"Mike & Mike" Soon to be Mike or Mike, Which Show Interests You More?

The 17-year run of Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN will come to an end on Nov. 17, the network announced today. One of the Mikes has a new television show on flagship ESPN beginning on Jan. 1. The other Mike has a new radio show with Trey Wingo called — you guessed it — Golic & Wingo — premiering Nov. 27. It will air on ESPNU as SportsCenter shifts over to ESPN2 to make room for the first Mike.

In short, 2018 will usher in a new era of Mikes. No longer will they be Mike and Mike. It will be Mike or Mike as the competing projects will overlap from 7-10 a.m. EST, a Mike-Off if you will.

Greenberg’s show is clearly getting the bigger push and coveted real estate. Bumping SportsCenter off ESPN is not a decision made without serious investment in its replacement. It should also be noted there’s more uncertainty regarding its performance. Greenberg obviously has some history on the network without Golic next to him, but a three-hour, television-first show is a major undertaking considering how comfortable Mike & Mike felt every morning for the past 17 years.

As far as Golic’s new project goes, one assumes Wingo, a routine fill-in, will hit the ground running. There’s clear on-air chemistry between the two and Wingo is not a complete deviation from Greenberg like a Golic & Bomani would have been.

And so, I ask this with no tone, no hidden meaning and wanting no snark. Which Mike’s show interests you more? Personally, there’s more intrigue surrounding Greenberg’s next venture because of the uncertainty. How much pop culture will be mixed in? Is there a big-name co-host that’s yet to be announced, say, from a competing network? How will this show cut through the already crowded morning marketplace with something fresh — and overcome the surge of political interest? Can it?