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Woody Paige Doesn't Hold Back On ESPN Canceling 'Around The Horn'

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated May 24, 2025 4:28 PM ET

ESPN's "Around the Horn" officially came to an end this Friday. Tony Reali and the rest of the crew wrapped things up with an awfully emotional episode.

Countless panelists shined on "Around the Horn" over the past 23 years. Fans of the show would agree that Woody Paige, Tim Cowlishaw, Bill Plaschke, Kevin Blackistone and J.A. Adande were the best of the bunch.

"Around the Horn has had a remarkable run of more than two decades. That kind of longevity in media is incredibly rare, and we look forward to celebrating the show’s many accomplishments before the final sign-off in May," ESPN executive vice president David Roberts said. "Beyond Tony and the ensemble of on-air contributors, we are particularly grateful to the production team led by Erik Rydholm and Aaron Solomon, who have been instrumental in ATH’s consistent success since the very beginning."

With "Around the Horn" officially retired, Paige spoke to Denver7 about ESPN's decision to cancel this classic show.

Paige admit that he doesn't have sour grapes about "Around the Horn" getting kicked to the curb.

"I’m not upset, I'm not concerned about why we are canceled, or why we don't go on for another 15 years," Paige told Denver7. "I feel fortunate that I was lucky enough to be involved in that platform for over two decades."

One of Paige's rivals on "Around the Horn" doesn't feel the same way.

During Friday afternoon's final episode, Tim Cowlishaw took a jab at ESPN's recent hires.

"I want to thank ESPN for the opportunity that I did not seek and never expected to get back in 2002," Cowlishaw said. "I’d also like to say that while ESPN is currently gearing itself more toward hiring athletes instead of journalists, did you not see the 32 points I scored in an intramural game. Were you not aware of my birdies on 8 and 16 at Augusta back in 2002?"

ESPN has announced that a 30-minute edition of "SportsCenter" will replace "Around the Horn" until further notice.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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