So ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who Saturday said LSU coach Les Miles would be Michigan’s next hear coach, went on WDFN-AM radio in Detroit on Monday apologizing for everything from that story all the way to the war in Iraq, then said:

“One thing I can assure you, you will never see me gathering news and reporting information ever again”

We love this: It’s like the radio or TV analysts saying “those media folks” and then forget that, eh hem, THEY are the media. Herby, do you really think you’re not going to report anything ever again? Please.

Herby defended his Miles story left and right, saying the source he had was going to be directly involved in the process (Lloyd Carr, anyone?), then threw his bosses under the bus:

“When they talked about that and really thought it over and over because it was going to happen they didn’t want to get beat on the story,” Herbstreit said, “and they suggested that I go with it”.

Here’s what you learn about journalism, Herbs: You’re only as good as your sources, and at the end of the day, it’s YOUR name on the story. You screw up, it’s your fault. If this was some ESPN.com newby and the WWL wanted to put his name on a story, I may sympathize. But if you weren’t comfortable, surely you could back away.

Golden boy went on to say there was no conspiracy, as a former OSU Buckeye, he was out to hurt Michigan, that he called Les Miles to apologize, kissed his bud, ya ya ya ya … could this all happen to a nicer guy? We’ d report more, but we’re not sure it’d meet Herby’s approval.