Ryan Miller hears the whispers every weekend on school campuses throughout the nation.
There’s Ben.
Is it Ben?
That’s Ben!
Miller is normally behind the scenes, dealing with logistics and dealing with ESPN expertise as a manufacturing coordinator on “School GameDay,” however Ben the golden retriever attracts consideration after they go for walks each Saturday.
“He’s type of turn into a nationwide phenomenon at this level,” Miller stated.
Ben is Ben Herbstreit, the furry companion of Kirk Herbstreit, the ESPN and Amazon Prime analyst. To these exterior of school soccer fandom, Ben could appear to be your common golden retriever, probably the most fashionable breeds of household pets in america. He turns 10 on Friday and is well-groomed, with floppy ears, a perpetual smile and a wagging tail that sweeps forwards and backwards like a lazy however dependable sprinkler.
However since Ben began frequently displaying up in Herbstreit’s social media posts as he tagged alongside on journeys over the previous two months for the weekly school soccer pregame present or video games Herbstreit is looking, he’s turn into a budding star with enthusiastic followers. Throughout a latest journey to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Sport, Ben had a high-profile meet-up with University of Georgia mascot Uga, maybe probably the most well-known bulldog within the nation, and dropped by the Atlanta conference heart to participate within the “GameDay” festivities.
“THE WORST KICK WE HAVE EVER SEEN!” 😭@PatMcAfeeShow | #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/ZeiiEJD5HG
— School GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 2, 2023
“He’ll cease by a tailgate, and persons are like, ‘Oh, my God, look! It’s Ben! Ben’s right here!’ It’s the funniest factor to see the response from individuals,” Herbstreit stated.
Ben first joined Herbstreit at “School GameDay” in November 2021, when the present traveled to the College of Cincinnati for the Bearcats’ sport towards Tulsa. The Herbstreits dwell in Cincinnati, so Ben went to work with Dad that day. He first hit the street for a piece journey in October, when Herbstreit took him to Seattle. Herbstreit stated his household had been going by way of some troublesome instances, together with the hospitalization of his 20-year-old son, Zak, as a consequence of a coronary heart situation. Zak, a decent finish at Ohio State, has rejoined the crew however is just not working towards and has stated he continues to obtain remedy.
Ben offered Herbstreit consolation whereas he was away. The household’s different two goldens, Theo and Mitch, from the identical breeder in New Jersey, stayed dwelling.
“We fortunately accommodate our lives round Ben and no matter it’s he wants,” Herbstreit stated. “I report back to Ben, is type of the way it works. Everybody else reviews to my spouse and I, and we report back to Ben.”
At dwelling, which means waking up at 6:30 a.m. to serve Ben and his four-legged brothers breakfast and take them for a stroll. The trio then lounges in Herbstreit’s dwelling workplace whereas he works till 2 p.m. “on the dot,” when Ben leaves to verify lunch is prepared.
“It’s laborious to not give in to him together with his eyes and the way cute he’s,” Herbstreit stated. “And the way demanding he’s.”
On the street, Ben is a licensed emotional help animal for Herbstreit. He bought his ESA license and official pink vest in early November, which permits him to hitch Herbstreit in additional locations, together with resorts that won’t sometimes allow pets.
“What I do, individuals simply assume, ‘Effectively, you fly personal, no downside!’ However you’re away from your loved ones, and also you’re working and also you’re loving what you do, however it’s powerful. So to have the ability to convey him was enormous for me,” Herbstreit stated. “Individuals say man’s greatest good friend, however actually — it sounds bizarre — he’s. He’s my man.”
Kirk Herbstreit went by way of the method to certify Ben as a emotional help animal. (Courtesy of Ryan Miller)
Now Ben goes in all places. And “The place’s Ben?” is one thing Herbstreit hears typically.
He will get it from his ESPN co-workers. He sees strangers asking about Ben on social media. A few of the school college students who flock to the set on Saturdays maintain up indicators like, “We love you Kirk, however we love Ben extra!” or, “Kirk, can I pet Ben?”
Ask and also you shall recieve pic.twitter.com/uRODfU1Flj
— Jake Herbstreit (@jake_herbstreit) December 2, 2023
An endorsement even got here in an surprising approach from legendary sports activities broadcaster Al Michaels, Herbstreit’s accomplice on NFL video games for Amazon Prime, after Ben attended a manufacturing assembly with 35 individuals in a big resort boardroom.
“He wasn’t on a leash,” Herbstreit stated. “We’re speaking severe enterprise, and he’s type of working his approach across the room saying hello to individuals. When he bought close to Al, I may type of inform Al wasn’t actually eager on that. So I snapped my fingers to get Ben over in the direction of me, and I used to be like, ‘I higher not do this anymore.’”
The subsequent week, Michaels questioned Ben’s absence in the same setting.
“I stated: ‘I left him up within the room. I simply thought it was possibly higher. I didn’t need him to interrupt or get in anybody’s approach,’” Herbstreit stated. “He goes: ‘No, nonsense! You gotta convey Ben down right here!’”
It was evident Ben had absolutely gained over Michaels when late one night time, after returning to their resort following a sport, Michaels needed to test in on Ben. Herbstreit assumed his canine could be ready for him on the door, however when he walked into his room, Ben wasn’t there.
“He had gotten up on the sofa within the resort room, and he was napping. I’m speaking like deep sleep,” Herbstreit stated. “So I’m going again out into the hallway and I’m going, ‘Al, you gotta are available right here and see this.’ He got here into the room and seemed across the nook and noticed Ben on the sofa napping. He pulls his cellphone out, and he’s like, ‘Oh, my God, I gotta videotape this!’
“I get a video of Al videotaping Ben. He thought it was the funniest factor.”
Herbstreit’s different colleagues are drawn to Ben, too, they usually say Ben offers a carry all around the set.
“The overall aura is rather more optimistic when Ben’s there,” Miller stated. “He retains all of our personalities contemporary. Once we’re all lacking dwelling, it’s type of inconceivable to not smile when he’s round.”
Darren Gaul, a manufacturing and expertise coordinator who works with Herbstreit, stated: “He lets everybody pet him. He’s not aggressive in any approach. He welcomes everybody.”
Gaul added that Ben’s coat is “very mushy.”
That is what my life has turn into the previous couple of weeks touring with Ben. Right here we’re pregame on the sphere at The Swamp-I’m talkin with @GatorsFB Head Coach Billy Napier concerning the sport and there’s Benny taking photographs together with his followers! 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/y2RkadxScL
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 26, 2023
Getting Ben from place to put doesn’t require a lot effort, based on the members of his journey squad. He loves popcorn, lengthy walks and watching a little bit of TV, however Miller says he’s “actually a low-maintenance canine.”
Ben normally walks freely with out a leash round stadiums, soccer fields and units until different canines are close to. He’s mastered air journey and navigates resorts with ease as soon as he’s been proven the trail from the elevator to Herbstreit’s room.
“He’s turn into such a traveler that as quickly as we get out of a automobile, he sprints to the aircraft,” Herbstreit stated. “I’m nonetheless grabbing my luggage, and he’s already on the aircraft.”
The primary factor he wants on every journey is his mattress. Miller purchased one at a pet retailer in Athens, Ga., when “School GameDay” visited for an Ole Miss-Georgia sport final month. It’s a reminiscence foam sq. that’s so giant it may accommodate a napping toddler or two, and it travels from campus to campus on the present’s bus. “It’s simply a part of the present at this level,” Miller stated.
We had a good time in Dallas calling a really aggressive sport with the @dallascowboys & the @Seahawks
Flew after the sport to Las Vegas & now getting locked in for tonight’s @pac12 championship sport w/ @oregonfootball & @UW_Football #BigBen pic.twitter.com/xTLsq5TG0G— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 1, 2023
Throughout video games, Ben normally hangs out with Miller or Gaul on one of many luxe buses or within the makeshift places of work the manufacturing crew units up on website. Generally, Gaul will take Ben as much as the sales space, like through the Washington-Oregon State sport, when Ben made a TV cameo whereas hanging out on the toes of Herbstreit and Chris Fowler.
As soon as the present is over, Ben and Herbstreit catch a aircraft to their subsequent vacation spot, typically one other sport, typically again dwelling. With the school soccer season winding down, Ben’s schedule ought to ease, however followers can relaxation assured they’ll seemingly see him on the street, together with the Patriots-Steelers sport Thursday in Pittsburgh and the Military–Navy sport Saturday in Foxboro, Mass.
And after they’re at dwelling, Herbstreit and Ben will quickly have somebody new to maintain them busy. They’ll make a cease on the best way again from the Military-Navy sport to choose up a pet. A rival for Herbstreit’s affection? By no means.
“Ben’s going to be like: ‘What? I’ve already raised two and also you’re asking me at my age to lift one other one? You didn’t run this by me! What’re you doing to me?’ I believe that is likely to be our dialog because the pet’s leaping on prime of him on the aircraft,” Herbstreit stated.
“He’s going to take a look at me like, ‘I assumed we had been boys?’”
(High picture courtesy of Jackson Collier/ College of Florida)
