As Around the Horn wrapped up its final episode, marking nearly a quarter century on ESPN, many tributes from frequent panelists and viewers flooded in with appreciation for the content it delivered on a day-to-day basis for 4,953 episodes. In particular, recalling his memories as both a panelist and a viewer of the program, Michael Smith joined Bomani Jones on his The Right Time podcast to reflect on the feeling of being a regular on the show and how appearances on it led to opportunities down the road.
At one point, Smith fondly remembered a time when he was still an employee at ESPN but not actively working, following the end of SC6, which was co-hosted by fellow ESPN teammate Jemele Hill. He shared a story about how he was encouraged by host Tony Reali to guest host Around the Horn for a couple of dates—and what that meant to him personally.
“When I went through the most difficult portion of my career, call it exile, whatever you want to call it. This would have been 2018 when I was at ESPN getting paid but wasn’t working,” explained Smith. “Tony Reali insisted that I sit in his seat and host Around the Horn. He was like, come on home.”
According to Smith, that suggestion by Reali—along with encouragement from Jones and several others from what he called his “Around the Horn family”—helped him find new hope for his career moving forward.
“Around the Horn knew me when. That feeling that I had when I did that last show was just immense gratitude for what it’s done for my career, what it’s done for my family, what it’s taught me,” said Smith. “I learned how to do a lot of what I know about or what I think I know about television, I learned from Around the Horn.”
Furthermore, Smith went on to credit Reali for his role in the show’s success, highlighting a trait that Smith—who wrote for The Boston Globe and several other outlets—never expected to associate with Reali.
“Tony’s a hell of a writer. Tony’s an incredible writer, and I think that’s why he connected with all of us,” Smith noted. “The show was built on writers, and that part of Tony’s brain is exceptionally strong. He’s an incredible writer.”
Now that the show has officially come to a close, Smith expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity and everything that has come his way since he first appeared on Around the Horn.
“That place is just such a safe haven,” explained Smith. “I’ll never not be grateful for the opportunity that they gave me and just what it allowed me to do from that. Everything I’ve been able to do since then. What’s crazy..for all you’ve done since then how many people still associate you first and foremost went Around the Horn? Crazy, right?”
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