Kirk Herbstreit's dog Ben receives affection from Al Michaels despite criticism about his presence in the booth.

This month, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit stated that he would not tolerate any criticism of his cherished golden retriever, Ben.

During the pregame show for the LSU-USC game on Sept. 1, a canine made an appearance in the broadcast booth. Some viewers expressed their dissatisfaction with Ben being positioned between Herbstreit and his partner, Rece Davis, on ESPN.

Ben faced criticism, but the former Ohio State quarterback, who also provides commentary during Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" broadcasts, defended him.

As Week 2 of the NFL begins, Ben has managed to win over Al Michaels, the legendary play-by-play broadcaster.

The "Miracle on Ice" broadcaster, Michaels, may not be a big fan of dogs, but the golden retriever seems to have won him over.

Michaels recently told Sports Illustrated he has grown fond of the 10-year-old dog.

"Michaels stated, "I’m not an animal person, but I fell in love with Kirk's golden retriever last year. He's well-behaved and Kirk is able to bring him around without a leash.""

He remembered a moment when he was with Herbstreit and Ben at a hotel. Michaels, who is known for his dislike of vegetables, joked that he would prefer to have a pet before he ate a vegetable.

I find him to be hysterical. One time, Kirk and I were at a hotel. We were walking out of an elevator, and the dog was walking with us. The dog led the way around like four turns, and it looked like a Grand Prix course to get to Kirk's room. The dog was smart.

"I have never owned a pet or a vegetable, but I will acquire a pet before I will have a vegetable."

In August, Herbstreit revealed that Ben had been dealing with leukemia.

Herbstreit revealed on "The Brett Boone Podcast" that Ben had been diagnosed with leukemia and underwent an operation to remove a few masses.

At the age of 10, they had to perform a significant procedure on him, which involved opening him up and removing his spleen, where there were two masses present, one on his intestine.

"I was uncertain if we would lose him or not, as he did not respond positively for the first few days. He refused to eat and go to the bathroom. This occurred about 2.5 weeks ago, and he is now gradually recovering and returning to his normal behavior, including taking walks, eating, and wagging his tail."

Tonight's NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills is being called by Herbstreit and Michaels.

Subscribe to the Planet Chronicle Sports Huddle newsletter and follow Planet Chronicle Digital's sports coverage on X.