ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic are going through “off-camera issues” as their popular morning show “Mike & Mike” is set to end, according to Sports Illustrated media reporter Richard Deitsch.
Citing multiple ESPN staffers, Sports Illustrated reported, “Greenberg and Golic are not talking to each other off the set– and hardly at all before the show or during commercial breaks.”
“It’s really a poisonous atmosphere right now,” a longtime staffer told SI. “Most of us don’t see the show lasting through its contractual end.”
The show is believed to wrap up for good near the end of the year, in time for Greenberg to take over his new morning gig. The network announced during last week’s upfront presentation that Greenberg’s new morning show will premiere on Jan. 1, 2018 without Golic.
Greenberg will be joined by several full-time co-hosts and a rotation of various guests and expert contributors, while Golic will remain on ESPN Radio, most likely with Trey Wingo and his son, Mike Golic Jr.
However, sources told SI that the duo “are marvelous actors on set” and barely even make eye contact with each other these days,” which could result in the show ending before ESPN planned.
Golic’s son, Jake, expressed frustration on Twitter last week when he bashed ESPN in a series of messages. He mocked network executives for waiting so long to announce the show’s breakup, writing, “Am I allowed to tweet that you guys are idiots now, or do I need to wait a year to announce that?”
ESPN declined further comment other than stating “‘Mike & Mike’ will continue into the fall.”
Greenberg and Golic started “Mike & Mike” back in 1998 and it began airing on ESPN2 as a television show in 2004.