Tony Reali Newsletter

I’m no life hacker, but I’m hoping I roll a solid 102 or so. That’ll get me to 2080, which has a nice evenness to it. (But be a pal and don’t call this up in 2079 to remind me.) That’ll make it close but probably not get me there. My kids have a real shot, though. A cool 150 has them living into the 2160s, which should time out exactly to when… The Yankees run out of numbers. It’s ridiculous and I love everything about it. The Yankees retired numbers list is a freakin Phonebook.

It was a scene in Casa Reali last night. For someone like your boy, there are few joys in the world better than having to explain sports to an 11-, 7-, and 4-year-old. (Or sports-adjacent stuff. Like the 4-year-old figuring out at halftime of the Super Bowl: “But he’s not even a real Bunny!” Having to explain that? That’s my time to shine.) So now let’s consider having to explain a sport nobody knows anything about. And by nobody, I mean the actual people judging it.

I watched the Lindsey Vonn crash today and my jaw is still open. I can’t link to or post any of it because of rights but you can find it on Peacock or NBC Sports’s Youtube channel. Photo Credit here to AP’s Jacquelyn Martin I didn’t see it live because it was Sunday morning, and that’s our busy season in Casa Reali. (Sunday mornings are my Super Bowl!) So I heard about it first on the Bird, then plumed up the Peacock to watch the Downhill in full.

Growing up I loved the Guinness Book of World Records. First thing I always turned to was TALLEST HUMANS. I needed to verify if Robert Wadlow had gained any inches in the last year. (That’s a joke. He’d been dead for 50 years. But in pre-teen Tony’s mind, I still had to check on The Alton Giant. Even now I remember that silly nickname. Someone tells me they’re from Illinois, oh yeah, near Alton? Home of the famed Alton Giant!?) After Height, straight to the SPORTS RECORDS.

My friend Bob Ryan used to send out a tweet once a month. Not the letter “Q” that he accidentally butt-tweeted-that was once a week. I’m talking about the other one: (Extreme Bob Ryan voice) “AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE SPORTS AFTER WATCHING THAT, THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU!!!” It always made me laugh, because I didn’t know who he was telling or why he was SO ANGRY! Everybody he was tweeting to were hardcore sports fans to begin with and loving a game anyway.

Oh man, the heart aches for Bo Nix! To break a foot on this play in overtime (maybe?!) right before you seal a trip to the conference championship game STINKS! And then the drama of Sean Payton announcing it out of nowhere in a second postgame presser, it was all surreal. So now it’s next man up: Jarrett Stidham. He hasn’t thrown a pass in a game since 2023! For many, it’s obvious: Advantage Patriots.

NFL on CBS on Instagram: "A prayer answered for Steelers fans. … Holy Water?! At an NFL game!! This is my Super Bowl, people!! I love when sports and faith collide. Mark Bavaro doing the sign of the cross after carrying seven Niners into the end zone — amen! Hakeem fasting during Ramadan and still dominating the playoffs — that’s the good stuff. Harris Barton giving himself the nickname Bar Mitzvah after learning teammate William Floyd wanted to be called Bar None.

2026! Let me be the one to say it. Ugly. Off putting. A number a lacking an alibi. Let’s hope it has a great personality! == Thinking of the world only in sports numbers - as we are wont to do here!!!- 26 is rough. A few All Pro’s and then it falls off a cliff. Saquon Barkley, … … …. Chase Utley, Rod Woodson, Kyle Korver, Martin St. Louis. Boog Powell, too. Look at them! They all look like they can’t believe they’re 26.

Do you ever get de ja vu watching a game? Look at this! And here in Zapruder form! Caleb Williams to DJ Moore just Montana to Clark’d! You know the play as “The Catch” and it sent the 49ers to Super Bowl XVI.

The Eagles have scrapped the Positivity Rabbit. No follow-up sentence needed. Positivity! I’m positive I’m the most positive person you know. I’ve been that way since I was born. I’m more positive than an A+. I’m more positive than Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. You know this. It may even be why you’re here. Being a positive person is my superpower! But it’s not for everybody, always. And you have to recognize when it’s also a kryptonite. Am I sure?