Tell me more about Howard Cosell

He was, without question, the most iconic sports broadcaster of his day. Perhaps in American history.

He was bombastic, egotistical and full of himself. He was also the first of his kind as a ‘tell it like it is’ sort rather than just carrying the party line or given to platitudes. That made him controversial, as did many of the stands he took — he was the first to stand up against Ali being stripped of his heavyweight title, pivoted to calling him Ali rather than Clay, stood up for black American Olympians who held up their fists on the medal stand in protest of their rights not being recognized or enforced in their own country and many other things.

Howard being at an event made it bigger. It made people say ‘this must be important if he’s there to comment on it.’

No, he was not a great technical analyst when it came to boxing but he also wasn’t boring nor would he tell you a fight was great if it was a stinker or that the ‘house fighter’ was winning when we could all see he was losing (which means he’d find it hard to fit in these days).

All in all, Howard was good for boxing imo because he lent a sense of importance to bouts (like lighter-weight championships) and fighters who otherwise might have blended into the scenery. He could recognize brilliance that others might not see, whether it be in Ali or a stylist who others might have considered boring.

 

He was an obnoxious, overbearing loudmouth that acted as if HE was the star of the show, not the actual participants. And once his meal tickets retired from the sport, he left it after the one-sided Holmes Cobb fight. Good riddance.

 

When I watch an old fight I always like to hear Howard on the mic. Just adds a little something for me

 

I liked Cosell's announcing but hated his pomposity. He knew how to make a fight, a moment, a punch feel important while making himself seem important at the same time. That being said, I would take him over just about any boxing announcer since him.

 

I was about eight years old when he did his last boxing match. I do remember it. My Grandfather and other family members, older than me, seemed to like him. I will go with them and say, in balance, he was probably a plus for the sport.

 

I mute every fight he commentated, Just about unbearable. Who has ever been educated by Howard’s sage knowledge ?

 

Battle of the Network Stars wouldn't have been the same without him.

 

Hmmm. Who was ever educated by a Don Dunphy call? Or a Bob Sheridan call?

It’s a little bit of a later age when they began to bring in broadcasters who were there to ‘educate’ like Tony Romo does today with football (and a lot of people hate him for it). You might get a Hollywood star offering ‘insight’ on a big fight broadcast back in the day … yes, we all need to know what Ryan O’Neal thinks, lol.

I do remember Cosell pointing out things — like a punch that would be a big part of a fighter’s game plan, and emphasizing it for the viewer so the audience would have an idea of what to look for, like: “THAT right hand right there. You saw it. He missed it, but that is the punch (so-and-so) believes he can use to take advantage of (so-and-so).” That sort of thing.

As opposed to Dunphy (I’m not a fan), who would just tell us, ‘He landed a big right hand.” Or “a left and a right and a left.” He basically called boxing like radio more than TV, telling us what we all just saw.

I’ll take a call that cements a huge moment in history over someone trying to lecture me.

DOWN GOES FRAZIER, DOWN GOES FRAZIER!!! That lives forever in history. People who don’t even know boxing know that call (someone recently referenced it to me thinking it was the first Ali-Frazier fight, haha). ‘He needs to step in a little more when he doubles his jab’ doesn’t.

 

Howards just not my cup of tea personally.

 

He was a horrible commentator for boxing. He didn't know a jab from a hook from a straight, and often got the hand wrong. He constantly talked over important action, captained the obvious and served as a distraction from the fight. He was the worst of the worst.

 

He was a very bright, obnoxious, hard working, self man personality that captured broadcasting in the late sixties through the seventies who became very arrogant and full of himself. He felt he was the event often and not announcing it. Unique and talented but not even extremely knowledgeable of the sport.

 

Very eloquent speaker and nice to listen too. Not a bad analyst, but not particularly good either. Heavily biased for his favorites, even when calling the action.

 

He was too busy reading from his prepared script to see what was going on. Sometimes the action didn't follow the pre-conceived notion of whoever wrote the script.

 

he might have been a jerk, Im not sure, I never met him.

But Ill say this: at least he was honest about his opinions.

I like his voice.