Teddy Greenstein Teddy GreensteinContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
How do you put a bow on delivering 18 years entertainment to groggy American sports fans?
If you’re Mike Greenberg of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike,” you thank your viewers and listeners by reminiscing about the early days: “When we started, there wasn’t a smaller gig in the business. It was the ultimate grass-roots effort that people started waking up and listening to us and said: ‘Hey, these two guys on the radio, they’re not bad, they seem to talk about football in a pretty entertaining way.’ And they told their friends. And they told two friends. And that’s how this turned from whatever it was to whatever it is now … all the visits to the White House and the Letterman appearances and all that … it doesn’t happen without all of you who were with us from the beginning.”
Millions have spent their mornings with Greenberg, the fastidious metrosexual Northwestern alum and Mike Golic, the jovial ex-jock from Notre Dame. So it was only fitting that #MMSayThanks was the top trend on Twitter during Friday’s show.
Said Greenberg: “We were on before there was ‘Pardon the Interruption,’ before there was ‘Around the Horn,’ before there was ‘First Take,’ which was previously ‘Cold Pizza.’ Through all that of it we have done our best and tried to make people a little bit less miserable in their mornings. If we have succeeded in that, then we accomplished everything we needed to.”
Responded Golic: “We figured if we laughed, hopefully you laughed along with us.”
Friday’s show opened with Greenberg saying: “Math is not my strong suit. But with the help of a calculator and a whole lot of estimating, I believe we have done right around 14,000 hours of ‘Mike & Mike’ going back to January of 2000. We have four left to do and will make them count.”
He then joked: “A lot of nice things are being said about us that we’re not always accustomed to.”
Golic replied: “No, we’re not. That’s why I try to get right to the bad stuff being said about us. Makes me feel more at home – like I’m in my home.”
Mike & Mike ✔@MikeAndMike
Mike and Mike signing off for the last time. #MMSayThanks
3:58 PM - Nov 17, 2017
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Mike & Mike ✔@MikeAndMike
So let it be written... so let it be done.
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Last week Greenberg told the Tribune that he would not make plans for an elaborate farewell and that he appreciated having a break before “Get Up,” his new ESPN TV show with Jalen Rose and Michelle Beadle, debuts April 2.
Golic will continue in the “Mike & Mike” slot, pairing with Trey Wingo and Mike Golic Jr.
ESPN president John Skipper appeared in studio on Friday’s show and said: “There’s a great song from Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks called: ‘How can we miss you if you don’t go away?’ The good news is, we don’t have to miss you.”
The final show ended with Greenberg and Golic bringing family members on the set.
“The most important words that I can think of today are: Thank you,” Greenberg said.
Then he choked up: “Thank you for choosing this all these years.”
When the show debuted Jan. 2, 2000, Greenberg pointed out, Urban Meyer was the wide receivers coach at Notre Dame.
Golic: “Dan Marino was the all-time leader in passing touchdowns. He’s now fifth.”
Greenberg: “Mark Zuckerberg was 15 years old; he’s now the fifth-richest person in the world.”
Various celebs feted the pair with videos aired during the final four-hour show.
As NFL great Jim Kelly put it: “I will miss the jabs that both of you took at each other and when the show was over both, I’m sure, walked away with an appreciation for one another. That’s what made you guys the best!”