As Around the Horn wraps up its final episode at the end of May, sports media will bid farewell to more than just a typical daily debate show. It will lose a consistent rhythm—an enduring format and a familiar voice, with Tony Reali having hosted at its center for over two decades. Saying goodbye means Reali is letting go of a significant part of himself.
The longtime host recently appeared on the Awful Announcing Podcast with Brandon Contes to discuss the show’s upcoming finale and the multitude of things he’ll miss after 21 years in his role. Unsurprisingly, the list is extensive.
“I love my job. I don’t think that’s a mystery to anyone,” Reali shared. “I’ve been doing this for 21 years. I love waking up in the morning and writing my script; it might sound silly, but it allows me to project something outward. Even though our scripts are brief, they help me kickstart the show, and I’ll miss that.” He also touched on his unique experiences with muting guests.
“People often ask me, ‘What’s your favorite mute?’ I always say, ‘The next one,’” Reali quipped. “I’ll miss turning off the microphones. While that’s not who I am, living in that space has been enjoyable.” He acknowledged that it was initially challenging to mute respected voices in sports media, such as Bob Ryan, Woody Paige, Tony Kornheiser, and Michael Wilbon from Pardon the Interruption.
“I have strong self-confidence in my role,” he noted. “But even I found it difficult at times. Everything else I do on Around the Horn reflects who I am, but muting someone? That’s not exactly me, so I won’t miss that as much.”
What we will miss—eloquently described by Contes during their conversation—is the essence of familiarity. Even if you weren’t a close watcher, Around the Horn was a constant presence, the backdrop of sports media with its distinctive music, rotating panel of voices, and quick exchanges, embodying the daily heartbeat of sports culture.
“Familiarity is everything. That’s family,” Reali expressed. “When I heard the news last month, I was, of course, aware and had been preparing for this for some time. It’s all about interconnectedness, which I believe has helped me evolve as a person. I’ve known since I was five that I wanted to be a sportscaster; I aimed to call Yankees games. Friends of mine are currently doing that, like Ryan Ruocco and Spero Dedes. However, my journey took a different path. I realized that growth for me meant becoming someone who connects others, and that interconnectedness is ultimately what I will miss most about the show.”
So, when Reali mutes someone for the last time, know it will carry a weighty significance, marking a facet of Around the Horn that never fully aligned with his true self.
