Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio: I like 'em, but what shills!

Cafe Society
1

I skip between NPR and Mike & Mike on ESPN radio on the way to work. Of course, M&M are all about the Super Bowl hype right now. But it was so annoying to have their shilliness for the new Gatorade drink, G2, so out front:

  • They do one of their “Golic? Hey Greenie!” type of ads, where Greenberg asks “Golic, when you’re an athlete, are you one off the field?” “Why, yes I am Greenie.” “So shouldn’t you hydrate off the field like you’re an athlete?” “Why yes you should, Greenie.” It was awful - so stupidly scripted and stilted.

  • During an interview with Donald Driver of the Packers, they told a major digression to discuss? You guessed, G2 - Driver volunteered how he went out to get some so he could try it before Favre did, and how it helped him reduced his carb intake. Real spontaneous, guys.

  • Finally (yes, this all happened over the course of about 10 minutes) right when they were about to throw it back to commercial, Greenie announced “Live - from the G2 Lounge here in Arizona…”

Look - it’s a business; I get it. But that level of saturation and disingenuousness is so off-putting. Surely they can see how it will be received? And the guys try to position themselves as family guys who love their kids - at least one of Golic’s kids is a major football prospect - and you feel good about yourself shilling for this crap to have kids like your son drink it? Please.

Sorry - lame mini-rant in denial of business reality now over…

2

I’m a diehard M&M listener and I can’t fault them on this, it’s not their choice. They’re at Superweek and every one of the high profile guests that they have on this week are only down there because they’re a sponsored shill of some company or campaign. Every interview starts with the regular M&M stuff, but then they have to oblige the guest a 30 second or so spot in which to prattle on about whomever paid their way to Arizona. Kurt Warner’s milk spot was one of the worst ever, but that’s just part of the Superbowl.

I’d be pissed if every guest during the rest of the year did this stuff, but they usually don’t so for this they’ll get a pass.

3

Every time I see Gatorade now, I think of the fact that its inventor died of kidney failure.

This has successfully immunized me against any and all Gatorade commercials until the heat death of the universe.

4

I love the slogan, “Low calorie off the field hydration”. And all this time I thought the stuff that ocmes out of my faucet offered low calorie off the field hydration.

5

Thank you - this just seems so consumer-manipulative and obvious.

6

Mike and Mike are great, but they do really show off the Disney side of ESPN, which I would go to great lengths to avoid were I working at the Mothership, but what are you going to do?

7

Listen to the Dan Patrick show, assuming you have that option.

8

Dan Patrick has been off the air for a few months. He’s been replaced by the likable but horribly boring Mike Tirico. I only listen to M&M and then tune back in for our local afternoon guys unless there’s a big story that I’m waiting to hear about like the steroid findings or whatever.

9

Dan is on FSR now.

10

And on XM 144, right after Tony K.'s show.

11

Ummm ya. When he was 80 years old. Couldn’t have been too bad for him.

12

Tony K and Dan P? Just like the good old days? :frowning: I don’t think I’ll be able to convince my wife we need XM.