Kirk Herbstreit's dog Ben steals the show

A crowd begins to form around the Raising Cane’s restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Austin, Texas.

Ten or so police officers stand watch at several points in the parking lot, keeping a watchful eye on everything.

Those wearing Raising Cane’s-branded clothing are allowed inside. Everyone else, which mostly includes people wearing Texas Longhorns-branded clothing items, must wait outside.

An all-black van with tinted windows pulls up in the parking lot. Soon after, a black SUV follows. The staff of the restaurant, all of whom are gathered by the front door with welcoming signs and practiced cheers, titter with excitement.

From each vehicle emerges a golden retriever. In the first, Cane III, the latest mascot of the Raising Cane’s chicken fingers chain. In the second, Ben Herbstreit, a mainstay of ESPN’s College GameDay and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football presentations.

The two dogs touch noses and sniff one another. Dogs that came with some of the Longhorn-clad onlookers excitedly hope for their chance to say hello as well. Several cars with dogs sticking the backseat windows slow down to make sure the canine compansions can see these celebrities better.

Ben requires no leash. He meanders about to greet several fans but returns to his mark when called upon. He’s a pro.

After several photo ops, the two dogs saunter into the restaurant where they’re greeted with rapturous enthusiasm by the staff before continuing to work the room as part of their media appearance.

Kirk Herbstreit is also here.

“That’s all people are here to see is that face,” he would later say of Ben while filming a promo alongside Cane III and her handler, Raising Cane’s CEO Todd Graves.

Ostensibly, Kirk is here to “work a shift” at the Raising Cane’s restaurant, taking orders from customers inside and handing out orders in the drive-thru . (The company sponsored Awful Announcing’s media trip to cover the event.)

In reality, it’s The Ben Show . And honestly, that’s probably how it always is wherever the two of them go.

Believe it or not, not everyone immediately delights at the sight of a golden retriever. But for those who do, Ben is their patron saint.

At 11 years old, he moves deliberately through a room, acknowledging anyone who beckons or wishes to pet his absurdly soft fur, always with an eye on his owner (or a nearby french fry).

As for that owner, Kirk might be here on business, but he seems smitten with this dog in a way that many pet owners would recognize. Why leave a moment empty when you can use it to pet, kiss, or talk to your constant companion?

The affection Herbstreit has for Ben, one of four Herbstreit golden retrievers, comes tinged with wistful sadness. Ben has been diagnosed with both leukemia and lymphoma, has had major surgeries, and needed to miss last week’s College GameDay in Oregon due to his latest chemo treatment . In situations like these, you get your pets in any chance you get.

Given that situation, some might wonder why Herbstreit brings Ben to almost every stop on his arduous weekly trek around the country to call Thursday Night Football , College GameDay , and a college football game for ESPN. He says that situations like these nourish Ben and keep him happy.

“Some people say ‘He’s sick, why do you take him on on the road?’ It’s because it feeds his soul to be out on the road with people and interacting and meeting people,” Herbstreit told reporters. “His tail is constantly wagging and just goes up. So I think how interactive he is.

“He is so well-trained. It’s not anything I’ve done. It’s just his temperament. I could walk wherever. I don’t even know where he is half the time because he’s just never on a leash. He just kinda makes his way. He’ll be in a corner somewhere talking to somebody.

“I think that’s probably the coolest thing that I didn’t really know. I didn’t bring him out here for all this. I brought him out here to just hang out with me. All this attention has come with it. He takes it in stride, and I personally love it because it’s great to have him… I’m having a blast. I think people have been blown away when they get a chance to interact with him.”

For Herbstreit, there’s no difference between a family member and dog, they’re one and the same. And that love not only emanates off of him while he talks about Ben but also through the golden retriever when others get a chance to be in his presence.

“He’s a family member. So when you have somebody, it’s a person or a dog, in this case, going through something, you’re just trying to keep him happy. And you don’t take any day for granted,” Herbstreit said. “Every day I wake up, I see him with his tail wagging, and I’m like, it’s a great day to celebrate. So having him out on the road, I think, again, helps him as much as it helps me because he loves being in the mix, he loves being part of what’s going on.”

With their work completed, Kirk and Ben walked back outside the restaurant where that swarm of fans greeted them both. While Ben commiserated with several other golden retrievers, Kirk played to the crowd . At least, the portion of the crowd that was listening. For quite a few people there, it was all about Ben. Even the mere chance to pet him made their waiting feel worth it.

After a group of young guys decked out in Longhorns shirts had their chance to meet Kirk and send him off back into that black SUV, one turned to the rest of the group with a beaming smile.

“I touched Ben,” he bragged.

It was a good day for a good dog.

The post In Austin, Ben Herbstreit meets his adoring fans. Kirk is there, too. appeared first on Awful Announcing .