Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 02, 2008 at 07:12:19:
Well-known ESPN duo talk sports, etc. at Foundry
AURORA -- Two guys walk into a bar at 5 a.m. to talk sports.
There's no punch line, and actually these two guys named Mike got to The Foundry around 4 a.m. Friday.
Fans of ESPN radio hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic filled the tables for the duo's live broadcast at the Aurora sports bar.
"Half of them are jobless and the other half aren't sure if they're going to work," Golic quipped about the turnout.
Greenberg compared it to their first remote broadcast in the Chicago area in 2000 where eight people showed up -- and most had never heard of them.
Things were different Friday, when fans like Ryan and Brian -- they didn't divulge last names to protect their work absence excuses -- enjoyed a few adult beverages from 5 a.m. past the show's end at 9 a.m.
"I watch them every morning, or listen to them in the car on the way to work," Ryan, of Aurora, said. "It's better than going to work. It's a no-brainer."
Later arrivals included Auroran Jeff McMahon and his 3-year-old son, Ryan. They stopped in around 8 a.m. to catch Mike & Mike in the Morning because McMahon's a big fan of Notre Dame, Golic's alma mater, and he remembers Greenberg's time as a local sports reporter.
"I've been a huge fan of the show for a long time," Jeff said.
Ryan's football jersey was appropriate garb as the show focused a lot on this weekend's NFL action. The Mikes made their game picks and, as usual, Golic -- an NFL lineman for nine seasons -- picked on Greenberg for criticizing the idea of some teams having a week off less than a month into the season.
Golic explained the year-round conditioning makes the rest important right now. But Greenberg wouldn't know that because the only time he was on a field was to get a "snow cone," Golic jabbed.
That show is simulcast on ESPN2, and going into a commercial break Greenberg promised he'd tell viewers his favorite part of being in Aurora when they returned.
Would it be the Fox River? The commercial development along Route 59?
"My favorite thing is the manager (of The Foundry) let us use the bathroom in his office," Greenberg said when they returned.
Greenberg pointed out that the office was not only private, it had a shower. Golic played that he was appalled.
"I just use the regular bathroom and sometimes that's the best conversation," Golic said.
With the beer flowing early, it's likely there were plenty of people to talk to.
(Dan Campana, Fox Valley Villages Sun)