Analysts are people, too

I'd like to take some time today to stand in defense of Kirk Herbstreit. As many of you have most likely heard by now, Herbstreit recently stated on his radio show on 1460 The Fan that in his opinion, Ohio State will blow Michigan out of the water and that the game won't be very close for very long. Here are the key excerpts for those of you that haven't already heard about this:

∙ "I personally don't think [Michigan's] defense, the way Ohio State will spread them out, can just dominate the game and shut Ohio State down."

∙ "If those two teams were to play right now, just the way they're playing, I don't even think it would be close. Ohio State not only wins that game the way they're playing right now, maybe by a few scores."

∙ On Michigan receiver Steve Breaston's role once injured star Mario Manningham returns: "Breaston can go back to whatever he's doing these days, if they could ever find a way to actually apply him in the offense. He's worthless in my mind, outside of returning a few punts."

Now, this didn't sit too well with one particular Sports Illustrated columnist. In fact, he actually seems offended by it all; something that is rather ironic considering his job as a journalist is to stay objective at all times, and as he criticizes another journalist for biased remarks, he himself becomes rather subjective. As Second Rate News does a fine job in pointing out that there is a huge difference when one is presenting himself as a balanced analyst among a national television audience, and when he is hosting his own Columbus-based radio show, obviously trying to pump the Buckeye faithful up. Although radio journalism is still journalism, it's a much more laid back form that is created for a specific type of audience. If I were a contributer to a national news network such as ESPN, and also had this blog on the side, you can bet that there would be a large difference in the tone and opinions expressed between the two. If Desmond Howard had a radio show based in Ann Arbor, and he was asked to predict what would happen on the 18th, I don't think anybody would doubt that he would go with the Wolverines in a heartbeat, and completely discredit the Buckeyes.

After all, he did sing "Hail To The Victors" on top of the Horseshoe.