Tony Reali, host of ESPN’s Around the Horn and ‘Stat Boy’ on PTI, joins the show to talk about going from a researcher at the WWL to hosting his own show.  How does that happen?

We actually taped this during PTI and were put on hold by the dramatics of Brad Lidge. Had the Phillies game ended early, they would have done the A or D block of PTI live yesterday, and this interview would have be rescheduled. Now THAT’S inside baseball.

We talk about his beloved Yankees and being from New York but growing up in Jersey. Does he consider himself a Jersey guy or a New York guy? As a Jersey guy, I know which way he better answer (shakes fist, then Camaro.)  We also touch on his time at Fordham with current LA Lakers announcer Spero Dedes. Some crew that must have been.

We discuss his relationship with Kornheiser and Wilbon, and how much he owes them for his career. We also discuss why PTI works so well, and if he feels that translates to ATH. PTI is two guys face to face. ATH is four guys on a panel, so we discuss the differences between the two shows and the difficulty he has in keeping a constant and entertaining flow on ATH.

I ask what his relationship with Max Kellerman is, and does he think Kellerman is holding a voodoo doll of him, waiting for the right time to start the stabbing?  Turns out, Kellerman hated DC.

We talk more ATH, including how the show has been different since he became host and how the topics are selected for each day’s discussion. Is a panelist ever given task of defending the side of a topic they don’t really agree with for the sake of the show?

We talk about ATH as a breeding ground – a Triple-A affiliate , if you will – for ESPN.com and SportsCenter.  With many ESPN writers being hired after regular appearances on ATH, I wanted to get his reaction to that claim. We also discuss the notion that writers come on the show solely to increase their exposure to use it basically as a job interview.

Yes, we talk Jay Mariotti. Reali has some strong thoughts on the maligned pundit. 

1. “I think it’s fine for people to be critical of him. Has he handled it the right way all the time? Well, have any of us been criticized and handled it the right way? That’s tough to ask somebody to take the high road all the time.
   

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3. “I think that he is the hardest worker I’ve just about ever come across...nobody works harder than Jay Mariotti. And in the end, if you tell me a guy was going to work hard for you, I’d employ him every time.”
   

We talk blogs, and how bloggers don’t care for ATH. So why not have a blogger week?

1. “That’s one of the things we always laugh about in the office here. That people are critical of our show and then if we ever threw them the line, ‘maybe you might be available?’  They would be, ‘oh, sure I’ll be on it right now.”
   

Last, we talk about his favorite panel.  It’s not what you’d think.  And what does the future hold? Will Stat Boy ever become Stat Man? And did he just say he wants to do a movie about the industry...including Podcasts?  We need to talk.

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