Longtime ESPN host Tony Reali took his remaining lap “Across the Horn” on Friday, closing out the sports activities debate sequence after 23 years and greater than 4,900 episodes.

ESPN set the tip date months in the past for the half-hour sequence that has been a staple of the sports activities cabler’s early night lineup. Reali has not been shy in latest interviews about “Across the Horn” having been canceled regardless of its lengthy tenure.

“Across the Horn” featured a “Hollywood Squares”-style meeting of distinguished sports activities journalists speaking about groups, athletes and sports activities problems with the day. The scribes vied to attain factors, as judged by Reali, by supporting their positions with forceful arguments. Reali got here to host the present after working as a researcher and statistician for “Pardon the Interruption,” the long-running ESPN sequence hosted by revered sports activities veterans Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon.

“The absence of rationalization and the silence stated sufficient for me. After which I perhaps come from a college of thought that the whole lot in TV goes away,” Reali stated in an interview with Sports activities Illustrated revealed earlier this week.

On air, Reali used his remaining minutes to pitch his TonyReali.com web site and YouTube channel. However he closed on a principally uplifting observe, citing the affect that the present has had on his life. He additionally weighed in on the affect that sports activities can play in in style tradition, at its greatest moments.

Reali opened his remaining 5 minutes with a dialogue of the foundations and metrics that he adopted for scoring writers over time. Then he moved into extra private territory.

“Life scores us all in a different way day by day, with a rule guide that adjustments day by day. It’s important to roll with it proper by means of good and unhealthy,” he stated. “As a result of what works sooner or later might not work the subsequent, however you’ll work by means of it, and also you’ll work by means of it with the great individuals round you, as a result of we’ll get by means of this collectively.”

Reali’s voice grew to become extra emotional as he zeroed in on his farewell.

“I used to be 24 once I began on this present. I grew up on this present. This present helped me develop up. Possibly a few of you are feeling the identical method too,” he stated. “Life got here quick, then gradual because it does, steadily, then immediately, I’ve shared by means of it all of the highs and lows, as a result of I consider life is greatest when it’s shared in full, and fullness has highs and lows.”

Reali paid tribute to the followers who made the present appointment viewing for greater than 20 years. In a play on his surname, the host typically emphasised how he was on the lookout for “the true” in any debate.

“In on the lookout for the true, I discovered one thing that was even realer than actual. You shared again as a result of to me, that’s what made this present go. It’s the connection. Sports activities is connection. We watch it from our youngest days. We chuckle and we cry,” he stated. “Sports activities connects individuals. Individuals join sports activities and when it’s real, it’s the very best factor on this planet. However this was even higher than that. The notes about your households and your notes about your self, the place you opened as much as me, which means most to me.”

Reali closed by admitting “you’re gonna name me tacky” after which he prolonged his hand out to the digicam and requested viewers to “include me, the place it’s actual.”

In his remaining 20 seconds, the digicam panned to a monitor that displayed the lifetime rating totals for a number of the most common “Across the Horn” friends. Woody Paige, sports activities columnist for the Denver Gazette, topped the leaderboard with 700.

“I got here into this world a stat boy, I’m going to go away it as stat boy,” Reali declared. “Thanks very a lot.”