Mike and Mike in the Morning
Encyclopedia
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk
radio
show
hosted by Mike Golic
and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio
and simulcast
on television, normally on ESPN2
. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter
will air on ESPN2
, and the show's simulcast will therefore then air on ESPNews
. If both ESPN
and ESPN2
are showing live sporting events, Sportscenter will air on ESPNews
and the show will air on either ESPNU
or ESPN Classic
. The show primarily focuses on the day's biggest sports topics and the humorous banter between the Mikes. On February 24, 2010, the duo celebrated 10 years of doing the show together.
On May 7, 2007, the show moved from its longtime radio studio home to the television
studio used for Sunday NFL Countdown
and Baseball Tonight
, and began broadcasting in high-definition.
A daily "best-of" show airs daily on ESPN2. Additionally, a weekly radio recap aired Saturday mornings at 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and then moved to 5 a.m. ET before being discontinued in October 2009. The radio version of "best of" returned in February 2010 in the 5am timeslot. In addition, there is a "best-of" podcast distributed every weekday as well.
relationship between its hosts, and how it relates to their views on sports. The show's motto for all commercials on radio
and television
is: "What makes them different makes them great."
Mike Greenberg is portrayed as a stereotypical nerd
and with a man-crush
on whoever the starting quarterback
is for his favorite team (the New York Jets
), for whom he is openly partisan. Meanwhile, former Notre Dame
and NFL
lineman Mike Golic is set up in the role of the tough and boisterous "man's man," a former pro athlete who likes nothing more than to eat and "tell it like it is."
, Marcellus Wiley
and regular contributors Buster Olney
, Mark Schlereth
, Cris Carter
and Trey Wingo
. Other regular contributors include Peter Gammons
, Chris Mortensen
, Tim Kurkjian
, Dick Vitale
, Tim Legler
, and Jayson Stark
. The show's producers, Liam Chapman and Curt "Joaquin" Kaplan, often contribute musical parodies, and hosted the Saturday morning "Best-of" show.
The ESPN Radio SportsCenter
update anchors for the show are Bob Picozzi and Christine Lisi. When the TV simulcast began broadcasting in HD, the radio SportsCenter updates were no longer simulcast on ESPN2, replaced by TV-specific SportsCenter updates, usually anchored by Sage Steele
, Jonathan Coachman
, Darren Lyn, George Smith or Michael Kim
. They are now mainly done by Michael Kim and Reischea Canidate
.
. From 2000-2001, they were occasional panelists for the ESPN game show 2 Minute Drill
. In 2007, they were the lead broadcast team for ESPN's coverage of the Arena Football League. It was announced in June 2007 that Greenberg and Golic would also call a National Football League
game together for ESPN, broadcasting the second game of ESPN's Week 1 Monday Night Football
doubleheader along with former NFL coach and player Mike Ditka
. In June 2008, ESPN announced that the "Three Mikes" will return to broadcast the second game of the opening 2008 Monday Night Football doubleheader. Greenberg regularly hosts the Monday evening edition of SportsCenter
, and Golic also appears on or hosts SportsCenter, particularly during the NFL season.
Starting on December 17, 2007, Greenberg also hosted the game show Duel. The show lasted for 16 episodes. The first six episodes were part of a first season high-stakes tournament, while the remaining ten episodes focused on a weekly series with a top prize of $500,000.
on January 11, 2008, in Atlantic City
, New Jersey
, at the House of Blues
, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the V Foundation. Guests included Jeffrey Ross
, Frank Caliendo
(pre-recorded video only), Mike Ditka
, Chad Johnson, Clinton Portis
, Ed Reed
, Charlie Weis
, Eddie Griffin
, Joe Klecko
, Trey Wingo
, Mark Schlereth
, Dana Jacobson
, and Wink Martindale
. Musical group Lifehouse
performed live. The Roast made national news when it was reported that an apparently intoxicated Jacobson cursed the University of Notre Dame and Jesus Christ. ESPN released a statement apologizing for any offense given to the Notre Dame football program. Jacobson was suspended from ESPN for one week. Upon returning from her suspension, she apologized on air for her behavior and comments. Largely as a result of the incident, no video or transcript of the roast was ever released.
. This pairing, which broadcast from 1995 to 1998, was entitled The Bruno-Golic Morning Show.
. Ratings for the duo were extraordinarily high, especially for being on the "minor league" of the ESPN networks only offered in a few markets on anything other than digital cable or satellite packages. To capitalize on the large viewership potential the simulcast was moved to the more established ESPN2 in 2006. This change pushed the morning show Cold Pizza
(now titled ESPN First Take) back till 10 a.m. In 2007, the show began to be broadcast in HD, which required the move to the ESPN digital center. When ESPN2 covers live sporting events during Mike and Mike (The Australian Open
, World Baseball Classic
, etc.) the show airs live on ESPNews. After the event's coverage is over, the simulcast is moved back to ESPN2, if possible.
began producing two to three minute cartoons of Greenberg and Golic, called Off Mikes. The cartoons are built around conversations and arguments of the two from the show. Off Mikes can be found on ESPN.com
. The cartoons have won an Emmy award.
entry created for wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament
. Greenberg holds the belief that if a person wishes to enter multiple pools, they should do so using the same picks for each entry. Golic has no problem with choosing different winners for each entry he submits, because, as he says, "I want to win the pool and win the caaash!" The two have good-naturedly debated this difference of opinion each year since 2000.
In 2007, Lowe's
sponsored the Brackets of Integrity Sweepstakes, an online tournament pool which allowed listeners of Mike and Mike in the Morning to play against Greenberg and Golic using bracket sheets of their own. Amusingly, the rules allowed each participant to create up to five different "Sheets of Integrity." The hosts' differences were summed up in 2005 in two separate parodies of Billy Joel
's song "Honesty" (renamed "Integrity"), as sung by each host in support of their wagering philosophies.
In 2009, Werner's (a ladder company which supplies the official ladders that the NCAA champion team climbs to cut down the nets after the tournament) sponsored the online sweepstakes. The sponsorship was continued in 2010.
, the two decided to take their differences one step further, which resulted in a one-on-one office pool referred to as the Sheet of Integrity Challenge. Mike Greenberg ultimately won that first wager, which concluded with Mike Golic getting his eyebrows waxed on-air.
Mike Golic turned the tables in 2005, for which Mike Greenberg had to dress up as a leprechaun
(the mascot of Mike Golic's alma mater, the University of Notre Dame
) for the entirety of the show.
Golic won again in 2006, for which Mike Greenberg once again had to dress in the leprechaun outfit, but this time at a remote
held near campus of Notre Dame.
The 2007 bracket wager originally had Mike Golic getting taser
ed if he lost and Mike Greenberg having to milk a cow if he lost. Prior to the semi-finals, however, "the Suits" at ESPN (meaning upper management) determined that the tasering could not occur. (Apparently there was more risk of injury than ESPN was willing to take.) As it turned out, Golic's half of the wager was never fully determined: in the end, he won the bet anyway (thanks to Ohio State beating Georgetown in the Final Four semifinal), and Greenberg not only milked a cow in-studio on the June 21 broadcast, but also wore a "bedazzled" Mike Vrabel
jersey for the entire September 3 broadcast, which was auctioned off in support of Vrabel's charity, The Second and Seven Foundation. Greenberg received advice about milking a cow from ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney
, who grew up on a dairy farm. (The original bet had Greenberg wearing said Vrabel jersey AT the season-opening Patriots-Jets game at the Meadowlands. However, his Monday Night Football assignment in San Francisco prevented him from attending the game.)
The 2008 wager (this time, the stakes were decided by voting by the fans of the show from lists of five that each Mike consented to) was that if Greenberg lost, he would have to dye his hair a different color each day for a week. If Golic lost, he would challenge professional eaters in a live eating contest on the air. With Memphis's victory over Texas in the Elite Eight, Greenberg clinched the 2008 title. A promotional voice-over (all voice-over promotions on the show are created by producers Joaquin and Liam) nicknamed the May 1, 2008 event the "Feast on the First" in the tradition of the "Thrilla in Manila
". Golic finished in fourth after consuming 15 boneless wings in 3 minutes, finishing behind the three professional eaters: Eater X (31 wings), Crazy Legs Conti
(23 wings), and Pretty Boy (22 wings). (The fact Golic threw at least one wing at Greenberg, who was wearing a hazmat suit for the occasion, probably didn't help Golic's score.)
The 2009 wager once again led to fans voting online, this time between three punishments all which would apply to either loser (instead of each having their punishment). The fans choose whether the loser would have to: walk on hot coals, grow a beard for a month, or have his forearms and leg waxed live on air. On the March 18th broadcast it was revealed that the waxing option had received the most votes with 48%, while the beard and hot coal options received 40% and 12% respectively. A twist was added when they asked the mother of producer Liam Chapman to make her picks as well, who is known on the show for her ridiculous and hilarious predictions. At the behest of a listener's suggestion, the
Mikes agreed that if both of them lost to her, they would both have their forearms and legs waxed. Mike Greenberg won the 2009 wager with the elimination of Golic's national champion, Pittsburgh. Golic contested the outcome, saying that since Greenberg ended up tying Liam's mother, he should have to face the punishment as well because he technically did not beat her. But since the terms were that she had to be the victor, it was to no avail, and Golic conceded the issue in a phone call to the show on his day off on March 30, 2009. About a month later, Golic got his legs and forearms waxed on the show.
The 2010 wager was won by Mike Greenberg when Baylor University (Golic's last final four team left) lost in the Elite 8 to Duke (whom Greenberg had selected to win that particular region). Golic had to wear a USC jersey all day on the Notre Dame campus, and he did so on April 24 . According to Greenberg, the terms of the deal required Golic to wear the USC jersey all day, except when Golic was within Notre Dame Stadium watching the Blue-Gold spring football game, as to not create a distraction. Once he stepped outside Notre Dame Stadium, the jersey had to again be visible, throughout the remainder of the day. Adding to the embarrassment was that Golic's visit included a book signing event for the duo's book, "Mike & Mike's Rules for Sports and Life," at the campus library.
The 2011 wager was won by Mike Golic when the University of Kansas defeated Richmond in the Sweet 16 Friday night, one of if not the earliest decision-points in the entire "Sheet of Integrity" series. Greenberg actually had more correct picks in the first two rounds, but suffered such significant bracket damage in the first weekend that, once his national championship choice (Duke) was defeated on the Thursday night of the Sweet 16, only a complete collapse of Golic's bracket could save him. Once Kansas defeated Richmond, Golic was able to lock out and defeat Greenberg. The wager originally had the loser dressing up as a woman for a full day including the televised show. However, it was later modified. Had Golic lost, it was decided he would've dressed as Lady Gaga
. Greenberg's loss meant that he had to dress as Justin Bieber
for an entire day, which he did on May 4, 2011.
After eight years, Greenberg's "integrity" and Golic's "pursuit of the 'caaaaash'" are deadlocked, 4-4.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
hosted by Mike Golic
Mike Golic
Michael Louis "Mike" Golic is a co-host of ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning and a former defensive lineman at Notre Dame and in the NFL. The NFL website lists him as and ....
and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
and simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on television, normally on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
will air on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
, and the show's simulcast will therefore then air on ESPNews
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
. If both ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
are showing live sporting events, Sportscenter will air on ESPNews
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
and the show will air on either ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
or ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
. The show primarily focuses on the day's biggest sports topics and the humorous banter between the Mikes. On February 24, 2010, the duo celebrated 10 years of doing the show together.
On May 7, 2007, the show moved from its longtime radio studio home to the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
studio used for Sunday NFL Countdown
Sunday NFL Countdown
NFL GameDay redirects here. For the video games series, see NFL GameDay Sunday NFL Countdown is a pregame show of all the NFL action for that week. The official name is Sunday NFL Countdown presented by IBM. The show airs on ESPN, ESPN HD, TSN and TSN HD from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time every...
and Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
, and began broadcasting in high-definition.
A daily "best-of" show airs daily on ESPN2. Additionally, a weekly radio recap aired Saturday mornings at 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and then moved to 5 a.m. ET before being discontinued in October 2009. The radio version of "best of" returned in February 2010 in the 5am timeslot. In addition, there is a "best-of" podcast distributed every weekday as well.
Design
The show centers on an Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
relationship between its hosts, and how it relates to their views on sports. The show's motto for all commercials on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
is: "What makes them different makes them great."
Mike Greenberg is portrayed as a stereotypical nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
and with a man-crush
Limerence
Limerence is a term coined c. 1977 by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated...
on whoever the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
is for his favorite team (the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), for whom he is openly partisan. Meanwhile, former Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
lineman Mike Golic is set up in the role of the tough and boisterous "man's man," a former pro athlete who likes nothing more than to eat and "tell it like it is."
Regular guest hosts and contributors
Even if Greenberg and Golic are absent from the show, the show still uses the Mike and Mike in the Morning title. On those days, guest hosts fill in, and the show follows the same format. Current regular guest hosts include Ric BucherRic Bucher
Ric Bucher is an NBA analyst for ESPN and ESPN.com. Bucher is also a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a columnist for ESPN.com.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bucher is a 1983 graduate of Dartmouth College, where he played four years on the varsity soccer team. Bucher has covered the NBA since...
, Marcellus Wiley
Marcellus Wiley
Marcellus Vernon Wiley, is a retired American football defensive end who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for four different teams. He was selected with the 22nd pick of the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Columbia University by the Buffalo Bills...
and regular contributors Buster Olney
Buster Olney
Robert Stanbury "Buster" Olney III is a columnist for ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN.com, and covered the New York Giants and New York Yankees for The New York Times. He is also a regular analyst for the ESPN's Baseball Tonight...
, Mark Schlereth
Mark Schlereth
Mark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs...
, Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
and Trey Wingo
Trey Wingo
Hal Chapman Wingo III or Trey Wingo is the co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter from time to time but is best known as host of NFL Live alongside football analysts Mark Schlereth, Merrill Hoge, Mike Golic, and Tom Jackson, among others...
. Other regular contributors include Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
, Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...
, Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian is a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter. He is also a contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He guests on Mike and Mike in the Morning on Thursdays at 7:44 AM, discussing the latest in happenings in Major League Baseball...
, Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
, Tim Legler
Tim Legler
Timothy Eugene Legler is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst.-La Salle:...
, and Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark is an American sportswriter who mainly covers baseball. He attended Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in newspaper journalism.-Biography:...
. The show's producers, Liam Chapman and Curt "Joaquin" Kaplan, often contribute musical parodies, and hosted the Saturday morning "Best-of" show.
The ESPN Radio SportsCenter
ESPN Radio SportsCenter
ESPN Radio SportsCenter has sports updates two or three times an hour during key time slots, usually by separate anchors. Weekdays from 6am to 4pm Eastern, there are two updates an hour, at the top of the hour and 30 minutes past...
update anchors for the show are Bob Picozzi and Christine Lisi. When the TV simulcast began broadcasting in HD, the radio SportsCenter updates were no longer simulcast on ESPN2, replaced by TV-specific SportsCenter updates, usually anchored by Sage Steele
Sage Steele
Sage Steele is a SportsCenter anchor for the weekend morning editions of SportsCenter. She also hosts the 9:00 a.m. ET and 12:00 p.m. ET SportsCenter shows during the week.-Early life:...
, Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
, Darren Lyn, George Smith or Michael Kim
Michael Kim
Michael Kim is a presenter for SportsCenter on ESPN.Kim joined ESPN as one of the original presenters on ESPNEWS prior to its November 1, 1996, launch...
. They are now mainly done by Michael Kim and Reischea Canidate
Reischea Canidate
Reischea Canidate is an American journalist. She currently works for ESPN and hosts ESPNews.Canidate attended college at the University of Southern California. Along the way, she has worked in different markets such as...
.
Greenberg and Golic on other ESPN and ABC ventures
The team of Greenberg and Golic has also worked in other ESPN ventures, including a game show (ESPN Bowling Night), and coverage of the Scripps National Spelling BeeScripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W...
. From 2000-2001, they were occasional panelists for the ESPN game show 2 Minute Drill
2 Minute Drill
2 Minute Drill is an ESPN game show based on the general knowledge UK game show Mastermind. The program aired from September 11, 2000 to December 28, 2001...
. In 2007, they were the lead broadcast team for ESPN's coverage of the Arena Football League. It was announced in June 2007 that Greenberg and Golic would also call a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
game together for ESPN, broadcasting the second game of ESPN's Week 1 Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
doubleheader along with former NFL coach and player Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
. In June 2008, ESPN announced that the "Three Mikes" will return to broadcast the second game of the opening 2008 Monday Night Football doubleheader. Greenberg regularly hosts the Monday evening edition of SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
, and Golic also appears on or hosts SportsCenter, particularly during the NFL season.
Starting on December 17, 2007, Greenberg also hosted the game show Duel. The show lasted for 16 episodes. The first six episodes were part of a first season high-stakes tournament, while the remaining ten episodes focused on a weekly series with a top prize of $500,000.
Roast
The duo was roastedRoast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
on January 11, 2008, in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the V Foundation. Guests included Jeffrey Ross
Jeffrey Ross
Jeff Ross is an American stand-up comedian, insult comic, actor, director and author.-Early life:...
, Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo is an American comedian and impressionist, best known for his work on the Fox Network television series MADtv, and as the in-house prognosticator for Fox NFL Sunday. In 2007 and 2008, he performed his impersonations on his own show, Frank TV, which aired on TBS...
(pre-recorded video only), Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
, Chad Johnson, Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
, Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin
Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
, Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
, Trey Wingo
Trey Wingo
Hal Chapman Wingo III or Trey Wingo is the co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter from time to time but is best known as host of NFL Live alongside football analysts Mark Schlereth, Merrill Hoge, Mike Golic, and Tom Jackson, among others...
, Mark Schlereth
Mark Schlereth
Mark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs...
, Dana Jacobson
Dana Jacobson
Dana Jacobson is an ESPN anchorwoman. She joined the network as an ESPNEWS anchor in December 2002 and soon became a regular anchor on the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter. In March 2005, she was named co-host of Cold Pizza, and transitioned with the show as it became ESPN First Take...
, and Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale
Winston Conrad Martindale , known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Radio:...
. Musical group Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
performed live. The Roast made national news when it was reported that an apparently intoxicated Jacobson cursed the University of Notre Dame and Jesus Christ. ESPN released a statement apologizing for any offense given to the Notre Dame football program. Jacobson was suspended from ESPN for one week. Upon returning from her suspension, she apologized on air for her behavior and comments. Largely as a result of the incident, no video or transcript of the roast was ever released.
The Bruno-Golic Morning Show
Prior to Greenberg's arrival, the show was co-hosted by Golic and Tony BrunoTony Bruno
For Tony Bruno, the musician, see Tony Bruno Tony Bruno is an American sports talk radio personality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. This pairing, which broadcast from 1995 to 1998, was entitled The Bruno-Golic Morning Show.
TV simulcasting
In 2004, the show began simulcasting its entire four hours on ESPNewsESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
. Ratings for the duo were extraordinarily high, especially for being on the "minor league" of the ESPN networks only offered in a few markets on anything other than digital cable or satellite packages. To capitalize on the large viewership potential the simulcast was moved to the more established ESPN2 in 2006. This change pushed the morning show Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America than SportsCenters straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an...
(now titled ESPN First Take) back till 10 a.m. In 2007, the show began to be broadcast in HD, which required the move to the ESPN digital center. When ESPN2 covers live sporting events during Mike and Mike (The Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
, World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, etc.) the show airs live on ESPNews. After the event's coverage is over, the simulcast is moved back to ESPN2, if possible.
Segments
Daily
- What Everyone's Talking About: A look at the top sports stories, and occasionally the top news stories
Weekly
- Monday Morning Quarterback: Every Monday morning during the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
season, Greenberg and Golic discuss all of the games of the day before. - Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks: On Fridays during the NFL season, Mike and Mike each pick NFL game-winners (originally, the format was two picks of their own and then one head-to-head. The last two seasons, each of the Mikes picked one game of their own, and then the head-to-head matchup.) based on point spreads. These picks have comical undertones with soundbites (sport stars, celebrities, TV/movie quotes often from the TV series Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
), put together by producer Curt "Joaquin" Kaplan, in between analysis of the matchups. This feature originated during Tony Bruno's tenure on the show, and Bruno took a variation of it with him to Fox SportsFox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
, referring to his can't miss predictions as "Stone Cold Locks". - Man Up Question of the Day: A question asked of Golic (and sometimes the listeners) meant to inform male listeners (and Greenberg) of how to be more manly. The segment often is an offshoot of something either Mike has done during the week.
Yearly
- "Sheet of Integrity" NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Wager: See below.
- Mike and Mike's "Two-a-Days": A 16 day preview of the upcoming National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
season. The Mikes take a look at two of the league's 32 teams per day during which they ask the main questions which the teams might have to answer this season. This culminates with a prediction of their record for the season. Once all 32 teams have been profiled, which is timed to be a day or so before the Thursday Night Kickoff GameNational Football League Kickoff gameThe NFL Kickoff game, and related festivities, mark the start of the National Football League season. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. Since the 2004 season, the defending...
the Mikes then predict the Super Bowl champion. - Mike and Mike's Offseason "Two-a-Days": In 2011, after the Super Bowl, The Mikes did a similar exercise, in draft order (if a team traded their first pick, they were still profiled in the position determined by their order of finish), having Russel Baxter ("The Dean", "The Guru of the ESPN Research Department") ask three specific questions about two teams a day, what their biggest need was in the draft or free agency, and whether their stock is rising or falling. (Endless abuse was heaped on Greenberg when his Jets were profiled, including that they lost the AFC Championship game again.)
- V Foundation: Every year, usually on the slowest sports day of the summer (the day after Major League Baseball's All-Star Game—this was not done in 2010, the auction being held on another date, which the show did open) Mike and Mike kick off the on-air portion of ESPN Radio's annual auction to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, named for former N.C. State basketball coach and ESPN analyst Jim ValvanoJim ValvanoJames Thomas Anthony "Jim" Valvano , nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball coach.While the head basketball coach at North Carolina State University, he won the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament against high odds...
. They take the whole show to auction off items, such as a day with Mike and Mike, meeting them and having breakfast after the show. One item in the 2008 auction is that Mike and Mike will do their radio show from the winner's residence. One of the traditions the Mikes do on this day is that they will dedicate one segment of their program to re-air Valvano's stirring speech at the first ESPY Awards, where the motto of the V Foundation was coined: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."
Irregular
- Grill Golic: Listeners call in to ask questions directed at Mike Golic. The questions usually revolve around football. This is the only time (generally) that listeners' calls are heard on the air. If Golic has off, the feature is occasionally used for the guest hosts, an example being "Grill Gottlieb" if Doug GottliebDoug GottliebDouglas Michael Gottlieb is a former NCAA collegiate basketball player for the University of Notre Dame and Oklahoma State University, and the Russian Basketball Super League...
is guest hosting. - Just Shut Up: Tuesdays on the show were once deemed "Just Shut Up Tuesday," a reference to the McDonald's Just Shut Up Award, an honor bestowed on the sports-related figure of the past week voted by listeners as the person who most needs to just shut up. Past winners (and examples of the types of actions that could induce a nomination) include Bode MillerBode MillerSamuel Bode Miller is an American alpine ski racer. He is an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, a two-time overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008, and is generally considered the greatest American alpine skier of all time...
bragging about partying in Torino, Terrell OwensTerrell OwensTerrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
fighting with his teammates, and Latrell SprewellLatrell SprewellLatrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
turning down a multi-million-dollar contract extension and asking for more money, claiming "I've got a family to feed." The feature was discontinued in late 2007, though will still occur for special occasions. - Mike Golic's News of the Weird: A look at one of the more outrageous, strange or disturbing stories found in recent news, typically outside the sports world. (And usually very disturbing to sensitive constitutions like Greenberg's, which Golic revels in.)
Off Mikes
In 2005, ESPN and Animax EntertainmentAnimax Entertainment
Animax Entertainment is an animation and interactive production studio based in Van Nuys, California. Animax's clients include Disney, ESPN, Warner Bros., National Geographic, Sesame Workshop, WWE and many others. Animax has a particular expertise in Adobe Flash animation and has produced work...
began producing two to three minute cartoons of Greenberg and Golic, called Off Mikes. The cartoons are built around conversations and arguments of the two from the show. Off Mikes can be found on ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. The cartoons have won an Emmy award.
Sheet of Integrity
"Sheet of Integrity" is a phrase coined by Mike Greenberg describing a single bracketBracket (tournament)
A bracket is a tree diagram that represents the series of games played during a tournament, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected brackets....
entry created for wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. Greenberg holds the belief that if a person wishes to enter multiple pools, they should do so using the same picks for each entry. Golic has no problem with choosing different winners for each entry he submits, because, as he says, "I want to win the pool and win the caaash!" The two have good-naturedly debated this difference of opinion each year since 2000.
In 2007, Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
sponsored the Brackets of Integrity Sweepstakes, an online tournament pool which allowed listeners of Mike and Mike in the Morning to play against Greenberg and Golic using bracket sheets of their own. Amusingly, the rules allowed each participant to create up to five different "Sheets of Integrity." The hosts' differences were summed up in 2005 in two separate parodies of Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's song "Honesty" (renamed "Integrity"), as sung by each host in support of their wagering philosophies.
In 2009, Werner's (a ladder company which supplies the official ladders that the NCAA champion team climbs to cut down the nets after the tournament) sponsored the online sweepstakes. The sponsorship was continued in 2010.
Bracket Wager
During the week prior to the 2004 tournament2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
, the two decided to take their differences one step further, which resulted in a one-on-one office pool referred to as the Sheet of Integrity Challenge. Mike Greenberg ultimately won that first wager, which concluded with Mike Golic getting his eyebrows waxed on-air.
Mike Golic turned the tables in 2005, for which Mike Greenberg had to dress up as a leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
(the mascot of Mike Golic's alma mater, the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
) for the entirety of the show.
Golic won again in 2006, for which Mike Greenberg once again had to dress in the leprechaun outfit, but this time at a remote
Remote broadcast
In broadcast engineering, a remote broadcast is broadcasting done from a location away from a formal television studio and is considered an electronic field production . A remote pickup unit is usually used to transmit the audio and/or video back to the television station, where it joins the...
held near campus of Notre Dame.
The 2007 bracket wager originally had Mike Golic getting taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
ed if he lost and Mike Greenberg having to milk a cow if he lost. Prior to the semi-finals, however, "the Suits" at ESPN (meaning upper management) determined that the tasering could not occur. (Apparently there was more risk of injury than ESPN was willing to take.) As it turned out, Golic's half of the wager was never fully determined: in the end, he won the bet anyway (thanks to Ohio State beating Georgetown in the Final Four semifinal), and Greenberg not only milked a cow in-studio on the June 21 broadcast, but also wore a "bedazzled" Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
jersey for the entire September 3 broadcast, which was auctioned off in support of Vrabel's charity, The Second and Seven Foundation. Greenberg received advice about milking a cow from ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney
Buster Olney
Robert Stanbury "Buster" Olney III is a columnist for ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN.com, and covered the New York Giants and New York Yankees for The New York Times. He is also a regular analyst for the ESPN's Baseball Tonight...
, who grew up on a dairy farm. (The original bet had Greenberg wearing said Vrabel jersey AT the season-opening Patriots-Jets game at the Meadowlands. However, his Monday Night Football assignment in San Francisco prevented him from attending the game.)
The 2008 wager (this time, the stakes were decided by voting by the fans of the show from lists of five that each Mike consented to) was that if Greenberg lost, he would have to dye his hair a different color each day for a week. If Golic lost, he would challenge professional eaters in a live eating contest on the air. With Memphis's victory over Texas in the Elite Eight, Greenberg clinched the 2008 title. A promotional voice-over (all voice-over promotions on the show are created by producers Joaquin and Liam) nicknamed the May 1, 2008 event the "Feast on the First" in the tradition of the "Thrilla in Manila
Thrilla in Manila
The Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
". Golic finished in fourth after consuming 15 boneless wings in 3 minutes, finishing behind the three professional eaters: Eater X (31 wings), Crazy Legs Conti
Crazy Legs Conti
Crazy Legs Conti is an American competitive eater. He is currently ranked twentieth in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating.-Early life and career:...
(23 wings), and Pretty Boy (22 wings). (The fact Golic threw at least one wing at Greenberg, who was wearing a hazmat suit for the occasion, probably didn't help Golic's score.)
The 2009 wager once again led to fans voting online, this time between three punishments all which would apply to either loser (instead of each having their punishment). The fans choose whether the loser would have to: walk on hot coals, grow a beard for a month, or have his forearms and leg waxed live on air. On the March 18th broadcast it was revealed that the waxing option had received the most votes with 48%, while the beard and hot coal options received 40% and 12% respectively. A twist was added when they asked the mother of producer Liam Chapman to make her picks as well, who is known on the show for her ridiculous and hilarious predictions. At the behest of a listener's suggestion, the
Mikes agreed that if both of them lost to her, they would both have their forearms and legs waxed. Mike Greenberg won the 2009 wager with the elimination of Golic's national champion, Pittsburgh. Golic contested the outcome, saying that since Greenberg ended up tying Liam's mother, he should have to face the punishment as well because he technically did not beat her. But since the terms were that she had to be the victor, it was to no avail, and Golic conceded the issue in a phone call to the show on his day off on March 30, 2009. About a month later, Golic got his legs and forearms waxed on the show.
The 2010 wager was won by Mike Greenberg when Baylor University (Golic's last final four team left) lost in the Elite 8 to Duke (whom Greenberg had selected to win that particular region). Golic had to wear a USC jersey all day on the Notre Dame campus, and he did so on April 24 . According to Greenberg, the terms of the deal required Golic to wear the USC jersey all day, except when Golic was within Notre Dame Stadium watching the Blue-Gold spring football game, as to not create a distraction. Once he stepped outside Notre Dame Stadium, the jersey had to again be visible, throughout the remainder of the day. Adding to the embarrassment was that Golic's visit included a book signing event for the duo's book, "Mike & Mike's Rules for Sports and Life," at the campus library.
The 2011 wager was won by Mike Golic when the University of Kansas defeated Richmond in the Sweet 16 Friday night, one of if not the earliest decision-points in the entire "Sheet of Integrity" series. Greenberg actually had more correct picks in the first two rounds, but suffered such significant bracket damage in the first weekend that, once his national championship choice (Duke) was defeated on the Thursday night of the Sweet 16, only a complete collapse of Golic's bracket could save him. Once Kansas defeated Richmond, Golic was able to lock out and defeat Greenberg. The wager originally had the loser dressing up as a woman for a full day including the televised show. However, it was later modified. Had Golic lost, it was decided he would've dressed as Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. Greenberg's loss meant that he had to dress as Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
for an entire day, which he did on May 4, 2011.
After eight years, Greenberg's "integrity" and Golic's "pursuit of the 'caaaaash'" are deadlocked, 4-4.