ESPN Duo Mike and Mike Relationship on Ice
After nearly 20 years on the air together it seems as though the ESPN juggernaut of (Mike and Mike) is coming to an end. A planned move of the show from Bristol, Connecticut to New York City never materialized after a major announcement and now, for some reason the relationship between the on air personalities has chilled to an icy frost.
Off-camera tension between media personalities who work together is hardly a new phenomenon. In one of the more famous examples, Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, who partnered on an immensely popular and polarizing show (Mike And The Mag Dog) on WFAN-AM Radio in New York from 1989 to 2008, went through multiple three-month stretches during which neither spoke to the other off the air. Away from sports, television morning shows have a long history of on-air love and off-camera animus, from Ann Curry and Matt Lauer on Today to Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa on ABC’s Live, where friction first led to the end of their pairing and then to a string of tabloid covers.
ESPN Radio is now experiencing some off-camera issues of its own. Multiple ESPN staffers, including current and former employees who have had roles with the show, told SI.com last week that the once-warm relationship between partners Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic has turned icy over the last year, prompting a number of ESPNers to predict that the show will conclude long before this December’s contractual end. The sources said Greenberg and Golic are not talking to each other off the set—and hardly at all before the show or during commercial breaks.
Through an ESPN spokesperson, both Greenberg and Golic declined comment.
“It’s really a poisonous atmosphere right now,” said one longtime ESPNer who has worked on the show. “Most of us don’t see the show lasting through its contractual end [which is believed to be the end of December]. But I give both these guys immense credit because when the light comes on, you would not know what’s going on. They are pros on air.”
“They are marvelous actors on set,” said another ESPN on-air staffer, who speaks to both Greenberg and Golic. “But they barely even make eye contact with each other these days.”
“They virtually ignore each other off air,” said a third ESPN staffer who has previously worked on the show and said such tension has existed since late last year.
What caused the chill between the two hosts, whose on-air partnership began in October 1998 and is one of the most successful sports radio pairings of alltime? A number of factors, according to those around the program. Last week, as reported by many outlets, members of the Golic family, particularly Mike’s youngest son, Jake, were not shy about making public their animus over how ESPN management has handled the show over the last 24 months.
“Am I allowed to tweet that you guys are idiots now, or do I need a year to announce that,” tweeted Jake Golic, in a reference to ESPN management not making public what most inside ESPN have known for some time—that Greenberg is leaving Mike & Mike to host his own television show beginning Jan. 1, 2018. That show will originate from a studio in New York City and air live from 7 to 10 a.m. ET on ESPN, and re-air each day at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Golic will continue on ESPN Radio with new partner Trey Wingo, who has experience on ESPN Radio and is one of the network’s signature NFL hosts. Mike Golic Jr. will also be part of the show each morning from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. That show, still based in Bristol, Conn., is expected to simulcast on ESPNU. Most people I spoke with for this story predicted the Golic-Wingo pairing will start sometime in the fall.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
