Cosell's departure.

Cosell used to put his hand on Larry's leg, like he was sweet on him. He didn't like how Larry sodomized Cobb in front of everybody.

 

This might sound somewhat callous--but I always thought there was a hypocritical "grandstanding" element to Cosell's walking away from calling fights. Howard LOVED to virtue signal and show the world how "righteous" he was. Much as I loved him as a broadcaster Cosell was an incredibly vain man with an IMMENSE ego. (Which, sadly, was a result of his very deep insecurity!)

 

I actually started liking him right about when he called boxing at the '84 OIympics. He was good there (it probably helped that the "84 boxing team was so good.. probably the last great team).

There's was a lot of "pile on" directed at Cosell. It started early on, when he latched onto Cassius Clay. Huge cultural figure in the US. Hilarious in "Bananas", I think it was, where he did a play-by-play of Woody Allen making love to Louise Lasser.

 

That scene in "Bananas" is absolutely HYSTERICAL!! (Cosell's play by play of Woody Allen "knocking boots" with Louise Lasser was THE highlight of the film!!)

 

You're right, for sure.. that was good. I wanna see it again, it's been so long.

Remember when that woman got a snake bite on her (large) bosom, and everybody was chasing after her to suck it out?

 

This is pretty much it. He was a lawyer wanted to be a sportscaster and broke in on boxing which was an easier path then a more major sport in the early 60s. Gained a lot of fame playing foil to Ali. That was the springboard to him becoming the biggest caster of the 70s and moving into more major sports Football Olympics etc. All of a sudden boxing was too corrupt and too brutal. Same sport when he was breaking in but he needed it then. I met him once he was an arrogant ******* at least during my encounter you know how that goes.

 

You pretty much nailed it. I never cared for him very much and he seemed like the type of guy that was all about himself and didn't give two shitts about the sport.

Don Dunphy was 1000 times better as a commentator.

 

I became aware of Cosell by listening to his New York radio commentary, "Speaking of Sports" around 1961-63. I recall that before he latched onto Clay/Ali, he got some early attention criticizing Casey Stengel for falling asleep on the bench while managing the New York Mets. For that he teamed up with Jackie Robinson who also disliked Stengel.

 

Cosell was and remains unbearable.

 

No matter if you loved or hated Howard..."Down Goes Frazier" remains one of THE signature calls in sports broadcasting history!! (Cosell's entire call of that fight was absolutely EPIC--his finest moment behind the mike!!)

 

I thought Keith Jackson was just as colorful as Howard and more knowledgeable.

 

He was also often drunk on vodka at the end of tenure.

 

Cosell reportedly got smashed during a Monday Night Football telecast and barfed all over Don Meredith's cowboy boots LOL!! (And I believe he left the booth at halftime--it was the Eagles vs Giants November 1970.)

 

Well according to Larry if it were a street fight he would run because Cobb was the toughest and strongest guy he ever fought and said there's noy way he'd fight him outside the ring. Sodomized? Really? Is that a fantasy of yours?

It was way overdue for Cossell to leave boxing he was a smug hypocrite who profited off boxing for years. Why didn't he give what he was paid back for the Holmes-Cobb fight? He still cashed that check. Best thing ever happened to him was when he got too close to a fight and got his bald head exposed on TV. Good riddance.