Around the Horn closed out a run of 4,953 episodes with a grand finale, which featured special surprises, emotional tributes, and a massive gathering of personalities who have appeared on the program for the past 23 years. Host Tony Reali led the final episode of the program, which debuted in November of 2002, with Reali officially taking the reins as host in February of 2004.
Moreover, the program featured more than 20 panelists who came together to share in the finale of the long-standing ESPN staple at 5 p.m., including a final front-facing foursome of Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, Woody Paige of The Gazette, J.A. Adande, who now serves as director of sports journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, and Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe.
“Life scores us all a little differently every day, with a rule book that changes a little bit every day,” said Reali. “You have to roll with it, good and bad. That’s how I feel, and that’s how I scored Around the Horn.”
In fact, the first-ever episode of Around the Horn aired on November 4, 2002, with former ESPN commentator Max Kellerman hosting alongside an initial panel of Paige, Ryan, T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, and Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“It was a very good system, and it worked for a very long time. Now it’s all over,” reflected Reali. “In looking for the real I found something that was more real than real, you shared back. To me, that’s what makes the show go. It’s the connection.”
Additionally, several other panelists made appearances in the final episode, including several regulars. Pablo Torre, Bomani Jones, Mina Kimes, Jamele Hill, and Sarah Spain were among those who attended the final taping of the episode.
“Life goes on and we thank you for watching all these years,” said Ryan in his final FaceTime.
Furthermore, the finale of the program included final FaceTimes from Tim Cowlishaw, Tim Blackistone, Frank Isola, and Jackie MacMullan.
“I had a wonder 22-plus years on a show where I felt imposter syndrome every time I walked into this studio,” said Cowlishaw. “I hope the next show and the people in this time slot have as much fun and bring as many smiles over the next 22 years. I’ll be counting.”
The final episode was taped at ESPN’s Seaport Studios in New York and was produced by Rydholm Projects, with Erik Rydholm serving as executive producer and Aaron Solomon as senior coordinating producer.
“I’ve said this a thousand times for 22 years, but finally for once I’m right. It’s over,” said Plaschke. “This wasn’t just a TV show, it was a miracle. May its legacy of wit and wisdom live forever.”
As part of the finale, the show opened with Reali taking a tour of the Seaport location and showcasing the entire behind-the-scenes staff of the program. This included a touching appearance by his family and the New York Liberty mascot, ‘Elle.’
“Family. Which is what this whole production over more than a generation has become,” explained Blackistone. “Thank you for visiting our home, and I hope you enjoyed your stay.”
Adande used his FaceTime moment to thank Woody Paige for being the brainchild of the program’s unique inception. Notably, Paige broke Around the Horn tradition by being the first non-newspaper member of the show’s panel, paving the way for others to follow in his footsteps.
“We all owe you so much, Woody,” said Adande. “Michael Jordan once told me Woody was his favorite panelist. Game recognizes game. G.O.A.T. recognizes G.O.A.T.”
In terms of accomplishments, Woody Paige finished as the all-time leader in wins among the panelists, with 688 victories. Tim Cowlishaw and Bill Plaschke followed in second and third place, respectively.
“I hope all of us at Around the Horn and all of you tens of millions of viewers in 178 countries have been changed for the good by this 23-year experience,” noted Paige. “I hope we have brought you sports and entertainment programming on this network, ESPN. I hope for everyone health, harmony, happiness, and hope for the future.”
Finally, Reali closed his final speech by thanking the viewing audience, especially those who sent in their appreciation and stories regarding the show.
“The debate goes on now without us, but you pick up where we left off,” Reali concluded. “I came into this world a stat boy, I’m going to leave it a stat boy. Thank you very much.”
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I guess this is a good time to remind everybody that ESPN has not yet canceled the late night talk show hosted by Jason Kelce that virtually no one watched.