The Brilliance and Bombast of Howard Cosell

One of the most transcendent sports figures of the 20th century never hit a home run, never made a basket, and never threw a touchdown. Sure, he had his share of sparring sessions and knockout blows, but the legendary Howard Cosell rattled the sports world with his words, not his fists. Cosell was quick to analyze and criticize, a rarity among many other sports journalists at the time who preferred to gratify and satisfy. For decades, he was the dominant voice of Monday Night Football, the World Series, the Olympics, and many big boxing events, including several Muhammad Ali fights. New York Mets manager Ralph Houk once told Cosell, "You're like shit, you're everywhere."