--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every person working in sports journalism…" description: "\"Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcd/roone-arledge-25550_contribution_every-person-working-in-sports-journalis_2474767.jpg" --- # Every person working in sports journalism today owes a… ![“Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out of daily play-by-play and placing it in the larger context of society.” quote by Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcd/roone-arledge-25550_contribution_every-person-working-in-sports-journalis_2474767.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcd/roone-arledge-25550_contribution_every-person-working-in-sports-journalis_2474767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcd/roone-arledge-25550_contribution_every-person-working-in-sports-journalis_2474767.jpg) > “Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out of daily play-by-play and placing it in the larger context of society.” [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Howard Cosell transformed sports journalism by framing games within broader societal issues, raising the field's cultural relevance. **In simple terms:** Cosell made sports news reflect society. Key Takeaway Study how context enriches reporting. Themes sports journalism media evolution culture storytelling influence Mood thoughtful analytical Type insightful inspirational When to use this quote - TV newsrooms - sports documentaries - media curricula - public debates Key Concepts Narrative framing public discourse historical impact Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists balance sport facts with social analysis? - What responsibilities do media have to reflect culture? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑politicizing sports may alienate fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > ['The Iliad' includes some snappy sports reporting, and writers ever since have been probing athletes for signifiers, for metaphor amped by grit under pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/the-iliad-includes-some-snappy-sports-reporting-and-writers-ever/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [When I applied for Channel 4 I was a sports journalist. I saw it as another sports journalism job, if I'm honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/when-i-applied-for-channel-4-i-was-a-sports-journalist-i-saw-it-as/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [“This is the very structure of sports journalism: deification and damnation, death and resurrection, failure and redemption. You succeed so you can falter so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-leitch/this-is-the-very-structure-of-sports-journalism-deification-and/) [Will Leitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-leitch/) > [The '30 for 30' strand started life as a series of behind-the-scenes docs for the sports channel ESPN. It has now spawned an equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hepworth/the-30-for-30-strand-started-life-as-a-series-of-behind-the-scenes/) [David Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hepworth/) > [Sports journalism is in the midst of an identity crisis so profound that we no longer know whether we're made up of one word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-leavy/sports-journalism-is-in-the-midst-of-an-identity-crisis-so-profound/) [Jane Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-leavy/) > [One of sports journalism's great ironies is that covering an Olympics can be wildly unhealthy. NBC shows athletes in peak health performing on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pilon/one-of-sports-journalism-s-great-ironies-is-that-covering-an-olympics/) [Mary Pilon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pilon/) > [I wanted to be Red Barber, Mel Allen or Howard Cosell. I loved their personalities and all of their sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/i-wanted-to-be-red-barber-mel-allen-or-howard-cosell-i-loved-their/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [One of my first heroes was Jim Robson, the hall-of-fame broadcaster with the Canucks and Hockey Night in Canada, and Jim Ross with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauro-ranallo/one-of-my-first-heroes-was-jim-robson-the-hall-of-fame-broadcaster/) [Mauro Ranallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauro-ranallo/) > [Howard Cosell was gonna be a boxer when he was a kid only they couldn't find a mouthpiece big enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/howard-cosell-was-gonna-be-a-boxer-when-he-was-a-kid-only-they-couldn/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [One of the best ones out there was a guy named Howard Cosell. He was the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-holmes/one-of-the-best-ones-out-there-was-a-guy-named-howard-cosell-he-was/) [Larry Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-holmes/) > [First and foremost, Howard Cosell is sports. There are all these people, these fans, who claim that when Cosell does a game on television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/first-and-foremost-howard-cosell-is-sports-there-are-all-these-people/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [That's the biggest problem with boxing in the United States. They do not promote it like they used to, when it used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/that-s-the-biggest-problem-with-boxing-in-the-united-states-they-do/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) > [I believe it was Shakespeare, or possibly Howard Cosell, who first observed that marriage is very much like a birthday candle, in that 'the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-believe-it-was-shakespeare-or-possibly-howard-cosell-who-first/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Maybe I had something to do with that. I don't know. But public don't believe press. If you were straight and really told it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/maybe-i-had-something-to-do-with-that-i-don-t-know-but-public-don-t/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I want to be the Howard Cosell of MMA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-helwani/i-want-to-be-the-howard-cosell-of-mma/) [Ariel Helwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-helwani/) ## More by Roone Arledge > [In the past ABC has made half-hearted efforts or, worse, cosmetic efforts, to do something about news and I wasn't certain about what their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/in-the-past-abc-has-made-half-hearted-efforts-or-worse-cosmetic/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [If you don't have the rights, you can't do the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/if-you-don-t-have-the-rights-you-can-t-do-the-show/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [But if you cover the World Series on the news or do a feature on an Ali boxing match then all of a sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/but-if-you-cover-the-world-series-on-the-news-or-do-a-feature-on-an/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I don't expect to win every battle but I think Fred Pierce has enough respect for me that I can go fight my battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-don-t-expect-to-win-every-battle-but-i-think-fred-pierce-has-enough/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I don't think any industry was ever as closely scrutinized and written about and constantly in the public eye as television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-don-t-think-any-industry-was-ever-as-closely-scrutinized-and/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I don't think the news department will have to lie down and play dead like it has in the past. By and large the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-don-t-think-the-news-department-will-have-to-lie-down-and-play-dead/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [But unlike the setup in most organizations, where there's an administrator on top and creative people or doers underneath, I'm basically a doer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/but-unlike-the-setup-in-most-organizations-where-there-s-an/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [Television is a powerful medium that has to be used for something better than sitcoms and police shows. On the other hand, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/television-is-a-powerful-medium-that-has-to-be-used-for-something/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [People also don't care about the daily comings and goings of diplomats and yet we must report it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/people-also-don-t-care-about-the-daily-comings-and-goings-of/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I don't think people realize the extent to which TV networks are hurt when they carry public broadcasting. I think the estimate is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-don-t-think-people-realize-the-extent-to-which-tv-networks-are-hurt/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I'm sensitive about my image of being hard to reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-m-sensitive-about-my-image-of-being-hard-to-reach/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [I think we have erred on the side of being too conservative so far, to tell you the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/i-think-we-have-erred-on-the-side-of-being-too-conservative-so-far-to/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [In fact, I had a series of offers which would have brought me a lot of money to make films and package TV programs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/in-fact-i-had-a-series-of-offers-which-would-have-brought-me-a-lot-of/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [People essentially like local news better than network news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/people-essentially-like-local-news-better-than-network-news/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) > [The current wisdom now is that if the three networks are covering the news the same way the difference is the anchor people. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/the-current-wisdom-now-is-that-if-the-three-networks-are-covering-the/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) [Explore all 23 Roone Arledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) ## More Contribution quotes > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) Vernon Johns > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [There is still zero empirical evidence that anthropogenic production of CO2 is making any measurable contribution to the world's present warming trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-still-zero-empirical-evidence-that-anthropogenic-production/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. His contribution as a goal threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/i-have-nothing-but-praise-for-the-boy-he-is-easily-the-best-player-in/) [Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/) > [The way a culture treats women in birth is a good indicator of how well women and their contributions to society are valued and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-may-gaskin/the-way-a-culture-treats-women-in-birth-is-a-good-indicator-of-how/) [Ina May Gaskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-may-gaskin/) > [The excellence of this important contribution to genre literature CANNOT be overstated A masterwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-nolan/the-excellence-of-this-important-contribution-to-genre-literature/) William F. Nolan > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future. The current economic crisis may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-porritt/fundamentally-transforming-the-foundations-of-the-economy-is-the/) [Jonathon Porritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-porritt/) > [I think self-deprecation is such a disease, and I want to cure everybody of it and so that's my contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-self-deprecation-is-such-a-disease-and-i-want-to-cure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Replace your pursuit of success with the pursuit of contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/replace-your-pursuit-of-success-with-the-pursuit-of-contribution/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [There is no art or science that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/there-is-no-art-or-science-that-is-too-difficult-for-industry-to/) [Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Browse all 1,297 Contribution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. 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