its ‘chief happiness officer.’ And that’s exactly what he did. He made everyone happy. He did it without even trying. He just wagged that tail or nestled up against strangers like they were family. And that’s what they became.
‘On planes, in hotel lobbies, on the beach or in the mountains, it did not matter if you were a college student, a movie star, a national championship quarterback or even a state governor. Ben didn’t care who you were. Everyone deserved his love. I think we can all learn from that. At a time when everything is aimed to divide us, our love of football unites us every weekend.
‘What I experienced with Ben was that and so much more. A dog’s only flaw as a species is they don’t live long enough. But the warmth they give us, that never goes away. So neither will Ben. This man’s best friend who became America’s best friend.’
Herbstreit announced Ben’s death on Thursday after a battle with cancer. He made his final in-stadium appearance on Oct. 26 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, for the Texas A&M-LSU matchup.
‘This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go,’ Herbstreit announced on social media.
Ben was met from an outpouring of support from humans and dogs alike, including Washington’s Dubs and Texas A&M’s Reveille. There were multiple signs in the ‘College GameDay’ crowd as well.