Self-proclaimed diehard Cincinnati Reds fan Kirk Herbstreit, who grew up in Centerville, Ohio, appeared Aug. 27 on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show" to discuss a number of topics, including his dissatisfaction with the 2026 Reds.
"My whole life I grew up watching and listening to every Reds baseball game," Herbstreit explained during the broadcast. "I am a diehard Reds baseball fan. And after 13 years of underachieving, I am always a fan. But I am so beyond pissed off with the lack of competitive fire from the organization. They've beaten it out of me."
"Look at the stands," Herbstreit continued. "I'm not the only one. Look at all the (empty) red seats at the home games. It is what it is. … When I was growing up, Reds' baseball was as proud as any professional
organization there was in all of sports, not just baseball. They don't have that now. Hopefully they'll get it back one day. I'm still a fan. I just get disgusted with them."
Herbstreit made similar remarks on McAfee's show in July, going into painstaking detail about how challenging it is for him to root for the Reds.
"Being a Reds fan, their season ended in late April," Herbstreit said in July. "They are done, done, done, done. I'm ready for NFL. … Reds baseball is just a disaster, and it has been for 13 straight years. It just kills your summer."
In October 2025, Herbstreit spoke during the fourth quarter of the Bengals' thrilling NFL Week 7 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium on Thursday Night Football about the mindset of Cincinnati sports fans in a close game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kirk Herbstreit unloads on Reds during 'Pat McAfee Show' appearance
