ESPN mainstay Around the Horn is in its last shows after an incredible run on the network. And on Thursday, the program welcomed back two former panelists in Kate Fagan and Jemele Hill.
Both individuals had not been on ESPN or Around the Horn in multiple years but made one last cameo as ATH welcomes back some of its favorite former panelists to say goodbye.
Fagan, who worked at ESPN as a writer for much of the 2010s and appeared as a panelist on Around the Horn and Outside the Lines, was triumphant in her final appearance. She used her Facetime segment at the end of the show to talk about a topic that was important to her – standing up for the rights of trans kids playing sports.
“Trans kids deserve to play sports”
Kate Fagan uses the final moments of her return to ESPN and ‘Around the Horn’ to go outside the lines once again: pic.twitter.com/j2sUbRQqOr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 8, 2025
“Being on this show has been a privilege and a platform and I know it’s my last time on it and I want to say something worthy of that privilege and platform and that is this, trans kids deserve to play sports,” Fagan declared.
“Think about what you remember from your time playing sports. Like 99% of it is finding that jersey for the first time, your favorite number, community, joy, those high fives. It’s that moment when you have a great play with a teammate, it’s the feeling of belonging and it does not know gender. And trans kids deserve that the same as everybody else does.”
Given Fagan’s work as an author and advocate it was no surprise to see her take what has become a politically sensitive and hot button issue head on. In fact, the ability to talk about such subjects honestly and openly is what has separated Around the Horn from other programs on ESPN and elsewhere in the sports world.
In closing, Kate Fagan gave a special shoutout to Around the Horn and host Tony Reali for allowing writers and sports media personalities from all different kinds of backgrounds and perspectives to appear on the program over the years and have a platform to share these messages.
“And Tony, this space on Around the Horn has been about diversity and inclusion, lifting up new voices, because sports is joy. And sports is humanity. And the more people who have that, the better. And Tony, I love you. So thanks for having me back on,” Fagan concluded.
Although it originally started as a place to hear from veteran sportswriters around the country, one of the things that has made Around the Horn unique is its ability to showcase a sea of diverse voices. Hopefully Fagan’s plea for the joy and humanity of sports being available to all people will be heard over a sea of incoming criticism for Around the Horn and ESPN going “woke” once again.
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