{"id":174356,"date":"2026-09-03T22:50:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/?p=174356"},"modified":"2026-09-03T22:51:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:51:34","slug":"kirk-herbstreit-todd-graves-talk-30-year-milestones-dogs-college-football-at-mothership-raising-canes-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/2026\/09\/03\/kirk-herbstreit-todd-graves-talk-30-year-milestones-dogs-college-football-at-mothership-raising-canes-location\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirk Herbstreit, Todd Graves Talk 30-Year Milestones, Dogs, College Football At “Mothership” Raising Cane’s LOcation"},"content":{"rendered":"
When LSU hosts Clemson in primetime Saturday, it will mark a new era for the storied program. Lane Kiffin debuts as head coach, and Sam Leavitt takes over as starting quarterback.<\/p>\n
But Saturday\u2019s game also coincides with impressive celebrations of longevity. ESPN College GameDay will be in Baton Rouge for its 500th game on the road, and broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit is celebrating thirty years with the program. Raising Cane\u2019s Chicken Fingers, which opened its inaugural, \u201cMothership\u201d location near the LSU campus, is also enjoying its thirtieth birthday.<\/p>\n
Thursday, Herbstreit joined Cane\u2019s founder and owner Todd Graves at said \u201cMothership\u201d restaurant in recognition of their career milestones. Both arrived to the honorary “shift” and press conference with very special friends: their respective dogs Peter and Raising Cane III.<\/p>\nBATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 03: Kirk Herbstreit visits Raising Cane’s “The Mothership” ahead of major college football kickoff in Baton Rouge on September 03, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The two beloved dogs have attained massive recognition and fanfare in their own right. Enthusiasm over Peter, in fact, fueled the launch of a \u201cPeter Fan Club\u201d merchandise line, and a pop-up shop will be open next to Cane\u2019s this Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible blessing to have him with me,\u201d said Herbstreit of the opportunity to travel the road with Peter. \u201cAnd I’ve been so grateful that Amazon and ESPN have allowed him to be around. And all the universities and NFL teams have been great letting him hang out with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter’s one of the most famous dogs in the country, and he’s such a good pup and it’s just always great to have a dog around. So I bring Cane [to various functions],\u201d added Graves. \u201cAt the office, you know, we’re in our head. We’re intense. We’re trying to get work done, and the dog comes up, and you get a cold nose on your arm. And it walks around the office \u2026 and just calms the mood.\u201d<\/p>\nTodd Graves and Kirk Herbstreit, courtesy of Raising Cane’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cThey just have an ability to just kind of calm everything down,\u201d emphasized Herbstreit.<\/p>\n
Graves did not understate Peter\u2019s popularity; Peter drew a massive crowd at Thursday\u2019s event, with numerous LSU students dropping by to take pictures, explore the new \u201cPeter Fan Club\u201d merchandise, and pet the adorable golden retriever.<\/p>\n
Granted, Herbstreit and Graves are not merely linked by their love of dogs. They are also legitimate friends, who have built a bond on shared values, commitment to family, and admiration for each other\u2019s accomplishments.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get inspired by Kirk,\u201d exclaimed Graves. \u201cHe loves to come in, and he loves to get Cajun food. My son’s cooking a jambalaya tonight and cooking an \u00e9touff\u00e9e at the house. But we’ll talk, and we don’t just talk about football and family. We’ll talk about challenges and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\nKirk Herbstreit and Todd Graves speak to LSU students at the Mothership Raising Cane’s location | Courtesy of Raising Cane’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201c[There are] some people you just naturally gravitate toward, regardless of what business they happen to be in,\u201d shared Herbstreit about the genesis of their friendship. \u201cOver time, I\u2019ve met his family, he’s met my family. We hang out, socialize, and it’s just an easy relationship that I really enjoy beyond the business aspect of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKirk has incredible football IQ,\u201d shared Graves. \u201cHe’s [also] such a hard worker. He\u2019ll do Thursday night football, then he’ll fly to where he’s going to do GameDay, and he goes from GameDay to where he’s going to be doing commentary for the game that night. He’s the hardest working guy, [and] what people don’t see is all the preparation he does and all the time. He’ll spend today and tomorrow talking with players talking with coaches to really understand where they’re at. That’s why he’s so good at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I get the opportunity to do when I meet successful people in different fields is picking up points of success from other types of industries. With Kirk, it all goes back to the same thing: he believed in himself, and I think that\u2019s an inspiration to younger people. Or older people that want to do \u2026 whatever they are going to do. It\u2019s inspirational to me, and it\u2019s just been a lot of fun. This is our third year that we\u2019ve partnered for a football season. For us, he\u2019s the voice of college football \u2013 and pro football as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Success over thirty years is an undeniable testament to each individual\u2019s vision, talent, and work ethic. But both are also quick to acknowledge the impact and inspiration they receive from others in their universes.<\/p>\n
Herbstreit credits the inspiration he received working with mentor Lee Corso, while also broadcasting peers like Chris Fowler and Mike Tirico.<\/p>\nKirk and Peter Herbstreit, courtesy of Raising Cane’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Graves credits the devotion of the various Raising Cane\u2019s restaurant leaders and crew members, who help share his authentic love for chicken fingers with patrons at over one thousand locations.<\/p>\n
As part of Thursday\u2019s event, Herbstreit and Graves got to experience what those crew members do each day. Both spent time serving customers at both the counter and drive-thru, delighting LSU students with box combos, sweet teas, and chances to meet their dogs.<\/p>\n
Before leaving, Herbstreit also provided some insight on the new college football season. The commentator shouted out quarterbacks like Leavitt, Darian Mensah, Julian Sayin, Dante Moore, and Trinidad Chambliss as players who can make (or solidify) their NFL first-round cases this year. He also cited programs like Memphis, Navy, and Penn State as ones to watch.<\/p>\n
A common thread at any Raising Cane\u2019s activation is the authentic commitment to community. Thursday\u2019s event ultimately served as the launching pad for what should be an unforgettable weekend in Baton Rouge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They joined forces for a celebratory “shift” ahead of Saturday’s LSU-Clemson game.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[15629],"tags":[17828,16657],"adace-sponsor":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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