A Farewell to “Around the Horn”
The iconic sports talk show “Around the Horn” aired its final episode on Friday after two years on ESPN, totaling nearly 5,000 episodes.
In March, ESPN announced that the show would conclude on May 23, with no plans for a replacement yet disclosed.
The atmosphere during the last broadcast remained calm and reflective, as host Tony Reali opened the show with a heartfelt tribute to the team behind it.
Throughout the episode, Reali welcomed several familiar panelists for one last round of “Face Time,” allowing each to share their appreciation for the show.
Longtime contributor Bob Ryan highlighted the significant changes in the sports landscape since the show’s debut in 2002.
“When we first aired on November 4th, 2002, a lot of what’s normal now simply didn’t exist,” Ryan noted. “Pitchers didn’t cap off performances with parades. The Eurostep? That was just a concept for Europe and perhaps South America. Back then, American tennis players had a shot at majors and the heavyweight champ was someone else. Believe it or not, LeBron was still in high school, and Caitlyn Clark was just a baby.”
J.A. Adande took the moment to honor his fellow panelists and lead Woody Paige.
“Michael Jordan once called Woody his favorite panelist. It’s true—greatness recognizes greatness,” Adande remarked.
Reali became the host in 2004, taking over from Max Kellerman. He wrapped up the show with an emotional explanation about the scoring system.
“We figured not every topic needed the same scoring,” Reali explained. “Life ebbs and flows, and so does our scoring system.”
Reali, 46, continued to reflect on how the show mirrored the unpredictability of life with its scoring.
“I aimed to create the most realistic show possible,” he said. “The system is intentionally unpredictable—like life itself. Some days, stats might earn you big points, while on other days, it’s the opposite.”
“Life scores differently every day, and that’s what I wanted to capture: the essence of unpredictability.”
He then delivered his closing remarks.
“I was just 24 when I started this journey and have grown alongside this show,” Reali added. “This platform has been a significant part of my life, and I think many of you might feel that way too. Life speeds up, then slows down, then takes off again, and I shared so much of that with all of you.”
