Mike Greenberg has been a staple of ESPN Radio since its inception, making his farewell from Greeny, his midday solo show, particularly poignant as he said goodbye to the network and his audience on Monday. Following last week’s announcement that longtime ESPNer Clinton Yates would take over the slot after the Super Bowl, Greenberg designated January 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,” he reflected. “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. 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.”
“Today’s my last day doing this show…thank you guys for a lot of fun…this has really been a great experience for me.” @Espngreeny explains his decision to step away from ESPN Radio 🎤 pic.twitter.com/cn15LWz8Gp
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 27, 2025
The show posed significant challenges from the outset given Greenberg’s numerous other responsibilities at the network. In addition to the NFL Draft and the First Draft podcast, he hosts Get Up for two hours each morning and previously helmed NBA Countdown throughout the basketball season. This busy schedule often prevented Greenberg from appearing regularly on his own radio show, leading to a situation wherein he hosted Greeny less than half the time from its launch in early 2022 through August 2023. Summers were particularly sparse, with Greenberg appearing in as few as one in every ten 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,” he admitted. “I just couldn’t do it. And unfortunately, it turned out to be this.” Despite the inconsistent commitment to the show, Greenberg took pride in what Greeny achieved during its run, particularly in nurturing Paul “Hembo” Hembekides’ development from behind-the-scenes producer to on-air talent, along with the other producers who formed a close-knit “neighborhood” over time.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, and I’ve been delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed it,” Greenberg noted. “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.
