Report: ESPN's 'Mike & Mike' hosts no longer on speaking terms
Mike & Mike, one of ESPN’s most popular shows, officially announced an end to its 18-year run live on the air last week. The shows’ radio and television hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic informed listeners that while the show was not technically ending, major changes were coming as Greenberg will be replaced by Trey Wingo. Greenberg will be getting his own solo ESPN morning show starting in 2018.
During that segment, Golic didn’t reveal much and put the decision in other’s hands, without specifically naming who. It was clear that Golic wasn’t exactly thrilled with the decision and he made things pretty awkward. Here’s the segment from last week:
Greeny & Golic address the future of Mike & Mike pic.twitter.com/86JfHwBS2C
— Mike & Mike (@MikeAndMike) May 17, 2017
Golic’s son Jake Golic then let it be known that it wasn’t just his father that felt this way. Here’s a tweet Jake sent out criticizing the decision.
— Jake Golic (@JGolic88) May 17, 2017
Following those interesting chain of events, Sports Illustrated media analyst Richard Deitsch is now reporting the relationship between the two ESPN employees has become toxic off air. In a recent report, here’s what one Mike & Mike worker had to say about the behavior of the show’s longtime hosts.
“It’s really a poisonous atmosphere right now,” the unnamed staffer said. “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.”
It wasn’t just this person that spoke up, as two other Mike & Mike staff members backed up these claims.
“They are marvelous actors on set,” said another worker. “But they barely even make eye contact with each other these days.”
For what it’s worth, in the video segment above, Golic and Greenberg don’t make eye contact — even when addressing one another. Instead, they chose to look down at their desk.
“They virtually ignore each other off air,” said a third ESPN employee.
Considering there is internal doubt the show makes its scheduled run to the end of December, tensions must be running high on the set. How this ends is anyone’s guess but it appears fans of the original Mike & Mike had better savor every moment, it could end much sooner than anticipated at this rate.