ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" concluded its 18-year run on Friday, with family members joining Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on set for the show's final moments. Greenberg's voice cracked slightly as he said, “It doesn’t end for either of us, but the most important words that I can think of today are ‘Thank you.’ Thank you to all of you.” Golic closed with, “’Mike & Mike’ signing off.” At that point, the studio lights went dark and the broadcast faded out. The final guest on the show was ESPN President John Skipper, who listed the numerous accomplishments of the duo. Skipper said Greenberg and Golic have “made it feel like a family show” for nearly two decades and announced ESPN and the Walt Disney Co. are "going to build a ‘Mike & Mike’ playground in your honor.” Skipper: “The two of you are going to get to decide wherever we're going to put this playground. We've done this before with a wonderful company called KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization which creates environments where kids can play, and everybody knows how important that is. The world of sports fans has come from 6-10 every morning for 17 years to play with ‘Mike & Mike,’ so there can be very few better tributes to the two of you and what you stand for than that you and your colleagues will build together a playground for the benefit of other kids.”
LAST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Greenberg opened the show noting he and Golic have done about 14,000 hours on the air and said, “We have got four left to do, and we will make them count.” Greenberg said, “Whatever it is we put into this thing, we’ve gotten a lot more out of it.” Golic: “We were able to hang on for 18 years, so that means a lot of you stuck with us, and we really appreciate that.” Greenberg said the show’s popularity began as a “grassroots movement.” The show featured clips from previous episodes and anecdotes from the early years of the show. Video clips and tweets from celebrities and sports personalities -- ranging from Dan Patrick and Peter King to President Clinton -- aired wishing the pair well and congratulating them on their long on-air run, as well as a large cake decorated to read “Mike & Mike.” Families members sat in the studio and were shown periodically on-camera when the hosts mentioned them, with Greenberg saying, “This has been a family affair from day one.” Golic: “We were going to include our families, that’s just what we wanted to do, plus they provide unlimited material for us as well.” In addition to Skipper, other guests on the show included Bill Curry, Buster Olney and Frank Caliendo (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 11/17).
SAYING THANKS: Numerous current and former ESPN personalities took to Twitter to talk about the show ending. Linda Cohn wrote, "Thank you @MikeAndMike for Informing us and making us smile over the years. Your chemistry will be missed." Jemele Hill: "What you’ve done in our business is special and rare. Thank you for willingly extending your platform to us as Mike and I built our brand. I love you both and I’m truly honored to be your colleague." Matthew Berry: "Congrats to @MikeAndMike on a helluva run. 18 years is impressive in any industry, but especially in radio & TV. I always had a great time whenever I did the show." Jen Lada: "Gonna miss this duo. It's hard to have sustained success in any business & @MikeAndMike's run has been truly epic. Mike Tirico: "An incredible run for two wonderful friends. As a proud @ESPNRadio alum thanks to @MikeAndMike for all the good times over 18 years and best in the next chapter for both of you." Jayson Stark:"Listening to @Espngreeny & @espngolic do this @MikeAndMike finale is making me nostalgic for moments like this! Wishing you guys the best. And thanks for letting me be a part of your amazing show!"
