REAL DEAL with Tony Reali

iHeartPodcasts

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.   Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.   This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It’s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.  

  1. 1d ago

    How Could the Mavericks Trade Luka Doncic?! AM Hoops Relives the NBA’s Most Shocking Deal

    Some sports moments you remember watching. Others you remember hearing about. And then there’s waking up to find out the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Casey Kiernan of AM Hoops joins me to relive the trade that had everyone checking whether Shams had been hacked. We revisit the shock, the search for an explanation, and why Dallas getting Anthony Davis and one first-round pick back still feels so hard to comprehend. Was this a basketball decision or something more personal? Could Cooper Flagg ever make Mavericks fans whole? And did Dallas break something bigger than its roster when it traded the player its fans expected to keep for life? Then we play a game: What trade would have been MORE shocking? Steph Curry, Allen Iverson, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and one Jalen Brunson hypothetical I immediately regret putting into the universe. 00:00 Intro00:57 Waking up to the Luka Doncic trade01:54 Meet Casey Kiernan of AM Hoops02:42 How AM Hoops got its name04:04 Simply Irresistible: When did Shams break the news?06:38 The sports news you never forget hearing08:20 How AM Hoops covered the Luka trade10:55 From checking his phone to chasing answers13:37 How could THIS be the return for Luka?15:38 Nico Harrison, Rob Pelinka, and the Lakers connection17:43 Could Cooper Flagg possibly make up for it?19:10 Was Dallas’s Finals run a fluke?21:17 A generational mistake meets generational luck21:44 Did the Mavericks betray their fans?23:51 Was the trade good or bad for basketball?25:08 The Game: What trade would be MORE shocking?25:13 Steph Curry and Allen Iverson27:42 Scottie Pippen for Shawn Kemp29:31 Kobe Bryant to the Pistons32:16 The Jalen Brunson hypothetical I already regret34:20 What if Dallas traded Cooper Flagg?34:44 Would Mark Cuban have traded Luka?35:07 Casey’s REAL DEAL gift and final thoughts SUBSCRIBE to this channel for more REAL DEAL, one irresistible sports moment at a time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 5d ago

    Verlander, Scherzer and the Baseball Numbers We May Never See Again

    Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer’s late-season chase up the all-time strikeout list got me thinking: Are some of baseball’s most meaningful numbers going extinct? TJ Mathewson and Lyle Goldstein of @BullpenBanterBaseball join me to revisit that chase and figure out which pitching milestones still have a future. Another 300-game winner? A 300-strikeout season? Twenty strikeouts in one game? We rank the achievements we’re least likely to see again. Some feel impossible. Others might surprise you. Then, what does a Hall of Fame pitcher look like when the old benchmarks are slipping out of reach? We get into Félix Hernández, Jacob deGrom, peak greatness versus longevity, and why one number can never tell the whole story. Plus, a Simply Irresistible trivia question that leaves my jaw on the floor, a trip through Mariners history, and a game of “The Last to Do It.” Which pitching milestone do you think we’ll never see again? Let me know in the comments. Welcome to Episode 027 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 00:00 Verlander, Scherzer and baseball’s disappearing numbers 01:10 Bullpen Banter joins REAL DEAL 02:16 The strikeout chase that started this conversation 04:37 Could today’s pitchers ever catch them? 07:00 Tony’s Félix Hernández argument with Kornheiser and Wilbon 08:20 Simply Irresistible: Matching two legends’ strikeout totals 11:02 Bullpen Banter nails the answer 12:21 Naming the season’s 200-strikeout pitchers 13:27 Does 3,000 strikeouts still mean immortality? 15:05 How the baseball trivia obsession began 15:55 The Mariners teams Tony envied 18:18 Ranking the pitching milestones we may never see again 19:26 Could one pitcher strike out 20 in a game? 20:29 Will we ever see another 300-game winner? 21:03 Complete games and the end of the 300-inning season 23:22 Félix Hernández and the changing Hall of Fame standard 24:24 Peak greatness versus longevity 25:36 Jacob deGrom’s Hall of Fame case 26:12 Who gets in after Verlander, Scherzer and Kershaw? 28:20 The Last to Do It: Pitching trivia 32:28 Bullpen Banter’s REAL DEAL gifts 33:29 Tony’s final thought: Why the numbers matter Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday and Friday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Nov 3

    Auburn’s Kick Six: Was This One of Nick Saban's Biggest Mistakes, a Miracle, or Both?

    One second. A 57-yard field goal. And Chris Davis, waiting for his moment. Spencer Hall of The Shutdown Fullcast joins REAL DEAL to relive the Kick Six, Auburn’s unbelievable finish against Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl. We rewind past the return to everything that made it possible: the game-tying touchdown, the second put back on the clock, and the decision that left Nick Saban’s team chasing a man nobody on the field could catch. Was it an Auburn miracle or an Alabama mistake? Spencer and I revisit Saban’s call, the timeout that helped set up the return, and the little details that make this ending even better every time you watch it. There’s also Spencer’s Alabama-fan father, whose reaction pretty much says it all. Then, we put the Kick Six up against college football’s wildest finishes. Trouble with the Snap. The Bluegrass Miracle. The band on the field. Which ending is the most improbable, and which one best explains why we love this ridiculous sport? Because even the greatest coach of all time can prepare for almost everything. Almost. Welcome to Episode 026 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 00:00 The Kick Six: How did this happen to Nick Saban? 01:16 Spencer Hall and the story behind “Bum Chillups” 03:05 Why the Kick Six can never be duplicated 04:29 Watching with an Alabama fan: Spencer’s dad 06:19 Tony watched the Iron Bowl on a plane 07:35 Simply Irresistible: How long did the Kick Six actually take? 10:00 The broadcast silence that made the moment 11:35 Rewatching Auburn’s game-tying touchdown 15:32 The miracle before the miracle 16:49 Alabama’s dynasty meets Auburn’s chaos 19:40 Setting up the final second 20:57 Should college football use a more precise clock? 23:37 Chris Davis made BOTH plays 24:18 Rewatching the Kick Six 25:32 The timeout, the holder and the big fellas 28:05 Did Nick Saban make the wrong decision? 29:06 Auburn miracle or Alabama mistake? 31:31 The Auburn band’s incredible reaction 33:13 Peak Twitter and Spencer’s dad’s perfect response 34:44 Imagining how Nick Saban felt 36:26 Ranking college football’s most improbable endings 40:13 The Kick Six vs. the band on the field 40:55 Spencer Hall’s REAL DEAL gift 41:34 Tony’s final thought: Preparing for the improbable Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday and Friday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Oct 30

    A-Rod vs. Varitek: The Fight That Changed the Yankees–Red Sox Rivalry Forever

    One pitch. One catcher’s mitt in A-Rod’s face. And a photograph Red Sox fans would hang on their walls forever. My friend Joon Lee joins REAL DEAL to relive the 2004 brawl between Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez, a moment I’ve spent more than two decades trying not to watch. We go back to the pitch from Bronson Arroyo, the benches clearing, and everything underneath it: A-Rod trying to find his place on Derek Jeter’s team, Boston refusing to back down, and a rivalry ready to boil over. Then we put Joon’s case to the test. Was this fight really a bigger turning point than Dave Roberts’ steal, David Ortiz’s heroics or Curt Schilling’s bloody sock? And did Boston finally beating New York help change the very thing that made the rivalry special? That brings us to a harder question: What happened to the Red Sox? Joon explains his criticism of John Henry and ownership, from trading Mookie Betts to treating Fenway like a tourist attraction, and why his concern goes beyond wins and losses. It’s about what happens to a city when the team that brings people together gives its fans fewer reasons to care. Welcome to Episode 025 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Oct 27

    2016 World Series: Sarah Spain Relives the Night the Cubs Finally Won It All

    One throw. One catch. A baseball in Anthony Rizzo’s back pocket. And 108 years of waiting, finally over. My friend Sarah Spain joins REAL DEAL to relive the Cubs’ 2016 World Series win, ten years after she was there for every game. We go back to the Rajai Davis home run that made the worst seem possible, the rain delay, and the final out that still brings it all back. Sarah also tells the story of a night in Cleveland after Game 6 with Bill Murray, Eddie Vedder, John Cusack and Chris Chelios. We get into Eddie delivering Cubs news straight from Theo Epstein, “momentum mai tais,” and a rain-delay proposal that could have pushed Game 7’s finish to the next night. But what stays with me is Sarah’s gratitude: for being there, for sharing it with people she loves, and for getting to experience something generations of Cubs fans never got to see. Welcome to Episode 024 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 00:00 The throw that ended 108 years 00:53 A friendship episode with Sarah Spain 04:08 What happens when the Cubs finally win? 09:23 Simply Irresistible: 108 years of waiting 11:54 Remembering the feelings, not the box score 13:20 The Wrigleyville sign, Game 7 tickets and staying hopeful 21:02 Rewatching Game 7 and the Cubs’ clubhouse stories 23:14 Dexter Fowler’s dream start 24:29 David Ross and a team built for the moment 29:03 A wild night with Bill Murray and Eddie Vedder 31:53 Eddie Vedder delivers the Schwarber news 34:23 Rajai Davis, LeBron and the Game 7 gut punch 40:04 The rain-delay proposal Tony can’t believe 42:15 Call It: the Cubs’ final out 44:33 Bryant’s grimace and Rizzo’s back-pocket move 47:13 Blind Food Chain: who deserves the most credit? 53:52 Sarah’s personalized Cubs phone case 54:16 Sarah Spain calls the final out as Eddie Vedder 55:20 Tony’s final thought: gratitude, not revenge Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday and Friday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Oct 23

    PTI Reunion Pt. 2: Stat Boy Brings Back One of Kornheiser and Wilbon’s Favorite Games

    Kornheiser. Wilbon. Stat Boy. One more game. The PTI reunion continues as Tony Reali brings back Food Chain with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon to rank the greatest TV duos of all time. From Siskel and Ebert to Madden and Summerall, Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell to the guys doing the ranking, everybody has a case. And Kornheiser would very much like to go home. Then, Tony takes you behind the reunion, answers your comments and shares what it felt like to pick up right where they left off. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for the Stat Boy stool, the story behind Wilbon’s colorful language, and a little more on the friendship that keeps Kornheiser and Wilbon talking even when the cameras are off. Finally, Tony ranks PTI’s games, from Good Cop, Bad Cop and Oddsmakers to Food Chain and Role Play. Which ones worked? Which ones didn’t? And how did an enormous cutout of Shaq’s big toe become part of the show? Twenty-five years of arguments, friendship and finding ways to make each other laugh. That’s worth a little more time. Even if Kornheiser disagrees. Welcome to Episode 023 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 00:00 Kornheiser would like to go home 00:13 PTI reunion, Part 2 01:03 Food Chain returns: Ranking TV’s greatest duos 03:00 Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell and an unforgettable insult 04:33 Where do Kornheiser and Wilbon belong? 06:02 How Siskel and Ebert showed them what was possible 08:05 Welcome to REAL DEAL 09:02 About that Stat Boy stool… 10:15 Being a kid again around Kornheiser and Wilbon 11:38 Simply Irresistible: How many games has PTI played? 12:29 Mail Time: Hearing Wilbon swear 13:52 Growing up with PTI 16:12 What Tony hoped to learn about their friendship 18:38 A correction for Stat Boy 19:37 Why Kornheiser and Wilbon still matter 21:32 An Around the Horn reunion? 23:05 Ranking PTI’s games 24:33 Fortune Teller, Time Machine and the games that didn’t last 25:29 Word Up! and Oddsmakers 26:24 Food Chain vs. Role Play 28:48 Coming next: Sarah Spain and the Cubs’ World Series win Subscribe to REAL DEAL with Tony Reali for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday, celebrating the most irresistible moments in sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Oct 20

    Kornheiser. Wilbon. Stat Boy. The PTI Reunion You’ve Been Waiting For

    Tony Kornheiser. Mike Wilbon. And the kid they called Stat Boy. Back together, with a few things to clear up. Before Pardon the Interruption, there was press row. Typewriters. Deadlines. A Washington Post newsroom full of extraordinary writers who could argue about anything and make each other laugh doing it. Kornheiser and Wilbon spent years in that world before anyone put a television camera in front of them. I wanted to know how their friendship began. They wanted me to stop trying to turn it into a screenplay. As PTI turns 25, I’m back with two people who helped shape my life, revisiting the stories they’ve been telling for as long as I’ve known them. We go back to the 1988 Olympics, a knockout Wilbon saw coming and Kornheiser didn’t, and the Marvin Gaye national anthem that Tony decided was more important than the All-Star Game itself. There’s also the night Mike slipped away from his own engagement party to shoot a television pilot. Tony was supposed to help cover for him. You can imagine how that went. Then there’s PTI: why Tony thought it would be off the air in three weeks, why they let a 22-year-old correct them on television, and what they make of the sports debate industry today. Through all of it, they keep coming back to the work, the newsroom and the people who made them better. After 25 years on television, they still describe themselves the same way: newspaper sportswriters. They also reveal that they rarely go more than two days without calling each other. Usually because they’re watching the same game and have something to say. Naturally, I have one more question: If PTI ended tomorrow, would you two actually see each other? Welcome to Episode 022 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 03:50 Before PTI, there was the newsroom 05:01 REAL DEAL, Stat Boy and the nickname dispute 06:21 Kornheiser and Wilbon’s old photos 08:40 The 1988 Olympics and the knockout Wilbon saw coming 10:48 The Great Wall, a flight home and a face in the soup 13:46 Simply Irresistible: Their Washington Post bylines 15:10 Is PTI an old married couple? 16:37 How did Kornheiser and Wilbon actually become friends? 19:37 The Washington Post newsroom that shaped them 22:55 Do they hang out? Have they ever really fought? 26:48 Sharing the spotlight and welcoming Stat Boy 27:43 Why PTI let a 22-year-old correct its hosts 31:05 Marvin Gaye’s anthem and Kornheiser’s column 32:54 Why Kornheiser thought PTI wouldn’t last 35:27 Wilbon left his engagement party to shoot a TV pilot 37:14 “We are newspaper sportswriters” 38:48 Kornheiser’s clock and Wilbon’s arrival time 40:06 The phone calls that never stopped 41:23 Darko, LeBron and getting predictions wrong 43:12 PTI, hot takes and the state of sports debate 46:14 Fatherhood, grandfatherhood and who’s gotten angrier 48:11 “It’s not my world”: Getting older as everything changes 49:47 If PTI ended tomorrow, would they still see each other? Subscribe to Tony Reali’s channel for more REAL DEAL: unforgettable sports moments and the people who bring them to life. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Oct 16

    Did Carlos Beltrán Really Choke in the 2006 NLCS? Frank the Tank’s Answer Might Surprise Mets Fans

    Bases loaded. Two outs. Game 7. Carlos Beltran at the plate, with a trip to the World Series still within reach. Adam Wainwright throws a curveball, Beltran never swings, and an entire stadium goes silent. Twenty years later, Mets fans are still looking at that pitch. And looking for someone to blame. Frank “the Tank” Fleming joins me to relive the final out of the 2006 NLCS, and if you think you know what he’s going to say about Beltran, you might want to hear him out. We watch the at-bat, revisit Endy Chavez’s incredible catch, and get into the missed opportunity Frank thinks really cost the Mets the game. For a man with a list of his most hated Mets, he has a surprising amount of understanding for the guy who kept the bat on his shoulder. Then we climb the Mets misery ladder. Tom Glavine and the 2007 collapse. Kenny Rogers walking in the winning run. Luis Castillo dropping the pop-up that sent Frank’s kitchen table flying. Matt Harvey going back out for the ninth. And yes, Frank has thoughts about letting Pete Alonso walk. But we also talk about the kid who carried the burden of the Mets’ 1988 NLCS loss for years, the life Frank has built around being a fan, and whether he would trade any of it to make the frustration go away. Welcome to Episode 021 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. 00:00 Intro 01:34 Carlos Beltran caught looking 02:34 Frank the Tank joins REAL DEAL 03:16 Where Frank watched Game 7 04:40 The injuries that changed the 2006 Mets 06:09 Simply Irresistible: Wainwright’s curveball 08:32 The other side of the story: Wainwright and Molina 10:08 Endy Chavez’s catch and the opportunity the Mets wasted 12:01 Why wasn’t Billy Wagner pitching the ninth? 15:25 Bases loaded, two outs, Beltran at the plate 17:27 Rewatching Beltran’s final at-bat 18:39 Why Frank doesn’t blame Beltran 19:15 Beltran, Gary Carter and retiring Mets numbers 22:08 A great pitch or a hitter choking? 22:47 Piazza, Clemens and the 2000 World Series 25:32 Frank on Mets fandom: “I’m beyond anger” 26:50 Why letting Pete Alonso walk infuriates Frank 28:20 The Mets misery ladder 29:17 Tom Glavine and the 2007 collapse 30:39 Was sending Matt Harvey back out the right call? 31:20 Kenny Rogers walks in the winning run 32:24 Luis Castillo’s dropped pop-up and Frank’s flipped table 33:27 Trading Tom Seaver and the Generation K disappointment 35:46 Frank called the Pete Crow-Armstrong trade 36:30 Pete Alonso, “Pink Pony Club” and Edwin Diaz 37:09 The childhood Mets loss that still hurts 39:18 Would Frank trade away his Mets fandom? 40:16 Frank’s wish for Edwin Diaz and the Dodgers 41:08 How Frank’s life and relationship with sports have changed 42:31 Frank’s weight loss and feeling better at 50 43:30 Frank’s REAL DEAL gift 43:45 Tony’s final thought: Who gets the blame? Subscribe to Tony Reali’s channel for more REAL DEAL. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4.8
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About

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.   Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.   This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It’s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.  

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  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    REAL DEAL with Tony Reali

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