Would boxing have been better or worse to watch without Cosell's commentary?

God I hated him. He knew three thirds of nothing and twice as little how to commentate, no respect.

 

There is a reason Cosell was famously voted both the favorite and least favorite announcer in the same fan's poll. Cosell was often a distasteful, self-important blow-hard who disgusted me but when he was minding his manners he could be magnificent. Howard was informative, entertaining and could bring excitement to the sport like no one else of his era. He showed that you really don't need more than one announcer for a boxing match.

 

That’s exactly how I view him also. He also had that “love to hate him” following. People would tune in just to be able to berate him.

One of his better efforts, IMO, was his thoughtfully subtle interview with Liston after the Martin KO loss - I thought Howard did a good job there.

There’s been an anon guy I’ve noticed who commentated on older fights - 60s/70s at least - I had to chase up his name - Jack Drees. Very impressive - even handed, knowledgeable and ACTUALLY observed and described the real time action.

As opposed to other commentators who, while ignoring the action, waffle off point, enamoured of the sound of their own voice and opinions more than anything else.

You’re so right - Howard ran it at both extremes of the spectrum - thus engendering an accurately and justifiably described “ambivalent” view of the man.

 

Hmmm...Cosell actually was pretty good early on imo. It was mostly the early 80s where he became unbelievably irritating, the Cobb fiasco was just terrible. Offensively unprofessional.

 

I remember Drees hosting some horse racing broadcasts back in the day. He was very solid.

 

Howard Cosell was the king.

Today, they have six people doing the job he often did alone.

He introduced the card during the opening music (Live from the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland ...)

He did the pre-fight buildup. Interviews in dressing rooms before matches. Taped profiles of fighters or rattled off their careers live on air.

Called the blow by blow while doing color commentary. Interviewed corner men between rounds. Talked to the director during commercials.

He even got in the ring and did post fight interviews.

If he talked a lot it's because there weren't five other guys to cover for him while he took breaks. He was alone.

He was amazing.

Hell, one time Jim Lampley was sick on HBO, so they had Larry Merchant do the blow by blow, and he could barely get the words out. He was lost. And he'd been doing color commentary for 20 years.

Very difficult to do everything on a broadcast. Howard not only did it, he also brought added excitement to most calls.

The Cobb-Holmes fight was his last. He didn't want to do it anymore. He was tired of covering for bad matchmaking.

It had also come days after Mancini-Kim, and Cosell couldn't believe the network put him in that position to call a gross mismatch that wouldn't end.

At the conclusion of that broadcast, he said this has been a presentation of ABC Sports and sarcastically read the final words ''the leader in sports television."

Basically saying to his bosses, some leaders you are . You guys suck.

 

Just who was abc going to get to fill those shoes instead? We the fans most likely end up with someone considerably worse.

 

"Down goes Frazier, down goes Fraizer, down goes Fraizer." Iconic Howard Cosell commentary in Frazier/Foreman 1.

I'm going against what others have said, I honestly didn't mind him as a commentator.

 

I believe that line actually started when Frazier faced Ellis the first time but it was "Down goes Ellis!"

 

At his best he was Great.

 

Keith Jackson was better than Cosell on a bad day.

 

Genuinely can't stand cossel, but Id honestly take him over alot of commutators todays.

 

We found out when he stopped calling boxing for ABC.

Nobody filled his shoes. They had a revolving door of two-man teams until they stopped airing boxing altogether.

 

He interjected himself over the action, failed to recognize what was occurring in the ring either because he was ignorant or was too obsessed with his contribution to the broadcast. And any love for the game he claimed to possess felt disingenuous. God Bless Tex Cobb.