Saturday’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl game between Oregon and Iowa State was legendary broadcaster Mike Golic’s final assignment for ESPN, as his contract expires after more than two decades with the network.
Although fans of Golic’s run on ESPN Radio and his college football broadcasts are devastated by his departure — he was unsurprisingly fantastic this season in his return to college football — the bowl game made sure he celebrated the end of his time with ESPN properly. And with a thank-you cake.
During the second half of the Oregon-Iowa State game, the Fiesta Bowl mascot, Spirit, delivered Golic the cake on live TV, and he was elated.
“Ohh, look at that! I got a cake!” Golic said. “‘The Fiesta Bowl thanks you.’ Thank you, Spirit!”
Golic nearly dropped his cake but just took a bit directly out of it pic.twitter.com/24fk0doaD9
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) January 2, 2021
And then he dug right into it face first.
(We should also note that although the cake appears to be funky green color, it actually just looks like the frosting is picking up the green screen graphic behind Golic.)
“Whoa, don’t drop it,” Dave Pasch teased as Golic did, in fact, almost drop it.
👑 @espngolic pic.twitter.com/2oXiyK9aNY
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) January 2, 2021
“Oh, this is terrific,” Golic added.
Terrific is one of several adjectives college football fans would probably use to describe Golic’s work on air this season. He’s been entertaining, shrewd and delightful — including the time earlier this season when he devoured doughnuts during a game.
He’s definitely going to be missed by fans everywhere — or at least until he returns to sports media at some point.
never a doubt he’d go out like this on national television pic.twitter.com/O1cXhZWuFA
— Sydney Golic (@SydGolic) January 2, 2021
TIME FOR MIKE GOLIC TO EAT A CAKE ON LIVE TV LET'S GO
— Ben Kercheval (@BenKercheval) January 2, 2021
The best part of the cake Mike Golic just got was the green screen graphic superimposing itself on the frosting pic.twitter.com/c3xpZkuXK2
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) January 2, 2021
Mike Golic diving head first into a cake in the third quarter of the Fiesta Bowl just made my Saturday. pic.twitter.com/FdyRKeEsI9
— Carter Eckl (@CarterEckl) January 2, 2021
Mike Golic eating cake in the booth of his final ESPN broadcast. Golic is the best, he will be missed. pic.twitter.com/6S9RiFKH0q
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 2, 2021
Mike Golic is a national treasure and deserves to be treated as such pic.twitter.com/a1CMsFLsyQ
— londo (@londoslastdance) January 2, 2021
Mike Golic receiving a cake in the Fiesta Bowl broadcast booth when he should be given a contract months ago. #justsaying
— Gail Sideman (@gpublicity1) January 2, 2021
