The end of ESPN’s Mike and Mike has led to plenty of talk about Mike Greenberg’s forthcoming AM TV show, but has raised bigger questions about what’s ahead for Mike Golic. Golic said in March he wanted to keep doing the radio show with someone else, and the new contract he agreed to in April made that seem like a strong possibility. Now, Bob Raissman of The New York Daily News has reported that Golic’s new radio partner will be Trey Wingo:
ESPN suits will be all smiles in the middle of May when they make their traditional “Upfront” pitches to advertisers in Manhattan.
Look for plans for Mike Greenberg’s new TV show to see the light of day at this session as well as the new-look radio show hosted by his soon-to-be former partner Mike Golic. Industry sources say Trey Wingo, who replaced Chris Berman hosting the NFL Draft, will be Golic’s new radio partner.
Golic’s son, Mike Jr., also will be a featured player on the radio show.
Raissman went on to snark Mike Jr.’s inclusion and criticize the decision to lay off Mike Jr.’s former radio partner Robin Lundberg, writing “Lundberg might have fared better if he had changed his last name to Golic” and “If Mike Golic Jr.’s name was Mike Smith Jr. would Robin Lundberg still have a job?” That line of inquiry’s understandable, but it’s notable that Golic Jr. has won plenty of plaudits in his own right for his radio work so far. In any case, it looks like he’ll get the chance to keep doing so, and at least partly alongside his dad.
As for the senior Golic, Wingo (seen above) certainly seems like a good partner for him. Wingo’s star has been on the rise recently, with him taking over full NFL draft hosting duties from Chris Berman this year, He’s done strong work on NFL Live and NFL Insiders as well, and he definitely knows his football, which may make him a good fit with Golic (who played at Notre Dame and then in the NFL from 1985 to 1993 before starting his media career). That doesn’t mean this show will only be football, though, as Mike and Mike often covered the gamut of sports, and there’s plenty to suggest that Wingo can keep up there too.
It seems like Golic has managed to land a prominent replacement for Greenberg, and that he’ll continue to be a part of one of ESPN’s high-profile radio shows. The question now is just how the two will interact and how their show will come together, and it sounds like we’ll find out more about that as ESPN’s May 16 upfronts approach.
