​Tony Reali was a fixture at ESPN for more than a quarter century. Wherever he went, classic shows followed. For a decade, he was the statistician known as Stat Boy on the long-running and still-running Pardon the Interruption (PTI) with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. From there, he branched off to host ESPN’s version of a sports game show, Around the Horn. Reali brought a vibrant, fun and pleasantly wisecracking style to that program and launched the ESPN careers of many commentators. A native New Yorker, Reali brought a Big Apple sensibility to everything he did.Around the Horn ended its 23-year run in May 2025 after nearly 5,000 episodes. This week, Reali boldly returned to the airwaves with Real Deal with Tony Reali, his own podcast on iHeartRadio Podcasts.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis approach has not changed. Reali brings the same verve and nerve that marked his ESPN work. He opened his first episode with an enthusiastic walking selfie through the halls of iHeartMedia and into his studio, stopping at the entrance to gleefully greet the receptionist, Nora.Real Deal with Tony Reali reflects on some of the greatest sports events and athletes. Analyzing them in a way that recalls the emotion and feel of the moment. In fact, that’s what the show is all about — the moments and people who make sports so special.You can actually sense and see Reali’s deep love of sports. This is not a show about current statistics or political stances. It is about one dude sharing his joy and passion for the games and those who play them.It is vintage Reali, jovial and personable with everyone he meets. During his walk to the studio, he sets up the show’s topic. His first episode looked back at the 4×100 freestyle relay team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That team worked together to pull off a huge upset of the French squad. It was the springboard for Michael Phelps and his record eight gold medals in Beijing.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLeave it to Reali to be ballsy enough to open a new show with swimming instead of one of the more mainstream sports. Moreover, this is his program, and he is going to put his stamp on it. During his work on PTI and Around the Horn, Reali made other personalities look good, but Real Deal with Tony Reali is his time to shine.I like the show’s studio setup. Behind him is a glass window overlooking the iHeart offices. You can see people working at their desks and walking through the area. It’s pretty cool.In this opening episode, Reali called the Beijing 4×100 relay win one of the greatest team moments in sports history. He then counted down his top sports teammate moments ever, including the Reggie Bush Push in USC’s game against Notre Dame, the Titans’ Music City Miracle featuring the lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson, Chris Bosh’s offensive rebound and pass to Ray Allen for his incredible shot against the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Red Sox’s Game 4 win against the Yankees in