Latest news with #Reali
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESPN ‘Around The Horn' Finale: Host Tony Reali Riffs On ‘GoodFellas', Invites Viewers To Meet Him On YouTube As Show Signs Off After 23 Years
Around the Horn host Tony Reali opened the show's 4,953rd and final episode Friday with a nod to GoodFellas and closed it with an invitation to viewers to find him on his new YouTube channel. 'As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a sportscaster,' he began, tweaking the immortal Henry Hill kickoff to Martin Scorsese's gangster classic. A handheld camera then followed him around the control room and backstage area of the show's set at ESPN's studios at New York City's South Street Seaport. To the sounds of The Crystals' 'Then He Kissed Me' (best known from Scorsese's single-take Copacobana sequence), family and crew members got a chance to wave goodbye. More from Deadline The Mouse Roars: Disney Tries To Derail Justin Connolly's New YouTube Gig With Breach Of Contract Suit Justin Connolly Takes Senior YouTube Post After Exiting As President Of Disney Platform Distribution - Update Sports Calendar With NBA Key For Peacock, Says Comcast CFO Amid Playoff Fever; Calls ESPN App $30 Price Tag "Helpful" 'I grew up on this show,' Reali mused in the final segment (watch it above), noting he came aboard at age 24 following a run as 'Stat Boy' on older-sibling ESPN talker Pardon the Interruption. 'This show helped me grow up. Maybe some of you feel the same way too.' The series, which has been a forum for 61 sports journalists over the years, went out with eight highly accomplished voices who made their reputations as newspaper columnists. Guests on the finale included Bill Plaschke, Woody Paige, J.A. Adande, Bob Ryan, Tim Cowlishaw, Kevin Blackistone, Frank Isola and Jackie MacMullan, current and former writers for the L.A. Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post and New York Daily News. Apart from a brief 'GOAT debate' about which athlete was the greatest during the show's 23-year run (LeBron James was the consensus pick), sports took a backseat to sentimental wishes from panelists to Reali and then from Reali to viewers. 'That's what made this show go: It's the connection,' he said. 'Sports is a connection. We watch it from our youngest days. We laugh and we cry.' Conceding that many viewers might deem the gesture 'corny,' the host extended a hand toward the camera and urged them to take it. 'Come with me where it's real,' he said. 'More smiles to come.' He then plugged his website, and his new YouTube page, Team Reali. 'The debate goes on now without us,' he said. 'But you pick up where we left off.' ESPN announced in March that the show would be ending, but has never provided a reason for the cancellation either publicly or behind-the-scenes to Reali or his staff, the host has said. Its ratings have remained steady, though economic pressures continue to assert themselves across the Disney sports division. ESPN recently did away with L.A.-based SportsCenter production in a cost-saving move revealed this week. The company also this year exercised an option to exit its multi-year rights deal with Major League Baseball, citing diminishing returns on its $550 million annual investment. As far as Reali's next move, he is under contract with ESPN through August. Beyond that, his YouTube channel will likely be a focus, though Reali has said in recent interview that he has been taking meetings and considering a range of options. On ESPN, the 5 p.m. hour will still feature PTI, hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, preceded (at least on an interim basis) by a 30-minute edition of SportsCenter. [youtube Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Last Of Us': Differences Between HBO Series & Video Game Across Seasons 1 And 2
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Emotions were on full display during final episode of ESPN's ‘Around the Horn'
The mute button was pressed for the last time on 'Around the Horn.' The legendary show produced its final broadcast on Friday after a two-decade run on ESPN spanning nearly 5,000 episodes. The network announced in March that 'Around the Horn' would conclude on May 23, and a replacement has yet to be revealed. Vibes on the last show were somber from start to finish, with longtime host Tony Reali opening with an emotional tribute to everyone who has worked on the show. During the episode, Reali invited on some of the most prominent panelists from 'Around the Horn' for a final 'Face Time' with each of them thanking the show. Longtime panelist Bob Ryan pointed out how much has changed in the sports world since the show's inception in 2002. 'When we came on the air on Nov. 4, 2002, the following things that were true are no longer true,' Ryan said. 'Pitchers did not get a ticker tape parade for seven innings. There was a thing called traveling, and the so-called Eurostep was confined to Europe and maybe South America. 'We knew who the heavyweight champion was and an American occasionally won a tennis major. The Curry making all those threes, his name was Dell. LeBron James was in high school, and Caitlin Clark was nine months old. But life goes on and we thank you for all of these years.' J.A. Adande took his time to show respect to fellow panelist and 'Around the Horn' wins leader Woody Paige, who was also on the final show, and compared his performance on the broadcast to that of Michael Jordan. 3 Around the Horn on X 'Michael Jordan once told me that Woody was his favorite panelist. Game recognizes game. GOAT recognized GOAT,' Adande said. Reali, who took over as host of 'Around the Horn' from Max Kellerman in 2004, spent the final minutes of the show explaining how the scoring system works, and it was nothing short of emotional. 'I decided that not every topic needs to be scored the same,' Reali said. 'Because life begets life. And life finds a way and so does the scoring system.' Reali, 46, continued to explain the parallels between the scoring system and life 3 Sports journalists Tony Reali and Tim Cowlishaw attend ESPN The Party at Basketball City – Pier 36 – South Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Michael Loccisano 'I wanted to host the most real show I could so I engineered the scoring system to be real and lifelike,' Reali said. 'The system, totally and purposefully unpredictable, is just like life. Intentionally changing, just like life. Some days, stats got you big points and other days the exact opposite. 'Life scores us all differently every day with a rulebook that changes every day and you have to roll with it through good and bad, that's how I feel. That's the secret right there. Because what works one day might not work the next, but you'll work through it through the good people around you. It was a very good system, and it worked for a very long time, and now it's all over.' 3 Tony Reali on the final episode of 'Around the Horn' on May 23, 2025. AroundTheHorn/X Reali then concluded his final monologue with come comments that will surely pull at the heartstrings of fans. 'I was 24 when I started on this show and I grew up on this show,' Reali said. 'This show helped me grow up and maybe some of you feel the same way too. Life came fast then slow as it does, then gradually, then suddenly, I shared through it all. The highs and lows because I believe that life is best when shared in full.'
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The final Around The Horn opened with one last 'Goodfellas' tribute
The final Around The Horn opened with one last 'Goodfellas' tribute Friday was an emotional day for fans of ESPN's iconic talk show Around the Horn, which broadcast its final episode after more than 23 years on the air. For longtime viewers, however, the show began with a perfect callback. Tony Reali, who has hosted the show since 2004, is a major fan of the movie "Goodfellas" and has previously acted out parodies from the film. To begin the final episode, Reali reenacted a prior bit in which he performed a studio tour in the vein of the iconic club scene from "Goodfellas." AROUND THE HORN: Tony Reali's show evolved beyond 'Sports Shouting' and into ESPN's pantheon To begin the final episode, Reali referenced the iconic Henry Hill line in the opening scene, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." In Reali's version, he said, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a sportscaster." For reference, here's the scene from "Goodfellas." (Warning: The following clip contains NSFW language and content) As mentioned above, it was not only an homage to the movie but also to one of the most iconic moments in the history of "Around the Horn," in which Reali performed a studio tour themed to the movie during the early days of the show's run. While the more than two-decade run of "Around the Horn" is coming to an end, there was plenty of fan service to be found in the show's final episode.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
What is Tony Reali doing after Around The Horn signs off for good?
What is Tony Reali doing after Around The Horn signs off for good? After 23 seasons, ESPN's Around The Horn has finally concluded for good. The last paper has been tossed at the camera and all the familiar faces stopped by to say their farewells. Host Tony Reali opened the series finale with an homage to his favorite movie Goodfellas, Woody Paige cooked up the perfect chalkboard sign and we (FINALLY!) got an explanation on how the wonky scoring system works. But that's not the only long-awaited answer fans got while tuning in. One of the biggest mysteries over the last few months has been what Reali will do now that the show is over. AROUND THE HORN: Tony Reali's show evolved beyond 'Sports Shouting' and into ESPN's pantheon In a beautiful speech wrapping up what the show has meant to him, Reali confirmed he's not leaving sports and will continue creating content on his new YouTube page and website. Watch his full sign off here. If you've tuned in for any episode ever, this will certainly connect with you. See you soon, Tony. We can't wait to follow along.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The final Around The Horn opened with one last 'Goodfellas' tribute
Friday was an emotional day for fans of ESPN's iconic talk show Around the Horn, which broadcast its final episode after more than 23 years on the air. For longtime viewers, however, the show began with a perfect callback. Tony Reali, who has hosted the show since 2004, is a major fan of the movie "Goodfellas" and has previously acted out parodies from the film. To begin the final episode, Reali reenacted a prior bit in which he performed a studio tour in the vein of the iconic club scene from "Goodfellas." AROUND THE HORN: Tony Reali's show evolved beyond 'Sports Shouting' and into ESPN's pantheon To begin the final episode, Reali referenced the iconic Henry Hill line in the opening scene, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." In Reali's version, he said, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a sportscaster." As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a sportscaster... — Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) May 23, 2025 For reference, here's the scene from "Goodfellas." (Warning: The following clip contains NSFW language and content) As mentioned above, it was not only an homage to the movie but also to one of the most iconic moments in the history of "Around the Horn," in which Reali performed a studio tour themed to the movie during the early days of the show's run. While the more than two-decade run of "Around the Horn" is coming to an end, there was plenty of fan service to be found in the show's final episode. This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Around the Horn: Last episode begins with final 'Goodfellas' tribute
