Mike & Mike Announce End of ‘Mike & Mike’
It's been the worst-kept secret in radio for quite a while now -- that ESPN's Mike & Mike would be breaking up after 18 years together on the air. The official announcement was made Tuesday in Times Square during the ESPN "upfront" presentation, according to The Sporting News. In "upfronts," networks announce upcoming programming changes to sponsors. Wednesday, however, the pair addressed the changes on-air for the first time.
While both Mikes were obviously spared after ESPN's recent and massive layoff bloodletting, it was known that their show would be reconfigured as part of that shakeup. Mike Greenberg will be moving to ESPN TV while Mike Golic will stay on the radio show with new cohosts Mike Golic, Jr. and Trey Wingo.
Judging from the video above, neither host is particularly happy about the split.
For today, all I wanted to say was that this experience has been, by far, the best thing that has ever happened to me in my professional life. I don't expect anything I ever do to be this much fun again, and I will be grateful for it the rest of my life. -- Mike Greenberg
Mike Golic, meanwhile said the change to the show "was not my story to tell ... it's for others to tell who made this decision, and if they want to tell it and how they want to tell it."
Mike Golic's youngest son, Jake, didn't feel like holding his tongue about the change any longer.
What's unclear is how long the show will remain on the air. The breakup will happen before the end of 2017, while other ESPN TV and radio lineup changes will take effect Jan. 2, 2018. An exact date for the end of Mike & Mike, however, is uncertain as of today.
[h/t New York Daily News, UPROXX]