Mike and Mike's Rules for Sports and Life

by Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, Andrew Chaikivsky (Contributor)

Every morning more than three million listeners tune in to Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio—mostly to hear the Mikes’ (Golic and Greenberg) riotous back-and-forth on everything from why baseball managers should dress like real people to how to lose a fight with the wife with dignity. In Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life, the beloved mic jockeys put their unique stamp on, well, the rules for sports and life. In years on the road, in the studio, and at home, Greeny and Golic have learned that it’s all about the big separating order from chaos, ensuring our survival as a species, and keeping peace. For
 
• The Fourth of July should be eliminated and replaced with an Independence Day that falls on the first Thursday of the month, creating a four-day weekend like Thanksgiving, which, by the way, could do without the Detroit Lions.
• “The Human Element” in sports officiating and weather forecasting sucks.
• The top pick in the NBA draft lottery should go to the team that came closest to making the playoffs—not to the team that rips off fans by mailing it in after the All-Star break. 
• When someone says, “I’m being completely honest,” they might as well be claiming that they go to Hooters just for the wings.
• Kids do not get to eat french fries for breakfast. Ever. And who cares what the kids at the next table are ordering.
• No more designated hitter!
 
If you’re one of Golic and Greeny’s legions of followers, you probably can’t get enough of this sort of provocative, hilarious, and occasionally obsessive stuff. And if you’re one of those fans who live by the rule “There oughta be a rule,” then Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life is the book for you.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook, Comedy

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2010

Reviews

[Jeffrey Rubenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The give and take of Mike and Mike in the book sounds like their ESPN morning radio show. Book is humorous and entertaining but many of the pieces in the book have lost relevance due to age. The book was first published in 2010.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how well Mike & Mike's radio show translated to the written page. As long as the reader thinks of this as a sort of "greatest hits" collection of the many years of the radio broadcast, s/he won't be disappointed. Their voices come through clearly and it reminded me of how their camaraderie and sports knowledge combined puts them head and shoulders above so many other sports radio wannabes.

Two small caveats: when starting the book, I was a little confused as to just where it was heading, with the various colored fonts, possibly a bit too scattered voice. Then that coalesced and I got used to the format. The other caveat is the format itself. As a slightly-oversized book, I thought it seemed a little unnecessarily gimmicky in terms of illustration, font colors, etc. I think the Mikes could have carried a regular size, regular format book -- still including illustrations where appropriate -- without having to resort to the square book format.

Nevertheless, this is a quick, enjoyable read for any serious sports fan.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining, but Greenie was obviously reading from the book or a script instead of the usual normal cadence. Distracted from the normal flow of their morning show.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look....I'm sure both Mikes are smart guys, but their shtick is tired and lowest common denominator....

[Benjamin Rubenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the hosts of the morning sports radio show "Mike & Mike," these fellas were a part of my early adulthood, and it was fun to spend a few more hours with them.

These two men spent thousands of mornings together spanning 18 years. When their partnership ended, I, like others, felt sad that they'd stop being part of my mornings (by the show's end in April 2018, I was no longer a devoted listener). I also felt sad that they may have grown to dislike each other, if the rumors were true. Now I think that even if that were true, it's fine; nothing is forever, and 18 years is a long time to spend with someone, whether it's a spouse, friend, or coworker. I hope they can look back at their show and feel grateful for their time together and the joy they brought to other people's mornings.

I liked how the producers of this audio version turned the book into a presentation, complete with sound effects, guest speakers, and music. I think this medium allows for that, so why not make use of all available tools? I want more audio books to follow the lead of this one.

[Scott Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more or less their radio show/TV show in written form. The "schtick" is better played out live and does not come out as well in written form. I am a sports lover and enjoyed their show but was a little disappointed with this written outcome. I guess I wanted a little more "Insider" views, but they were looking for more of a comical publicatio0n. After they went their separate ways, Greenburg went to ESPN and his "planned" digs and jokes definitely miss. His back and forth with Mike Golic was something special, and it should be left on the airways and not written down. Greeny has written other books that I enjoyed, just not this one. I gave it 3 stars because, as I said before, I am a sports junkie, but if you can find another sports book you are considering, go for it.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining fun little quick read. Nothing major or super exciting. A few interesting good quotes. Never really listened to their radio show or watched their TV show, but seen bits and pieces of it at work. Not bad for 50 cents from a book sale.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. Kind of like a "best of Mike and Mike" than anything else. If you like late 2000's ESPN or the show, pick it up.

[Mike Corgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like watching the Mike and Mike show.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I listened to the audiobook which was good and narrated by them so it was kind of like listening to one of their old shows

[Zach Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are meant to inform. Others are meant to entertain. If you understand that "Mike & Mike's Rules" falls squarely into the latter camp, you'll have fun with the experience.

Basically, this entire book consists of both Mike's (Greenberg & Golic) making fun of each other while also perusing some random sports topics. There is really no structure to the book whatsoever, and it is filled with graphics/illustrations and plenty of "flash" on each page.

The book worked for me, though, because the experience mirrored the give-and-take of the pairs now infamous morning radio/TV talk show. They both have a talent for combining jocularity with serious sports conditions, and that is exactly what transpires in these pages as well. If you came looking for anything serious, please steer clear.

Overall, I thought that this book was a fun little read that entertained me for a couple of sittings. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These guys are a riot, even in print!

They pretty much run the gambit in the sports world. However, I disagree with Greeny's BCS plan. I think they need to completely do away with the BCS. It used to mean something when a team was good enough to make it to a bowl game and there were only a few games, the elite -- rose, cotton, orange ... Now, there are so many bowls and the big leagues such as the Big 10 get to send their Top 8 teams that even teams with losing records get to go to a bowl game. That is just so wrong!

I'm surprised these guys didn't talk about the possible expansion of teams going to the Big Dance, but then again, this book was probably already in publication when that discussion kicked into high gear.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all this book has more than 230 pages so the progress counter is off. Since this is the only edition available, no explanation there. My Mom passed along this book after she finished it, she's not a big reader (I know how can that be?) however, she enjoyed this. She loves these two guys and watches on TV when she can. I told her that she destroys their demo.

That said I liked the book but found after awhile the very original graphic format and layout could be jarring. I had to put the book down a few times just to clear my head. For that reason, it's an excellent bathroom book.

It does come off like one of their shows so if you're a fan you've heard some of the riffs and bits. The person who originally paired them hit on something, we'll see how long they last together.

[Jeepz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this with my 40% off coupon at Borders, and am glad I did. The book is like reading a bunch of their shows, and dedicated listeners will see A LOT of familiar content. There were definitely little bits interspersed here and there that were new, and fun to see (the insert where their wives talk about then is good), but overall it just wasn't new or original enough for me. Their voices came through loud and clear, and the whole familiar feel was fun. The layout and presentation was sort of fun and unique, treating the book like a radio show with segments and "commercials" and such. At the end of the day, though, I wanted more new stuff, things I hadn't heard.

[Max Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of listening and watching the talk show Mike and Mike. But when I found out there was a book about their key beliefs and advice, I became ecstatic. This book so far has been a perfect combination of humor and advice. The format of this book is basically Mike Greeny and Mike Golic talking back in forth about sports. I am very interested and have a passion for sports. So to have a book mixed with humor and sports is the perfect combination. So far, Mike and Mike have talked mostly about baseball and what they believe should be part of baseball. That is what I have gained from the first 13 pages or so.

- Max Hayes

[Monica Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't what I expected when I picked it up...but it was an easy one afternoon read.
If you regularly listen in the morning, a lot will be repeats...but still fun.
I wasn't sure how to read it because of the references and quotes, but I made my way around it.
I was curious about the fonts and colors that were chosen for each Mike...
Greenberg is chattier...so does he get a smaller font so that it seems that it seems to be more equal dialogue as you read???
Sports fan or not, it's summer and everyone needs a little humor.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was pretty much a re-hash of a lot of their theories, treasties on points of contention in the sports world like the point of the MLB all-star game. I must listen to the show too much because it all seemed too familiar, basically the radio show in book/transcript form. Nice on the coffee table.

Also - I thought it was an actual book - it's closer to the format of the Daily Show's America: the book, so i was surprised when I opened the package from amazon.

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book as the result of enjoying the banter between these two sports figures on their morning ESPN television program. The TV program is enjoyable because of the spontaneity and because their personalities and backgrounds are monumentally different. This book, however, did not seem spontaneous and felt like it was written from a teleprompter. The issues were marginal and the discussion was camp. I will still be a fan, but will limit that effort to live performances.

[Mmiller400m · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love watching Mike and Mike in the Morning and equally loved reading their new book. They have a way of making even the most mundane sports events interesting and love the way they play off of each other. I usually find myself agreeing with Greeney but just can't stop watching. A funny and quick read with legitimate rules that would be good to adopt.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I love Greeny and Golic! This book follows the format of their show--lots of anecdotes, arguments, and jokes. And, of course, the Mikes totally make fun of each other and also come up with some interesting sports analysis. My only criticism is that it isn't long enough. I hope they write more books!

[Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

IF you listen regularly to Mike and Mike in the morning, this book will seem very familiar. The rants are straight from their mouths, some profound others silly. These two men are fabulous together, although both quite different. You will learn about sports, and what makes it so important in today's society.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Billy and I listened to this on the ride to/from Killington. Mike & Mike read it, so it was like listening to a 5-6 hour episode of their show (with some guest writer snippets). It is exactly what you want from them, and I would say definitely do the audio book rather than just reading it.

[Todd Noorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading some more suspenseful, serious books, I needed something lighthearted, and this was what I needed! It's not going to win any awards or anything, and it's a few years old now, but I found myself agreeing with some really great points and laughing a lot. And yes, Mr. Golic, a six-word essay IS hard!

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a short, fun little trip that is a bit dated. They talk about the need for a college football playoff and World Series home field decided by the All-Star game. There is nothing really earth shattering here and the audiobook edition offers Mike and Mike narrating. The best part is that is a throwback to their wonderful radio show that is now long gone.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy listening to Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio in the mornings, which is why I chose to read this book. I wasn't disappointed. It's written similarly to the way they banter with each other on the show. If you enjoy sports in general, this is a fun read.

[Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite radio sports guys, have co-authored a book, that sounds much like their show, Mike and Mike in the Morning. So unlike in life, these two men are fabulous together and promote sports to the general public in a very positive way.

[Tlnorz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty funny. I liked the format and the layout of the book. No one was trying to change anyone's world view, just provide a little entertainment and a little food for thought. I would recommend this book for any sports fan from casual to rabid.

[Quinn Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're probably not reading this book if you've never listened to / watched Mike and Mike in the Morning. The book is a literal literary translation of that show. It's funny, and presented in a very non-threatening infographics sort of way. A must for sports fans.

[Randi Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at the library for my husband and sons. We all read it, and loved it. If you are a sports fan, even a teeny tiny bit, you will enjoy this. Tons of pictures. This book is a very light read. It would make a great gift for the sports fan in your life:)

[John-Michael Pahlavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Mike & Mike in the Morning, but this book is nothing like the show.

Composed of feeble attempts at humor & wit weakened by legitimately sad performances, this book was at times hard to listen to.

I'm glad to support you guys, but stick to radio.