Kirk Herbstreit’s Dog Peter Makes Adorable Cameo During College Football Broadcast: ‘There He Is!’
The golden retriever joined the ‘College GameDay’ commentator on the road weeks after his other dog, Ben, died
Saturday’s College GameDay broadcast included a fetching cameo!
On Nov. 23, ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit’s golden retriever Peter stole the spotlight on the SportsCenter pre-game show in Columbus, Ohio.
Herbstreit, 55, was asked on-camera if there was a "Pete sighting" ahead of the Ohio State Buckeyes-Indiana Hoosiers game because a fan had apparently held up a sign that said, "I'm here for Pat and I'm here for Pete," referring to sports analyst Pat McAfee and the golden retriever.
Peter is ready for @CollegeGameDay in Columbus! 🐶 pic.twitter.com/0GaDAvdbVU
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 23, 2024
Herbstreit quickly confirmed that his pup was there off-camera and called him over from getting pets from the crew.
The camera panned over to Peter with his tongue out and looking around the broadcast table as everyone uttered, “There he is!”
A picture shared by College GameDay on X (formerly Twitter) showed Peter lying on the program's logo surrounded by sports analysts.
Peter just living his best life 😅 pic.twitter.com/2k46foRVPb
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 23, 2024
The golden retriever also made an appearance during the College GameDay kicking contest, icing out the college student who attempted to kick a field goal for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The broadcasters kept having to distract Peter from the excitement surrounding the contest.
Peter's cameo comes weeks after Herbstreit shared on Nov. 7 that his beloved dog Ben had died after being diagnosed with cancer.
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"I've had dogs my whole life, but Ben was 1 on 1," Herbstreit wrote on Instagram as part of his heartfelt tribute.
"He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. He and I could communicate,” he continued. “He and I understood each other and had each other's backs. He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easygoing companion."
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Related: Kirk Herbstreit Gets Emotional as He Shares Tribute After Dog Ben’s Death: ‘America’s Best Friend’
Golden retrievers have been a constant in Herbstreit's life for 40 years, according to AP. Along with Peter, who joined the pack in late 2023, his family includes pups Theo and Mitch.
On Nov. 16, Herbstreit introduced Peter to the College GameDay audience by sharing a clip on Instagram of Peter jumping up to say hello to the broadcasters.
"Making himself right at home 🤣🤣🤣," he captioned the video of Peter.