RIP Around The Horn

[Cosmo]

ESPN’s ‘Around the Horn’ ending in 2025 after 23-year run: Sources

Summer 2025 will be the end of the show. Didn't watch a ton of it. Was more of a PTI guy back when I watched such things.

 

[YMCA B-Baller]

Was a pretty dumb show, honestly, almost right from jump.

Stop watching it ages ago. Did they still do the stupid thing were they awarded points?

 

[dixiehack]

The show ending doesn’t bother me in the least, but 23 years has me shook.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Does this mean there will be no more hot takes?

 

[swingline]

Wasn’t Max Kellerman the first, short-lived host of that show before Tony Reali took over?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Say what you will about the show, but Tony Reali sure does seem like one of the nicest, most down to Earth people at ESPN.

 

[playthrough]

The show ending doesn’t bother me in the least, but 23 years has me shook.

Yeah. I was still in newspapers when it began and thought it was cool when some of the panelists were shown in newsrooms (even Jay Mariotti). The game-show aspect was a bit silly but the mute button was great and it's too bad ESPN doesn't have that available for all shows at all times.

 

[Alma]

The show declined when it basically used more in-house ESPN reporters as a way of, well, giving them something more to do, I tended to feel.

 

[MileHigh]

Rarely watched it and more of a PTI watcher.

 

[swingline]

For a hot minute years ago, PTI was appointment watching for me, and I’d watch ATH as a lead in. I developed a pretty big dislike of Woody Paige and stopped watching Around the Horn.

 

[Alma]

Was a pretty dumb show, honestly, almost right from jump.

Stop watching it ages ago. Did they still do the stupid thing were they awarded points?

Last time I saw it, yes. Which over time led to more and more homogenous perspectives, because younger in-house ESPN writers liked getting points and winning by making the "correct" arguments.

The show was pretty interesting at the outset. Bombastic, sort of ridiculous and...so what? PTI did just fine like that. So does Stephen A.

 

[Roscablo]

I probably watched PTI every day for at least the first 10 years of the show. I rarely missed a day (DVR'd it). Even now if I happen upon it, usually a late night ESPN2 replay or something, I will watch it.

That said when Around the Horn followed shortly after, I never understood it. Did I watch it? Yeah. Sometimes. But it wasn't appointment viewing by any means, and I probably haven't watched more than a few minutes in 15 years. I honestly thought it wouldn't last a year when it stared. So good for them that it is still around more than a couple of decades later.

 

[User 149557]

It was airport lobby TV, something you threw on in a hotel room. Let’s not overthink it. It was fine for what it was.

PTI’s descent into Michael Wilbon’s crustification was a more shocking development.

 

[HanSenSE]

Alma hit on it earlier. Much like with The Sports Reporters, I liked hearing from Paige, Plaschke, Cowlishaw, Ryan, etc. But when ESPN regulars took their places, it lost a lot.

 

[swingline]

TV corrupts good and great reporters and columnists alike. Kornheiser was a fantastic print columnist, one of the best ever at his height. And Wilbon made his bones as a beat reporter and later columnist.

Their TV work will never match their print work, but it sure pays a hell of a lot better.

 

[Webster]

I’m guessing they let Tony and Mike decide when they want it to be done, but that production team is down to only 1 show now.

 

[User 149557]

TV corrupts good and great reporters and columnists alike. Kornheiser was a fantastic print columnist, one of the best ever at his height. And Wilbon made his bones as a beat reporter and later columnist.

Their TV work will never match their print work, but it sure pays a hell of a lot better.

Tony seems bemused by it, though. He gets that he’s a joke now. He’s in on it.

Wilbon just yells at clouds.

 

[swingline]

I think Tony is happy he doesn’t have to travel anymore.

 

[spikechiquet]

#BringStatBoyBack!!!

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Watched it a lot when it first began. Then didn’t. Then it became good background noise or something to watch on the treadmill. I watched a lot during the height of COVID because it lined up with the routine I carved out.

If I liked a panelist or topic, I’d pay a bit more attention. And as someone else said, Reali seems like a genuinely good dude.

I can’t say I’ll miss it or anything. But I usually liked it when I watched it.