Uploaded March 2013 | Updated September 2026, 48 minutes ago
Howard Cosell was a champion of the people. Howard Cosell was a civil rights advocate for athletes of all colors. Cosell ventured where few others in the sports media had the courage to go. People with courage and bravado to speak out on issues as Cosell did, invariably pay a price for their courage. Howard Cosell was more than a reporter, he was a purveyor of truth, unafraid to offend those who would take offense. Cosell had such courage whether its was a discussion of athletes of color in sports, free-agency, illegal drugs in sports, anti-trust laws, player strikes, owners unjustly moving teams, increasing fan violence, or parity in the NFL. Cosell was an advocate of the fans, and despite pressures from a powerful NFL hierarchy, Cosell maintained his social sense of purpose, and his conservative belief in basic American rights, such as due process and freedom of speech. One of his most famous and enduring catchphrases was, "I'm just telling it like it is." Seriously, were people expecting anything less? He was after all, the one and only - Howard Cosell.
Howard Cosell was a champion of the people. Howard Cosell was a civil rights advocate for athletes of all colors. Cosell ventured where few others in the sports media had the courage to go. People with courage and bravado to speak out on issues as Cosell did, invariably pay a price for their courage. Howard Cosell was more than a reporter, he was a purveyor of truth, unafraid to offend those who would take offense. Cosell had such courage whether its was a discussion of athletes of color in sports, free-agency, illegal drugs in sports, anti-trust laws, player strikes, owners unjustly moving teams, increasing fan violence, or parity in the NFL. Cosell was an advocate of the fans, and despite pressures from a powerful NFL hierarchy, Cosell maintained his social sense of purpose, and his conservative belief in basic American rights, such as due process and freedom of speech. One of his most famous and enduring catchphrases was, "I'm just telling it like it is." Seriously, were people expecting anything less? He was after all, the one and only - Howard Cosell.
