Tony Reali gives touching tribute to late grandmother of ‘Around the Horn’ panelist Justin Tinsley

For over two decades, Tony Reali has been the judge, jury, and executioner as the scorekeeper and longtime host of Around the Horn. But on Tuesday, Reali showed a softer side for his panelists on the show when he offered a touching tribute for the late grandmother of Justin Tinsley.

Tinsley, who has been a weekly panelist on Around the Horn since 2021, was not on Tuesday’s edition of the show, seemingly due to the passing of his 93-year-old grandmother Clementine Marshall on Saturday, which Tinsley revealed in a post on Instagram.

Even though Tinsley was away from the show, Reali made it a point to let him know that the entire Around the Horn family was thinking of him during this difficult time.

At the very end of Tuesday’s show, Reali offered a tribute to the life of Clementine Marshall, calling her the “show’s grandmother” who bonded with her grandson over “late night NBA watching” and “hot takes on Jerry Jones.”

“A moment now for family,” said Reali. “We dedicate today’s show to the wonderful life and lasting memory of Clementine Marshall. Our show’s grandmother and Justin Tinsley’s ‘Mama Clemmy.’ To know Justin is to know Mama Clemmy. You’ve heard him talk about it in many answers and Face Times. But that is just part of the story. Justin and Mama Clemmy, a dynasty that won every school science fair 13 years running. The Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan of the Chesterfield County, Virginia school board.

“The bond these two shared over late-night NBA watching and hot takes on Jerry Jones; Mama Clemmy was Justin’s best friend and guardian angel for life. She was also a lifetime educator of science at the historic Peabody School in Petersburg, Virginia where no doubt she left a lasting impact on every student she came across. Mrs. Marshall was 93 years of age. We honor her life and her wishes for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Breast Cancer Awareness. And we share our hearts and our love with Justin and the family.”

Tinsley took notice of this touching tribute from Reali, thanking him along with producers Aaron Solomon and Joshua Bard on social media.

“This tribute to my grandma legitimately brought me to tears. A trillion thank yous over to Tony Reali, Aaron Solomon, Josh Bard, and the entire Around the Horn family,” wrote Tinsley. “To my first best friend, I love you. I miss you. But I thank God I had you for nearly 39 years. Rest well.” 

It’s always difficult to lose a loved one regardless of the circumstances. But to have such a great support system from his colleagues, as Tinsley appears to have from those at Around the Horn, certainly has to put him at ease.