Kirk Herbstreit hits Twitter to debunk the ESPN, SEC bias myth

Kirk Herbstreit went on an enjoyable Twitter rant defending ESPN against SEC bias.
Next: Top 30 College Players Heading Into The 2015 Season
Kirk Herbstreit was looking to open up a social media can of worms on Monday morning and, boy howdy, did he succeed. After ESPN opened its first day of college football camp coverage in Columbus with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Herbstreit took to Twitter – always a forum for civilized discussions – to address whether his employer has an SEC bias.
Emojis, double question marks and exclamation marks galore, Herbie let the world know that there’s no SEC bias up in Bristol. He parried and thrusted as detractors came through the pike, all the while stating that ESPN only cares about championships. That if the Big Ten won seven consecutive national championships ESPN would be all over the Leaders and Legends.
Enjoy.
https://twitter.com/KirkHerbstreit/status/630764042584522752
Obviously!! You know what @espn has a bias for in their reporting?! Winning and Championships. https://t.co/N0fXj8yxd8
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
Can you imagine if the B1G won SEVEN straight National Titles the amount of coverage the B1G would receive?! https://t.co/8kftH8qvIw
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
Again-Obviously-That's why the SEC received so much coverage from 06-12. They won 7 straight titles. That's my point https://t.co/4NwDFMZstA
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
No, just think people need to recognize Natl coverage is directly related to winning. That's why OSU everywhere now https://t.co/xXj4PcTksw
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
You mean years of winning. New champion now--gets the coverage. Simple. https://t.co/y74mnOwT92
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
Same as if Michigan St wins it ESPN will be all over the Spartans. Champions get more coverage. Whoever it is! https://t.co/DWkfxMvSvh
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
Just like they own the Longhorn Network. Texas has been losing. Are you inundated w/ Texas and how good they are? No https://t.co/oCMd8AHo7v
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 10, 2015
While a valid argument, Herbstreit errs with his audience. Ohio State and Big Ten fans weren’t the ones loudly complaining about SEC bias last year; that chatter came largely from Florida State followers.
Whether or not it was a lucid gripe at the time in a vacuum of memories, Noles fans have a bit of a leg to stand on. It’s hard to finger one moment from last year when coverage of FSU didn’t center around controversy – Jameis and the crabs, Jameis and the FHRITP, New York Times investigations, independent hearings, Karlos Williams allegations, etc. And while there was definitely plenty of controversy in Tallahassee last season, it all seemed to take precedence over a dominant team on the quest for a repeat.
All the while, the SEC West was being lauded as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Cross-promotional segments featuring SEC apologist Paul Finebaum and other members of SEC Network (notably Tim Tebow) also enhanced the image of ESPN coddling the Southeastern Conference.
As far as Herbie’s Twitter spiel is concerned, it’s perfect timing. Nothing like rattling the cage and ruffling some feathers in the lead up to the season. The Mothership makes an easy target, as does being an apologist for one’s employer.
More from College Football
- Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension over NCAA violations
- College football neutral site games in 2023: Full list
- College GameDay announces surprise Week 1 destination
- College football analyst warns Oklahoma that Texas is doing better prep for SEC
- College Football Playoff national championship game locations for 2024, 2025 and beyond