The early birds are already up and listening to his popular ESPN Radio show every morning, so ESPN’s Mike Golic is going to take it on the road and bring listeners along for a big fishing trip next month. Golic is headed to Greenville, S.C., where he will experience bass fishing on its biggest stage while hosting Mike & Mike in the Morning live from the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.
Mike & Mike in the Morning will broadcast live, 6 a.m.-10 a.m. ET Friday, Feb. 22, from the 38th Bassmaster Classic launch site at Portman Marina on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell. Fifty of the world’s top anglers will then start their three-day odyssey for a chance at $1.2 million in prizes, including the winner’s purse of $500,000 and the prestigious title of Bassmaster Classic champion.
As BASS celebrates its 40th anniversary, the world’s leader in bass fishing is pulling out all the stops to make the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 22-24, a most memorable event.
“What an incredible addition to our stellar lineup of events surrounding the 38th Bassmaster Classic,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager of BASS. “We look forward to having Mike & Mike in the Morning live at Lake Hartwell.”
ESPN2 will devote 11 hours to Classic programming over the three days of competition, and http://www.Bassmaster.com will provide extensive hourly coverage, including live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins.
“It’ll be new to a lot of the listeners out there,” Golic said of the live broadcast from the Classic. “A lot of these anglers have really good personalities, so they’ll be able to explain their craft, and with a little bit of humor. They could certainly open the eyes of some of the listeners to what they do.”
Golic is co-host of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning, which premiered as The Morning Show on Oct. 12, 1998, and is carried by more than 355 affiliates nationwide. He also serves as an analyst for ESPN and ESPN2’s NFL studio programming, as well as for the networks’ college football game coverage.
“I’ve seen the weigh-ins and what they do, watching the Bassmasters on TV,” Golic said. “I’m very excited to see it in person. I like being around these guys, and I’m hoping to pick up a few tips for when I take my boys fishing, so I actually look like I know what I’m doing.”
Despite the jab at himself, Golic is no slouch on the water. Having lived in Orlando in the early 1990s, he and his father regularly fished Kissimmee’s Lake Tohopekaliga, where the Bassmaster Elite Series finished up its 2007 season in September, after the NFL season was done.
“When I really want to get after it, I like fishing the shoreline, where there’s cover,” Golic said. “I like popping a worm in and out, working around structure, stuff like that.”
ESPN’s Erik Kuselias, who frequently participates in the morning radio show, will co-host with Golic in South Carolina. Mike Greenberg, the other half of Mike & Mike who joined Golic on The Morning Show in January 2000, has the day off.
Golic was a defensive tackle in the NFL for nine years, playing with the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. During his seven years in Philadelphia, he began his television career with a weekly segment on The Randall Cunningham Show. He received a Mid-Atlantic Region Emmy Award for his feature “Golic’s Got It.”
He is a 1985 graduate of Notre Dame, where he served as captain of the football team during his senior season. He also wrestled for the Fighting Irish.
Official sponsors for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic: Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter and Yamaha.
