On Thursday, Gus Johnson channeled some sort of inner fire and gave some awe-inspiring play-by-play to Kansas State’s double-overtime victory over Xavier. That inner fire may have been the ghost of Howard Cosell, one of the greatest and most iconic broadcasters of all time, who would have celebrated his 92nd birthday on Thursday.
Cosell was the face of ABC Sports and Monday Night Football and became famous for, “telling it like it is.” The revered broadcaster died in 1995 of a heart embolism, but not before bringing sporting events to millions, for he believed that “sports is human life in microcosm.”
Thanks to the wonder of YouTube, his outstanding voice and ability to capture the moment for viewers lives on.
In honor of what ought to be Cosell’s 92nd birthday, here are five classic moments from his career.
5. ‘One of the most remarkable scenes you will ever see in sports.’
Cosell was the master at taking what was happening before him and painting a picture that went beyond what you could see on your television screen. When Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver retired from the Baltimore Orioles in 1982, Cosell was able to quantify just what Weaver meant to the city, as nearly every fan stayed after the game to cheer the departing skipper.
4. Welcome to Monday Night Football
Cosell joined Monday Night Football in 1970 and began a historic ride. Along with Frank Gifford and Don Meredith, the three brought the game to millions in prime time, and the show was often one of highest- rated programs on television. Just sit back and enjoy the smooth voice of Cosell that helped create the sports culture we have today.
3. ‘Im a Baaaaaaaad Man!’
One of the most outspoken figures of Cosell’s time was Muhammad Ali, and his media muse was Howard Cosell. Despite their “rivalry,” Cosell covered the heavyweight champion for his entire career and had access to one of the greatest of all time others could only dream of. During Ali’s career, Cosell was an inseparable part of his life. Here’s one of their famous exchanges.
2. ‘This is just a football game…’
During a 1980 Monday Night Football game between the Patriots and Dolphins, word of John Lennon‘s murder came into the ABC studios. For the millions watching the game that night, the first they heard of the tragedy was from Cosell. Even though Cosell understood the transcendent nature of sports, he saw something that was bigger than just a football game, and brought the news of Lennon’s death to the nation in a way so remarkably composed and poignant that you would be hard-pressed to find from any other broadcaster today.
1. ‘Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!’
Of all the Cosell moments that have gone down in history, the one that is most memorable doesn’t involve Ali or Monday Night Football. While calling the Joe Frazier–George Foreman heavyweight championship in 1973, the upstart Foreman knocked down the 29-0 world champ Frazier six times in two rounds on the way to a knockout victory. The first time the champ went to the canvas, Cosell unleashed what may be the most famous call in sports history, screaming, “Down goes Frazier!” The written word cannot do justice to the verbal glory of Cosell’s call.
