College Football Frenzy: Elle Duncan and Kirk Herbstreit Clash Sparks Fiery Fan Debate—Whose Side Are You On?

Ah, nothing says fireworks quite like a heated ESPN showdown on the Fourth of July, right? Kirk Herbstreit, the dean of college football commentary, decided to toss a flaming dart at “SportsCenter”’s Elle Duncan, taking issue with broadcasters openly showing their team loyalty on national airwaves. It’s a classic clash of journalistic purity versus unapologetic fandom—and boy, did it ignite some passionate responses. Elle didn’t hold back either, firing back with wit and a hint of “why me?” that’s just too good to ignore. But here’s the real kicker: while Herbstreit preaches impartiality, fans aren’t shy about pointing out his own well-known biases. Makes you wonder—can anyone really be a neutral commentator in a world fueled by fandom? Or is this just the new normal where personality and allegiance go hand in hand? Grab your popcorn, because this ESPN sparring match is worth the whistle. LEARN MORE.

We’ve got fireworks on the Fourth of July between ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit and “SportsCenter” anchor Elle Duncan. 

Oddly enough, this unexpected feud started with Herbstreit making an appearance on the “Net Positive” podcast with John Crist. For some reason, he singled out Duncan while complaining about broadcasters who openly cheer for their favorite team.  

“I don’t think you can cheer when you do games on a national level,” Herbstreit said. “You watch ‘SportsCenter’ and Elle Duncan is sitting there cheering for Georgia. She’s openly cheering. I’m not a fan of that personally. I think it hurts your credibility.”

Duncan eventually fired back at Herbstreit on social media. 

“Didn’t have this on my bingo card for today but my fandom doesn’t impact in any way what or how we talk about teams on air,” Duncan wrote on X. “Ever. I…JUST..BARK?? Also **whispers** I’m not the only one. So why I get singled out?”

Well, it didn’t take long for fans to pick a side in this debate. For the most part, they’re siding with Duncan. 

“Wrong messenger for this take. I like when people have personality and I know their allegiances, but he’s not wrong… he’s just part of the problem he’s taking issue with,” one fan said. 

“This is rich coming from the biggest Clemson and Ohio State homer out there. I like Herby but cmon man. Have some self awareness,” another fan wrote.

“The actual crux of what Kirk said is correct — bias negatively impacts journalistic integrity — but calling out Elle Duncan when Kirk himself shows bias toward Ohio State is kind of insane,” a third fan commented.

“Name a single CFB media personality that isn’t open about their fandom. It’s no longer an issue because they all do it,” another social media user said. 

Herbstreit has been ESPN’s lead analyst for college football since 2006. While he’s still an exceptional on-air talent, it’s fair to say he may have missed the mark here. 

Who are you siding with?

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