After losing his beloved dog, Ben, Kirk Herbstreit stepped back into the broadcasting booth.
It was a somber and emotional day for the Prime Video analyst, who was on the call for Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens, alongside Al Michaels and Kaylee Hartung. It was just earlier Thursday afternoon that Herbstreit shared on X that Ben had passed away following his battle with cancer.
Herbstreit’s post came just days after he provided a worrying update about the dog, who had been battling leukemia and lymphoma.
Despite the emotional weight, Herbstreit still called Thursday’s game, with his longtime ESPN college football partner, Chris Fowler, acknowledging how difficult it would be.
“This is his best friend.”@cbfowler shares with @TheKostos how special Kirk Herbstreit’s dog Ben was to him and to others around him. pic.twitter.com/jCT8JFS7KE
— You Better You Bet (@YouBetterYouBet) November 8, 2024
And Herbstreit himself acknowledged how difficult it was in a social media post Friday.
“Calling last nights game was very challenging,” he wrote. “So fortunate to work with such an extraordinary group of people at @NFLonPrime — from the pregame show to the game and the people behind the scenes. Thank you for love and kindness to help me get through it. And thank you to the Bengals and Ravens for providing such a compelling game.”
Calling last nights game was very challenging-so fortunate to work with such an extraordinary group of people at @NFLonPrime -from the pregame show to the game and the people behind the scenes. Thank you for love and kindness to help me get through it. And thank you to the… pic.twitter.com/R0hbEEEDxk
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 8, 2024
In his post, Herbstreit was referring to the video below:
Our #TNFonPrime crew sends their deepest condolences to @KirkHerbstreit on the passing of his beloved dog Ben ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iTsUA23bys
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) November 8, 2024
Heavy-hearted, Herbstreit pressed on with his broadcast duties, buoyed by the support of his colleagues.
It’s tough to imagine going to work after such a loss, but he persevered and delivered insightful commentary during one of the best regular season games of 2024.
That’s the nature of the job, but it’s a scenario many can relate to, especially when it comes to losing a loyal friend like Ben.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.