Throughout its history on ESPN, Around the Horn has celebrated Halloween and April Fools’ Day with the best of them. But with the news that the show will end this May, ATH decided to combine both holidays into one. So it used the occasion of April 1 to bring out the costumes, and even invited iconic panelist Sarah Spain on to do her best Woody Paige impression.
Spain, as Paige, joined Israel Gutierrez’s Transfer Portal, Frank Isola’s Minutes Police and David Dennis Jr.’s Amir “Aura” Khan, the McNeese State manager who became the star of the first round of the NCAA tournament last month.
“Let us be the first to say Happy Halloween 2025, a day we’re not getting, so you’re getting it right now,” host Tony Reali said to open the show.
It was also a return to the show for Gutierrez, one of the longest-tenured panelists in ATH history whose role at ESPN has lessened in recent years.
Halloween is a well, hallowed, tradition on ATH. In 2024, Jorge Sedano “won” the show on Halloween when he turned in an incredible Chris “Mad Dog” Russo impression for the entirety of the 30-minute debate.
Earlier this year, ESPN announced Around the Horn would air its final episode on May 23 after more than two decades on air each evening. In the run-up to the finale, expect many more stunts like this as the show celebrates itself and its many legendary panelists.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.