ESPN audiences said goodbye to Around the Horn as the longtime sports panelist show said goodbye after 23 years on the air.
Longtime host Tony Reali pulled out all the stops before, during, and after the show, providing insight into the long-running program’s grand finale. In many ways, the week leading up to the final show was a tribute to his work, as well as everyone else who appeared.
One person who did not resurface before or during the final show was its original host, Max Kellerman. While the former ESPN has been MIA for some time since leaving the network, it was thought that perhaps he might make an appearance or, at the very least, a statement. His continued silence seemed to say plenty.
After the final Around the Horn, Reali hosted a livestream on his new YouTube channel. He and many of the show’s panelists discussed the show and answered fans’ questions. Questions about Kellerman’s absence arose, and Reali provided some context.
“I got a comment in here about, ‘I wish there was a Max Kellermann reference.’ I want to talk about this just for a second,” said Reali. ‘I was approaching this finale in a way to talk about how the show got here today. We’ve done anniversaries where we even invited Max back in our 20th anniversary, and that was great.
“I think Max has conveyed enough for me to say he wanted this show to go forward in the way it did. That’s not a quote, but that’s just getting a general vibe of it. And of course, he was on our Big Board that we had at the end of the show. And, you know, the first 200 episodes, [it was the] Max Kellermann show. The next 4,800 was, I hope to say, your show, guys.”
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Reali is saying that Kellerman cut ties with Around the Horn at some point in the past and hasn’t looked back. That would be fair enough, especially given how his role ended and his second stint at ESPN ended.
There have been recent rumblings that the former First Take co-host might reemerge soon, but he remains in the shadows for now.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.