WASHINGTON — A segment during the premiere episode of ESPN’s new morning show Get Up featured a discouraging poll in regards to the popularity of baseball. Mike Greenberg, the former co-host of Mike & Mike in the Morning, cited a Gallup poll in which just nine percent of individuals polled identified baseball as their favorite sport.
It’s a different format for Greenberg than the free-flowing morning show banter setting he inhabited for 18 years on Mike & Mike. But they’ll still get the same personality to which they’ve become accustomed.
ESPN Personalities Michelle Beadle and Jalen Rose join Greenberg on the set of “Get Up” every morning from a studio in New York City’s South Street Seaport. Greenberg joined WTOP to discuss what viewers can expect from the show in terms of chemistry, big name guests and even offered his opinion on the direction his beloved Jets should go (or not go) in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The transcribed conversation below has been edited slightly for clarity and brevity — you can listen to the full conversation above.
WTOP: One of the things I enjoyed about your delivery….you never yelled at me (through the radio on Mike & Mike). I’m kind of a grouchy person in the morning and never felt like the show was too intense. What kind of Greenberg will we expect on this show?
Mike Greenberg: I think exactly the same person. I’ve been on the air for 30 years, on ESPN for 20. At this point, if I try to be anyone other than who I am I think anyone like yourself or anyone else watching would see through it immediately. For better or for worse, I am who I am. The person who I was on the air for 18 years on Mike & Mike is exactly who I am. I firmly believe you cannot make up a character for four hours live a day, or in the case of our news show, three hours a day. It just doesn’t work. It’s not scripted, it’s all directly off the top of your head every minute of every show.
You guys recently hosted Ronda Rousey on the set. What was that experience like?
I spent two weeks over the summer with Ronda in Malibu, we shot Battle of the Networks Stars. She was one of the team captains and I was one of the hosts of the show. I got to know her a little bit there and she’s a guarded person, is a way I would describe it … I don’t claim to know her well and I’m not psychoanalyzing her, but she’s a guarded person. She was in a very good mood when we had her, but I would say she’s a guarded person and I don’t know where that comes from. Maybe she is trying to put on a little bit of a character for her new role in wrestling. I don’t know that for sure. But I liked her very much when I got to know her over the summer she’s an interesting and very smart person.
Let’s talk about Mike Golic. I’m fascinated with on-air chemistry when it comes to air time when you have two different personalities on the radio. Did you ever run into anything where one person wanted more air time than the other one or did it always flow when you two were on the air?
Honestly, never. I would say we had a surprisingly good chemistry from the instance that we met, and we never met before we were on air together … If they put you and I together in some sort of endeavor and we did not have any chemistry, then the sum of it would be “Mike plus Chris.” If we do have chemistry as Golic and I did, the sum of it would be “Mike times Mike.” Each of you becomes better than you would ever be unto yourself. That’s what I’m hopeful that we will have on Get Up … I’ve admired Michelle Beadle for a long time she’s so smart and so talented and so good. I’m really hopeful that we have that same dynamic, that same kind of chemistry Mike and I did.
What would you say to someone out there in radio or media who wants to really make it like you have?
What I’ve always said to people and I mean this sincerely is, if you can think of any other thing in your life that would bring you satisfaction that would bring you joy, that would make you feel fulfilled, then do that. This is a very difficult business, it is one that you have to give up a lot for. You sacrifice weekends, holidays, all sorts of things and your family has to make sacrifices. There’s a lot to that. If you cannot think of anything else in your life that would bring you that fulfillment, that sort of joy and excitement, then prepare for all of that and put absolutely you have into it and say yes to everything. I said yes to every offer I ever got.
The first day I was ever on the air I was working in Chicago and I covered the Bears draft. I got there at 9 a.m. and finished at 3 a.m. and got paid $20 for the day and it was the best day of my life. I’ve never been so excited in my entire life. When Mike and I first started together they sent us to an appearance at a restaurant and there was no one there who knew who we wer,e so they had us walking from table to table introducing ourselves. And one person tried to order from us — he thought we were waiters. No one starts at the top, but for someone like me it is the only thing I ever wanted to do. So if you’re someone who could not imagine doing anything else, then just batten down the hatches and say, “I’m going to do absolutely everything I can to get there”. And bet on yourself and every opportunity that you have, when you come to a fork in the road, choose the side where you’re betting on yourself.
Last question is about the (New York) Jets. I know you’re a huge fan — do you want them to grab (Oklahoma quarterback) Baker Mayfield in the Draft?
I’m not a huge fan of Baker Mayfield, I don’t want them to take him at all. I was really hoping they’d sign a veteran quarterback, you’re there so you would have seen Kirk Cousins up close and personal…do you think Kirk Cousins is a Top 10 NFL Quarterback?
No, I think he’s a Top 15 quarterback, I think he would have been great for the Jets but I don’t think you’re ever going to a Super Bowl with him.
That was what I wanted. I wanted the bird in the hand, despite the cost. I think all of these rookie quarterbacks have bust written all over them. Maybe one of the four of them (USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen & Mayfield) will wind up in a good place with good coaching and will wind up being a good player. But I’m very nervous. Whoever the Jets take I’m going to be very worried about it, if it’s Mayfield I think it has disaster written all over it in the New York market … But I am extremely worried no matter which one they end up with.
