While Tony Reali was shooting Around the Horn on Tuesday, an ISIS-affiliated terrorist drove a truck through a bike path in Manhattan, killing eight people, just outside where Reali’s wife sat at home and his daughter went to school. It was Around the Horn’s Halloween episode, the goofiest edition of a generally goofy show, and the host was forced to sit and smile while not knowing whether his family was safe.
Reali told the story Friday afternoon on Twitter, while reflecting on 15 years of Around the Horn.
15th Anniversary of @aroundthehorn! An absurd sentence. 3362 episodes. The list of tv shows who’ve gotten that far is incredibly short.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
It’s a testament to incredible people, incredible viewers, incredible stories. There’s a million stories. Here’s one from this week…
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
Our Halloween episode was Tuesday. It’s our favorite show; maybe our best show. Never easy but always fun. Tuesday was not fun for me.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
In New York City on Tuesday there was a terror attack. I found out while we were filming.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
The attack started directly outside my apartment, where my wife was. It ended a few blocks from our daughter’s school.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
In real time I knew nothing other than it was close. I was in the chair-we were in the middle of our first segment-but in my head I was gone
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
My phone buzzing off the hook, giving updates. I’m reading active shooter while the show’s on air, in costume, debating for points.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
My wife calling to tell me Francesca’s school was in lockdown and I found myself running off the set. Again: we were on air at the time.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
Francesca was safe. My wife was safe. 19 precious people weren’t. 19. Lives ended. Lives changed forever.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
This world is only worth a damn in how we treat other people.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
It’s pretty much impossible to imagine what that time must have been like for Reali. Not only was he helpless as his wife and daughter faced potential danger, he was forced to put on a good face for a national TV show audience.
Reali continued his Twitter thread by thanking the Around the Horn crew for supporting him while all this was going on.
I had to get back in the chair and finish the show. I only did it on the back of everyone @aroundthehorn. @asolomon6 was incredible.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
It takes a whole lot to do a television show. It takes a whole lot to do it once. Some days you have to do a whole lot more than tv.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
This is 15 years. 3362 shows. I am immensely proud of our show. Of our debates, of our behind the scenes, of our scoring system &mute button
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
It takes a whole lot to do a television show. It takes a whole lot to do it once. Some days you have to do a whole lot more than tv.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
This is 15 years. 3362 shows. I am immensely proud of our show. Of our debates, of our behind the scenes, of our scoring system &mute button
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
But most of all I am proudest of our heart.
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) November 3, 2017
As Reali pointed out, this story had a happy ending for him but not for the families of the 19 people who were killed or injured in the attack. His experience is a good reminder that tragedy is not an abstract event on the news but something that affects real people.
