longer.blue

“Around the Horn”, one of my all-time favorite sports studio shows, concluded on ESPN today after a 23-year run. Growing up as a sports fan in NYC in my pre-teens and teens, my only go-to venues for sports analysis were WFAN radio, the back pages and columns in the Daily News and NY Post and the sports reports on the local news. But in 2001, “Pardon the Interruption” with then-Washington Post reporters Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon became a must-see for sports discussions (and it still is!). Understandably, the success of “PTI” led ESPN to develop a companion show for it within the 5 PM ET hour. Thus, in 2002, came “Around the Horn”. It was within these past 23 years that “Around the Horn” showcased a PLETHORA of the nation’s respected sports reporters — almost all of which I had previously not been familiar with whilst growing up in NY, but soon became household names (specifically, MY household, of course). I’m flattered that some popular ATH panelists like @pstorre @thefrankisola @bomani_jones even follow me and my sports ratings info on social media! Thank you so much! Sure, “The Sports Reporters” were its long precursor on ESPN Sunday mornings, a terrific program in its own right. But that show was geared for my dad; ATH and PTI were the shows for me — they made me a better informed sports fan. “ATH” was a fun, informative and insightful half-hour each weekday. I also grew up as a game show fan so I thoroughly enjoyed its “competitive banter” format. Earning points by making points, the popular mute button, the enhanced background graphics… I loved it all. But more importantly, Tony Reali, Aaron Solomon and the rest of its staff were the main reasons ATH lasted so long. They put on a high-quality show each and every day. I wish them the very best on their future endeavors. I’m gutted that ATH ended because there are many more sports stories to tell and would have looked forward to these panelists discuss them. However, I’m glad ESPN gave “Around the Horn” its proper due and honored it to its conclusion.