Hey folks, some heartfelt moments on College GameDay recently. Kirk Herbstreit, our go-to guy for college football insights, lost his beloved golden retriever, Ben, to cancer, but he will live forever in the hearts of the GameDay family. Ben wasn’t simply a dog; he was an integral part of our family, consistently bringing happiness to all. The touching tribute from the crowd exemplified the profound impact he had on everyone, particularly Kirk. Losing a pup like Ben hits different, but his memory’s living on strong.
When Ben passed away after a long, hard-fought battle against leukemia, it hit the GameDay faithful like a ton of bricks. And about Kirk, with Ben, a part of him died too. But as we say, people go, but memories stay forever, and today’s GameDay kickoff just before the Ohio-Tennessee showdown hit a lot different.
The fans gave a heartwarming tribute to Ben with a poster that says, “The award for the College GameDay’s best duo goes to Ben & Kirk. Rest in peace, Ben.” We know this gesture holds a special place in Kirk’s heart as he shared the story on his IG with a beautiful picture of the fan holding this poster.
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Ben is family for not only Kirk Herbstreit but also for millions of GameDay fans who used to come just to see him at every stop. The craze to keep Ben’s spirit went so far that fans took it a bit far by demanding that Ben’s statue be placed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yeah, that’s right. That is the kind of love people hold for Ben. And he better get a place in the Hall of Fame before things get out of hand.
But for now, people should cherish the memories Ben has left for all of us. Moreover, the inaugural 12-team playoff couldn’t get any better with a heartfelt gesture towards him when ESPN shared Kirk Herbstreit and his new buddy Peter’s video on playing fetch with a football. That’s the guy moving forward with Ben’s legacy, but is it the end of an era for Ben?
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Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, which is helping him get over the grief
We all know Ben was the epitome of happiness not only in Kirk Herbstreit’s life but for every College Game Day fan who loves football and this duo. Now, someone has to take forward Ben’s legacy, so weeks after his passing, Kirk Herbstreit introduced Peter, his new golden retriever buddy. But Peter isn’t some random dog replacing Ben; there is more to it.
Peter had been training under Ben for months, and both of them kind of hit it off. Moreover, when Kirk Herbstreit finds that now it’s time for Peter to show up, he makes an official tweet on X, saying, “Peter is with me this week.” It’s evident the vibe is kind of bittersweet but filled with hope and desire to move forward. It’s more like Kirk is moving forward with Peter following a long-rooted legacy Ben created for the world. It’s obvious that Peter is still trying to fit in, and even Kirk is taking it all slow and steady with him. He even makes constant tweets about how Peter is gelling up with the whole situation, saying, “Peter has big shoes to fill, but he’s really making himself right at home.”
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See, it’s a straight fact that no one can replace Ben, and as much as Kirk Herbstreit would love to get him back, he is also not ready to halt his life and stay in misery. Introducing Peter is the prime example of how much harder he is trying to push himself in a forward direction.
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Should Ben's legacy be immortalized with a statue, or is that taking fandom too far?
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Should Ben's legacy be immortalized with a statue, or is that taking fandom too far?
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