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You and Me Burning Matches

Ali and Cosell: A Good Combination.

[Picture by Boxing Insider.com]

Categories:  Boxing  Bronx Banter  Games We Play

Tags:  howard cosell  muhammad ali

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11 comments

1 Ben   ~  Jan 11, 2011 11:13 am

the last 3 seconds of that clip is great. After all the jabbering, Ali puts a quick, big hand on Cosell's chest and Howards nearly soils his Brooks Brothers 2-piece.

2 Matt Blankman   ~  Jan 11, 2011 11:15 am

Those two are just hilarious. I came across that late last night after talking to a friend about Cosell. It's like watching some vaudeville routine. The bit with Ali's watch is classic.

3 Raf   ~  Jan 11, 2011 12:11 pm

I was thinking about Ali last night, watching performances from Zaire 74. To think all the talent on hand for that festival (James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, The Spinners, Miriam Makeba, Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars), AND you got to see Ali-Foreman? DAMN!

4 Alex Belth   ~  Jan 11, 2011 12:27 pm

Those two were some pair.

5 Matt Blankman   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:20 pm

[3] And think if you were a writer - to be there surrounded by Mailer, Plimpton, Hunter Thompson, et al. Quite a scene in Kinshasa.

6 Alex Belth   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:25 pm

Yeah, and then real sports writers too like Mark Kram. Mailer's boxing writing is horseshite.

7 Matt Blankman   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:45 pm

[6] That's Mailer, for every good thing he wrote, there's miles of self-promoting baloney and provocation. Howver, Plimpton's is good. Thompson actually would have been a very good sports writer if that's what he had wanted to do. I think he had a real feel for sports. However, he was too loaded in Zaire to get anything done. His interviews with Ali from the era of the Spinks fights are hilarious. Two sons of Louisville.

8 Matt Blankman   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:46 pm

Whats the story with that painting, Al?

9 Alex Belth   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:54 pm

8) Not sure. Found it on a google image search for Cosell and Ali. Pretty cool, right?

10 Matt Blankman   ~  Jan 11, 2011 1:55 pm

Plimpton's SI story on the Zaire fight is online:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1089211/index.htm

11 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jan 11, 2011 5:15 pm

[3] Incredible concert. And you forgot the epic, all-powerful Franco & Tout Puissant OK Jazz, greatest African band ever! (I'm a huge fan, obviously..)

On the "Soul Power" dvd of that concert, in the xtras the director mentions having the complete concert footage but no money to release all 9 hours..can we start a collection??

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