Cosell, Howard

Cosell, Howard

(kōsĕl`), 1920–95, American sports broadcaster, b. Winston-Salem, N.C., as Howard William Cohen. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and became a lawyer; in 1956 he began covering sports for the American Broadcasting Company. A dominant U.S. sports broadcaster during the 1960s to 80s, he was identified especially with ABC's prime-time "Monday Night Football" (1970–84) and as a vocal advocate for Muhammad AliAli, Muhammad
, 1942–2016, American boxer, b. Louisville, Ky. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, he was a 1960 Olympic gold medalist. Shortly after upsetting Sonny Liston in 1964 to become world heavyweight champion, he formalized his association with the Nation of Islam (see
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. Cosell's outspoken, blunt, and often abrasive style, marked by his frequent claims to "tell it like it is," made him one of television's most familiar figures.

Bibliography

See biography by M. Ribowsky (2011).

Cosell, Howard (b. Howard William Cohen)

(1918– ) sports broadcaster; born in Winston-Salem, N.C. After a brief career as a lawyer, he became a sportscaster for ABC in 1956 and was the boxing announcer throughout Muhammad Ali's career. Famous for his signature remark, "Telling it like it is," his opinionated broadcasts for Monday Night Football won him fans and detractors alike.