As soon as the report dropped on Monday that FS1 was canceling Speak, Breakfast Ball, and The Facility, people started wondering who might take over those time slots.
Tony Reali is ready to pick up the phone if Fox Sports decides to call.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand broke the news that, along with that trio of shows, Joy Taylor was out at FS1 as the network attempts to shake up its daily lineup once more in the wake of poor ratings. It was unclear if the other talent affected by those cancelations would find new homes at the network, though Speak‘s Keyshawn Johnson and Breakfast Ball‘s Danny Parkins were noted in Marchand’s report as people they’d like to keep around. Meanwhile, reports are already surfacing that Craig Carton could return to his New York radio roots.
In all likelihood, FS1 will want to bring in some new blood to invigorate things. According to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, there are a handful of notable names in that mix.
“Sources told FOS that on-air talents who could be in play for new FS1 programming include Tony Reali, Max Kellerman, and Kay Adams,” wrote McCarthy on Monday. “On X/Twitter, former FS1 host Jason Whitlock suggested that a TV version of All the Smoke, with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, could be an option.”
McCarthy also spoke with Reali, the former host of ESPN’s recently canceled Around the Horn, who told him that he’s interested in “absolutely everything,” although he plans to be “discerning” about his future in sports media. The longtime ESPN talent reportedly wants to work in both TV and digital spaces, like many other sports media professionals these days.
“I’m open to talking to anybody and everybody at all times,” Reali told McCarthy.
It sounds like it’s worth taking this possibility with a grain of salt for now, as it appears to be more speculative than concrete. But if FS1 were looking to give its morning lineup a shot in the arm, it could do far worse than Reali as one of its new hosts.
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.