GRIPIN’ GOLIC

Breaking up is hard to do. In the case of ESPN Radio Gasbags Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic it is cringe inducing too. It was no secret Greenberg was getting his own TV show, and a hefty new contract, leaving Golic behind on the radio ranch with new partner Trey Wingo. So, when “Mike & Mike” spoke publicly about the situation for the first time Wednesday, odds were they would take the high road and wouldn’t say anything shocking. That did not turn out to be the case. Greenberg stayed classy, calling his radio partnership with Golic “the best thing that has ever happened to me in my professional life.” Golic went in a different direction, eschewing any tributes. Instead, he injected the cringe factor, sounding like a jilted lover, saying: “…For me, it’s not my story to tell… It’s for others to tell who made this decision if they want to tell it and how they want to tell it.”

Some described Golic’s comments as “cryptic.” That’s a good way of soft-peddling what amounts to classic double talk. What Golic was basically saying is he’s not happy about being left behind while Greenie is movin’ on up to star on his own morning TV show and cashing a bigger pay check.

Industry sources said once upon a time these guys had the same agent and made the same money.

Does Golic think the Bristol Faculty should have kept the M&M partnership together and moved both mouths to TV? Does Golic look at the Greenberg solo move as the faculty acknowledging Greenie was the main man on the radio show for nearly 20 years?

While Golic is a likeable cat, one who enjoys bacon eating contests and telling old football stories, he doesn’t have Greenberg’s range. In a genre full of screaming skulls, buffoons, and outrageous takes, Greenberg is a thinking man, a guy with a well-developed brain he uses to consider what he says before he speaks. Golic was his foil. He was the regular guy, ex-jock contrast to his fastidious partner.

The shtick worked for quite a while, but the faculty, now operating from the balls of their butt after massive layoffs, massive subscriber defections, and a tattered image, is looking for something different. They are counting on Greenberg to deliver this on his own. Bringing Golic along for the ride would have amounted to schlepping excess baggage onto the set and singing the same old song.

Maybe Golic was feeling like an empty suitcase when he spoke on Wednesday. Any confusion over his true emotions was cleared up by his son Jake . He squished sour grapes and served whine on social media, ripping ESPN for its decision-making process. His Twitter stylings indicate he believes his father got a raw deal. Yet the message he delivered was flat-out embarrassing. Perhaps Jake should have consulted with Chris Simms before going public.

After all, things ain’t that bad. ESPN recently signed his dad to a new deal. And they even gave his brother Mike Jr., who has little radio experience, a new contract and a role on the new Golic/Wingo radio show. Sure sounds like the Faculty bent over backwards to satisfy Mike-minus-Mike.

When’s the next doughnut-eating contest?

NOT SO ROSY

While Alex Rodriguez was putting us to sleep Thursday night in his unspectacular FS1 booth debut (he offered little original insight, had problems with basic mechanics, used the words “we” and “our” when referring to the Yankees, and pulled his punches with the limited MLB issues presented to him for discussion), we were wishing his fearless studio partner Pete Rose could’ve been air-lifted into the booth to liven things up. That will never happen. An MLB source said as part of Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball, he is not allowed to enter a broadcast booth. Maybe MLB officials are worried Rose will start dealing a game of Three-Card Monte. Or place a few bets via the company cell phone.

Seriously though, MLB allows A-Rod, a cat who (PEDs) cheated the game, and lied about it, into the booth as a member in good standing of the broadcast community but still bans Rose from getting behind a booth microphone during a game.

Lame. Very lame.

SORRY, GAR

With the Mets playing an unwatchable brand of baseball, we have been paying even closer attention to their SNY voices Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling (hoping they would take the focus off what’s happening on the field).

And we have noticed something that has previously escaped our attention. When either Hernandez or Darling interrupts Cohen, they are lightning quick to apologize. “Sorry, Gar.” “No, sorry, you go ahead Gary.” Darling and especially Hernandez (who never seemed preoccupied or worried about being the proverbial bull in the china shop) are so deferential we wonder: Are they just much more polite than we thought? Or do they get paid extra for apologizing to Cohen?

PLAYING BALL

Raise your hand if you knew who Kristine Leahy was before LaVar Ball entered her world.

Ball, father of soon-to-be-drafted Lonzo, and high school hoopers LaMelo and LiAngelo, was wrong for directing a sexist rant (“stay in your lane”) at “The Herd” co-host. But what did Leahy, or anyone else (and there are plenty of them) who provides Ball access to a microphone, expect?

You can’t have it both ways. If you bring Ball on any show, for the sole purpose of attracting eyeballs and praying he will say something sending a buzz through social media, be prepared to be offended — or hear him offend someone else. Anyone who has a clue knows this.

And as far as those now saying the media should boycott LaVar Ball, allow us to clue you in: You need LaVar Ball more than he needs you. For as long as he has a son playing at such a high level, as long as he is an eyeball magnet, someone will give LaVar Ball a media platform to yakk from.

GETTING OUR PHIL

Now Phil Jackson wants to play footsie with the media?

Only time will tell if his session with boss scribes, after he found the Knicks behind the 8 Ball Tuesday, was a “One Night Only” affair or the beginning of an exercise in access that will extend into next season.

Perhaps Jax has realized that being Zen Mummy was not helping sell his “plan” (whatever that is) to the media and fans. Face it, the guy is stubborn. It could’ve taken a couple of years for him to find out Charley Rosen is a flawed messenger.

Either that, or Jax — as the old line goes — is just saying hello as it’s time to say goodbye.

HO-HUM PLAYOFFS

As the course of the NBA playoffs again shows how meaningless the regular season is, we wonder how the suits at ESPN/ABC and Turner feel about the billions they’ve spent for NBA TV rights. Are their regular season schedules worth the cost? What about the playoffs? Once again, there is little suspense over the eventual Finals participants. Also, the quality of the playoff product is dubious, at best. Yet, even if the NBA product is now devalued, we doubt Adam Silver will be offering Turner Sports boss David Levy or ESPN poobah John Skipper refunds.