Elle Duncan Reacts to Kirk Herbstreit’s Comments

Elle Duncan, an anchor at ESPN, found herself a bit taken aback by comments from her colleague, Kirk Herbstreit, earlier this week.

During an appearance on the “Online Positive with John Cristo” podcast, Herbstreit discussed sports broadcasters’ inability to hide their loyalties. Duncan, a noted Georgia Bulldogs fan, was brought up as an example of someone who keeps partisanship out of her on-air commentary.

Herbstreit stated, “If you’re a personality like Bill Simmons or Pat McAfee, sure, there’s room for those styles. But if you’re an Ohio State fan, I think you should treat them like any other team.” His viewpoint implied that fans might be biased, especially when calling games involving their favorite teams.

Duncan reacted, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, to Herbstreit’s remarks. She tweeted on Friday, “This wasn’t on my bingo card today. But my fandom doesn’t sway our discussions about teams on air.” It seems she wanted to clarify that her personal loyalties don’t influence her professional commentary.

Interestingly, Herbstreit himself has acknowledged his emotional ties to Ohio State, particularly after the team’s victory in the National Championship last January. When discussing it with Scott Van Pelt, he appeared slightly emotional, saying, “Don’t start with me. I’m just really proud of these guys. While I aim for objectivity when calling games, it’s hard not to feel joy for what they’ve accomplished.”

While Duncan emphasizes her neutrality, it’s clear that the lines between fandom and professionalism can sometimes blur for sports commentators. As viewers, we might wonder how much personal bias actually slips into the broadcast.