ESPN
Earlier this week, it was announced that ESPN’s long-running mock gameshow Around the Horn would air its final episode on May 23, kicking off what’s set to be a three-month-long farewell tour. Around the Horn first premiered on ESPN in 2002.
That long and emotional goodbye began right away, as panelist Harry Lyles Jr. used his Thursday afternoon victory speech to pay tribute to journalist Woody Paige — the quirky 78-year-old sports columnist for The Gazette (and formerly The Denver Post) — whose become synonymous with ESPN’s Around the Horn over the decades.
With Lyles Jr. and Paige tied heading into the show’s final moments, host Tony Reali asked the duo what they’d talk about with their “facetime,” the prize for winning Around the Horn in which the winning journalist can discuss whatever they want (Reali, by the way, began hosting Around the Horn when he was 25 and is now 46 years old).
While Woody Paige said he would discuss “sprinkler heads,” Lyles Jr. said he would discuss Paige, which immediately convinced Reali to give him the win and the subsequent facetime.
“As one of the younger panelists on the show, a lot of us grew up coming home from school and watching this particular program, and one of the people that we always saw was Woody Paige,” Lyles said.
“And whether you loved him or hated him, you always tuned into this show to see what that man was going to say. That also goes for those of you watching from home. I have to say, you still see Woody’s influence all over sports media today in terms of the shows that you watch, the styles that people have and it gave me a path to know where I wanted to be in my career. Being on this show is one of those things, and Woody Paige, I would not be here without your influence, man, I appreciate you.”
In a video shared to Around the Horn‘s social media, Paige could be seen being moved to tears by Lyles Jr’s comments after the show.
A moment of appreciation during and after the show for our GOAT, @woodypaige 🐐❤️ @harrylylesjr pic.twitter.com/8UoV9n4sGw
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) March 6, 2025
“This is real right here, what we’re all feeling. Harry, that was beautiful. And it was, of course, your heart outside of your body. … Woody, we owe our careers to you,” Reali concured.
“You need to hear this. I want you to hear this every day for three months. We don’t make episode two without you. And whatever happens the next three months is going to be awesome. You deserve every bit of flowers that you’re gonna get for the next three months.”
Paige is Around the Horn’s all-time leader in wins with 684, putting him 16 wins away from the milestone of 700. Reali acknowledged that Paige is going to have to stack some wins up in the next three months, and he’ll help him get there by putting his thumb on the scale if need be.
“We’re going to be cooking books!” Reali exclaimed.