Don Dunphy vs. Howard Cossell

The most effective announcers ever (My opinion, not a fact.) and complete opposites. Few announcers can impose themselves on an event without appearing to be arrogant and obnoxious. Of course, that was a common description of Cossell shared by more people than "Dmar." However, there were others that rembered the immortal words, "Down goes Frazier!" "Down goes Frazier?" In addition, Cossell was brutally honest, had a dramatic flare to his voice that went unmatched and a cool rhythm to his delivery that was from "Brooklyn" but all his own. Example. Listen to the music on "Monday Night Football" when Cossell was introducing the teams and stars. Nobody else has even attempted to bring that drama to the beginning of MNF. I like Cossell as the best and most effective boxing announcer ever. My favorite part of Howard's persona was the unbelievable excitement he created when he was proven dead wrong. Example. Listen to the blow by blow of the Holmes vs. Snipes fight. Howard never thought Snipes stood a chance, however following his knockdown of Holmes, Howard stated, "You told us you were going to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World!! We didn't believe you!! Howard the opinionated will always have detractors, though when the majority of us look back at him, we know he'll never come again.

Don Dunphy was as famous for what he didn't say as well as what he did say. He was at least as interesting as Cossell, but his talent of letting the action speak for itself and coming in at the perfect moment to put an exclamation point on the event was superb. During his call of the 3rd Ali -Frazier fight, notice his silence during the 14th round. Ali had Joe ready to go and was closing out maybe the greatest HW contest ever. Dunphy was silent until the latter part of the round when he stated, "Joe's hurt. Joe's hurt bad." That sounds like a basic observation and it was but somehow Don saying it made it special. The same can be said of his silence when Frazier stunned Ali with a left in the 6th round and continued on to have his best round of the fight. At one point in the fight, Dunphy's voice started to quiver with slight emotion as he became aware of what he was watching. "This fight is on the level of, Louis - Conn, Marciano - Walcott....this is one of the great ones." Modesty was Dunphy's cloak and he was almost impossible not to like. As impartial as any boxing announcer I've ever heard (with exceptions. Didn't call "Leonard - Hearns well at all but was influenced by Ferdie Pacheco.), it can be said that Don's voice defines the heart and soul of "The Sweet Science."

I loved'em both. Cosell making the refs talk to him between rounds, labling Arguello as "the man with razor blades in his gloves" and telling Ali he was truculent? Loved him. Was he self important and arrogant? Yup. Loved him anyway. The eulogy on Sal Sanchez was remarkable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBEmsnrQno0

Don Dunphy was exactly as you described him. Every word he said counted so you listend close. Two different and great announcers.

dunphy was old school and did great stuff in radio broadcasts..in boxing i prefer him way over cossell..larry merchant is also not well liked but i like him and far above cossell..merchant during the fight makes soo many on the money intelligent comments..cossel yes was exciting compared to dunphy but falls short especialy if cossel had to do radio blow by blows..dunphy painted a visual picture..
now on monday nite football ive always felt don meridith frank gifford and cossell was by far the greatest team ever on mon night..cossell many times showed his ignorance where don and frank would nicely jab him but non the less he was excellent for that show and team..he brought a exciting tension just before the game and to cossels credit it established monday night football as something special.

Attempted to get Cossell's autograph after the Hearns vs. Shields fight in Phoenix.After asking him respectfully and handing him my program,he tried to slap it out of my hand.My friend that was with me at the time called him an asshole.(which he was).

WinstonSmith wrote:

Attempted to get Cossell's autograph after the Hearns vs. Shields fight in Phoenix.After asking him respectfully and handing him my program,he tried to slap it out of my hand.My friend that was with me at the time called him an asshole.(which he was).

I never knew that side of him. Never met him. I met Ali 3 times and he was one of the most accomodating and entertaining people I've ever met. He was eccentric and angry but I was only a kid and I got along with him just fine. I think he liked kids. Sorry about your experience with Cossell. I never knew he had that in him.

4445Frank wrote:

WinstonSmith wrote:

Attempted to get Cossell's autograph after the Hearns vs. Shields fight in Phoenix.After asking him respectfully and handing him my program,he tried to slap it out of my hand.My friend that was with me at the time called him an asshole.(which he was).

I never knew that side of him. Never met him. I met Ali 3 times and he was one of the most accomodating and entertaining people I've ever met. He was eccentric and angry but I was only a kid and I got along with him just fine. I think he liked kids. Sorry about your experience with Cossell. I never knew he had that in him.

I thought he may have been addled due to the heat but this was in April.From all the accounts I have read he was just a surly old curmudgeon.
My father met Ali once while in Boston,said he was the opposite of the image he portrayed to the public,which makes me think his bravado was schtick he copied from the wrestler Gorgeous George.

WinstonSmith wrote:

4445Frank wrote:

WinstonSmith wrote:

Attempted to get Cossell's autograph after the Hearns vs. Shields fight in Phoenix.After asking him respectfully and handing him my program,he tried to slap it out of my hand.My friend that was with me at the time called him an asshole.(which he was).

I never knew that side of him. Never met him. I met Ali 3 times and he was one of the most accomodating and entertaining people I've ever met. He was eccentric and angry but I was only a kid and I got along with him just fine. I think he liked kids. Sorry about your experience with Cossell. I never knew he had that in him.

I thought he may have been addled due to the heat but this was in April.From all the accounts I have read he was just a surly old curmudgeon.
My father met Ali once while in Boston,said he was the opposite of the image he portrayed to the public,which makes me think his bravado was schtick he copied from the wrestler Gorgeous George.

He admitted he got his act from "Gorgeous George." So did "Ric Flair" but that's obvious. lol: Meeting Ali was always a pleasure. I'm always shocked when I find out some people I admire have personality problems. This is why I stay away from most of them. I'm not star struck and would never ask anyone for their autograph. I swear to you, once you're a 12 year old kid and you meet Ali, even share his dressing room alone with him (not his choice, they couldn't get me to leave) nothing is ever a big deal anymore.

Met George Foreman at Logan Airport where I was working as a skycap.He was there to promote his upcoming fight with Holyfield.He and I talked for about ten minutes uninterrupted.One of the nicest people I have ever met.The dude had hands like cash registers.