Cosell, Howard [key], 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 Ali. 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.
See biography by M. Ribowsky (2011).
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