Dick Vitale Responds to Kirk Herbstreit's Message Amid Cancer Battle

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Nov 15, 2024 6:09 PM ET

Kirk Herbstreit has had a tough past week, as his beloved dog Ben tragically passed away. While Ben was his travel companion for his various media and broadcast appearances, Herbstreit ended up bringing his dog Peter with him for his College GameDay action in Week 12, and it led to a heartwarming interaction with Dick Vitale.

After revealing Peter would join him for his Week 12 travels, Herbstreit received a message from Vitale saying that his new travel buddy would be a perfect fit for him, while also commending him for his love for Ben throughout their years together.

Herbstreit responded by thanking Vitale for the kind words and wishing him well in his ongoing battle with cancer. As if that wasn't enough to melt the hearts of sports fans everywhere, Vitale responded again by thanking Herbstreit, while also ensuring him that his new travel buddy in Peter will be a "star."

Thanks so much ⁦@KirkHerbstreit⁩ for your KINDNESS- Your “Diaper Dandy” Peter will be a STAR . ⁦@ESPNPR⁩ ⁦@jksports⁩
Source: Athlon Sports https://t.co/61NPqkQjgT
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) November 15, 2024

It's great to see Vitale and Herbstreit exchanging kind words to each other during what's been a tough time for both of them. Vitale, who has endured several battles with cancer, announced back in June that he had been diagnosed with lymph node cancer and that he would be undergoing surgery.

Herbstreit, meanwhile, is testing bringing Peter on the road with him to see how he responds to his various travels. There's no guarantee it will work out, but so far, things seem to be going well, as Peter already made a brief cameo appearance in College GameDay's Week 12 preview.

Herbstreit and Peter are currently in Athens, Georgia, ahead of the Georgia Bulldogs contest against the Tennessee Volunteers. This game is incredibly important for both teams, so it's safe to say that Peter's first game in action will be a good one that could end up having some huge College Football Playoff repercussions.

Herbstreit and the rest of the College GameDay crew will be live from 9 A.M.-12 P.M. EST on Saturday, with Georgia and Tennssee set to kick off at 7:30 P.M. EST. And with Peter joining the crew, it seems like Vitale will be leading the crew of folks supporting Herbstreit and his new travel buddy.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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