Mike Greenberg has been a fixture on ESPN Radio for most of the time it has existed.
That is what made his sign-off from Greeny, his solo midday show on the network, cut so deep on Monday as he bid farewell to the network and his audience.
Following last week’s announcement that longtime ESPNer Clinton Yates would take over the slot after the Super Bowl, Greenberg marked Jan. 27 as the final episode of Greeny.
“I’ve had a terrific time, and I would have continued doing it indefinitely had my schedule not been what it is,” Greenberg said. “And that’s the reason I say I started in radio in 1991, and I have been involved in one way or another in radio for all but probably five years since then. And so I will be back. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be back … because I think it is a wonderful medium, and it is my first love.”
The show was a big lift from the start, given Greenberg’s many other responsibilities at the network. In addition to the NFL Draft and the First Draft podcast, Greenberg hosts Get Up for two hours each morning. Previously, he hosted NBA Countdown throughout the basketball season. That busy schedule led the former Mike & Mike copilot to rarely appear on his own radio show.
As Awful Announcing tabulated in the summer of 2023, Greenberg hosted Greeny less than half the time from its launch in 2020 through August 2023. Summers were especially bad, with Greenberg appearing on as few as one of every 10 shows.
“We went into it with the intention of trying to make the radio show work, but something had to give, just in my schedule,” Greenberg said. “I just couldn’t do it. And unfortunately, it turned out to be this.”
Despite his inconsistent commitment to the show, Greenberg expressed pride in what Greeny built during its time on air. In particular, Greenberg credited the show with developing Paul “Hembo” Hembekides as an on-air talent after years behind the scenes, as well as the other producers, who Greenberg said became a “neighborhood” together over time.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, and I’ve been delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed it,” Greenberg said. “One of the first ideas I had was to bring Hembo on. Hembo was a researcher and producer, but I knew he would be great on the radio, and I was right … we developed a sort of neighborhood.”
Starting after Super Bowl LIX, Yates will host Clinton & Friends on ESPN Radio from 10 a.m. to noon.