That Time Al Michaels Was in the Same Booth as Earl Weaver & Howard Cosell | The Rich Eisen Show

Hall of Fame announcer Al Michaels joins Rich Eisen in-studio where he reveals what it was like being in the same broadcast booth as fiery Orioles manager Earl Weaver and the opinionated Howard Cosell..
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[@davidmitchell6873]

I loved Howard as a kid in the late 70s and early 80s. He did everything. MNF, MNB, boxing, Evil Knievil events and Battle of the network stars. He even hosted Saturday night live once.

[@Deke1]

He was an icon

[@rayjr62]

He also had his own variety TV show on Saturday Night.

[@denniskumabe734]

Cosell was a licensed lawyer in NY. Imagine having to be opposing him in court. Law missed a superstar. He would wipe the floor w dershoeitz.

[@Nelbroth]

I'd listen to Al Michaels read the back of a shampoo bottle. Simply the best.

[@sammyvh11]

Earl is still a legend in Baltimore.

[@robtucker6303]

I could listen to these stories all day…

[@kokoken1]

Al is just one awesome storyteller, and to paraphrase Jimmy Durante, "I got a million of 'em."

[@joevelasquez4470]

All day is right Love this stuff man

[@sagr9842]

He has a book with a ton of these stories.

[@generoberts9151]

I can’t get over how good Al Michaels looks for his age. Living the dream

[@marksprinkle]

Same story Costas has told about meeting Cosell. Word for word.

[@tomault3063]

Kinda fishy, isn't it? Bob nailed Howard's voice. (careeah)

[@Etatdesiege1979]

Long live the Earl of Baltimore.

[@tberman2386]

Earl Weaver was a total character! Growing up in Baltimore, the tales of Weaver were legend.

[@stevehasler8922]

As an Orioles fan from '69 onward, it was cool to hear about Al's thoughts on Weaver on the front end of this, and Palmer on the back.

[@shawnanderson6687]

Earl was a legend.

[@joeski734]

Earl was a legendary manager and an OK broadcaster. He probably had to censor himself too much. I would have loved to hear an uncensored Weaver broadcast

[@toddsalkowski448]

Al Michaels is a national treasure!! Met him in a Lake Tahoe elevator once, and he was as nice and as humble as could be. His voice was powerful and penetrating. You could not believe it came out of a guy who was about 5-5 and 140 lbs.

[@jamesanthony5681]

He's a little taller than that, no?

[@toreckman8899]

@@jamesanthony5681he is. I met him in Maui but he is a nice guy. Perhaps he’s thinking of earl weavwr who is even shorter I believe.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@toreckman8899 Michaels is about 5'9", 5'10" tops. Earl around 5'7"

[@toreckman8899]

@@jamesanthony5681 so if you knew this why didn’t you originally reply with that to the poster ? 🤔🤷

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@toreckman8899 I've never seen either face to face, like the guy in the elevator with Michaels.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Howard Cosell was interviewing Sammy Davis Jr. at ringside in Las Vegas, before an Ali fight in 1975, and Howard asked Davis, "Well Sammy, how do you see this fight?" Replied Davis, "With my one good eye." Cosell was silent for one of the few times in his life.

[@zeus6793]

Never heard that one! But, I sure can hear Sammy saying that. I miss that whole generation.

[@paulfilipovich6127]

Great comeback

[@bluewavechris]

Al is awesome.....I have nothing but total respect for him....his taking the reigns during the earthquake showed how amazing he is. LOVE the stories of Earl and Jim (I am life long O's fan...and was at the 83 WS game that Regan attended). Howard was one of the smartest guys in the room....but at times he wanted to be star a bit too much.

[@runningdogx]

This one of your best interviews to date, Rich.

[@jamesford3648]

Al is a NATIONAL TREASURE, He is the LAST of the Greatest Announcers. Enjoy him because once he Retires we will lose 1 of the BEST that ever existed. None of these so called announcers could even compare to this Man.

[@kevn99]

Al still has the golden voice and sharp as a tack.

[@98Dougmorris]

That was an incredible story Al told!

[@adamplace1414]

Great announcers understand narrative - they're some of the best storytellers out there.

[@suptrto]

This is a great interview, Al Michaels is one of the legends in his craft

[@gheller2261]

Al still has that great voice.

[@Lava1964]

It's amazing to think that Al Michaels broadcast both the 1972 Winter Olympics and the 1972 World Series--and he still sounds and looks terrific.

[@stormbringercoming8105]

I love Cosell stories. The good, the bad and ugly.

[@duderdude4831]

Just realized Al sounds just like Howard Stern

[@rockingroby6060]

I recall a World Series game when Cosell comments the SS "Willie Mcgee looked a bit like ET", popular movie at the time. It was met with silence and Howard's slow laugh, "Well dont you think". Al Michaels replies "Just want everyone to know who to send the mail to, Howard"

[@jamesanthony5681]

I remember that, as well as his remark about Alvin Garrett of the Redskins. Cosell was heavily criticized for both.

[@terryt504]

Was not a World Series it was the NLCS and Mcgee was a CF. Lasorda said it, was not Cosell

[@rockingroby6060]

We'll agree to disagree.

[@WeirsBeard]

Earl Weaver! Love this! Grew up a Sawx fan when The O’s were good and Earl was fully in charge-we had some great battles! Much respect.

[@cesarbriones2419]

Just the title of this video had me cracking up. Geeezus😂

[@w.l.graves7228]

great listening to al , grew up listening to cosell ... [ ALI'S great interviews ] i am a dinosaur , so i remember the first monday night football years .. cosell , meredith and keith jackson [ WHOA NELLIE !] in 68 , then with gifford starting in "70 ..! love costas too ! brilliant and funny !

[@marvinrose33]

Howard Cosell was the best and he was Legendary. A brilliant man, on a monday night football broadcast, Alex Karras was in the booth and the Vikings were playing, Howard asked Alex why Fran Tarkenton never got hurt, Alex answered back the is because his bones are made out of rubber howard.

[@tomault3063]

Loved Al on WLWT during the early days of the Big Red Machine. Quickly moved on to the big-time. Was sorry to see him go.

[@lovetruth8549]

I didn't even know who Cosell was until recently watching vintage baseball and college football games (I think). Seems like he was everywhere. I really like him. I was wondering why he's not in the HoF. Now, I think I know.

[@davebouteiller6787]

So good. What incredible stories!

[@jimcorlett]

The goat of American sports broadcasting imo he’s up there with Ritchie Benaud from oz with the cricket and Bill McLaren from Scotland with rugby union Ray Warren with NRL from Australia

[@CaesarDarias]

If you want to read a very entertaining and often hilarious book, check out “Palmer and Weaver: Together We Were Eleven Foot Nine” by Jim Palmer and Jim Dale. The mound visits were epic.

[@mwt3579]

I was just coming to type this. Agreed. Great book.

[@joeski734]

If Howard was working an event, it meant that event was big time! Really he made everything more momentous.

[@toddm9501]

Al makes everything great!

[@alecosfan]

Earl was the Greatest

[@ORagnar]

I loved Howard Cosell. He didn't talk about sports in the way other sports casters did. He was more worldly than most. He always had a wildly unique perspective. He was super opinionated, had no governor and was damn smart. It made for great entertainment. He was one of a kind and there has been no one like him since. o

[@Lewis9700]

It's funny that people love Howard now. I also liked him, but I remember a lot of America couldn't stand him in the 70's and 80's

[@ORagnar]

@@Lewis9700 -- Apparently he won both the most popular and most unpopular polls. I just saw him as entertaining. He made things interesting. 10

[@jimwerther]

​@@Lewis9700 I never liked him

[@paleo704]

Cosell was an obnoxious ****

[@ORagnar]

6:00 Stewart Scott was most liked and disliked? I understand the most liked, but how can you dislike Stewart Scott? I don't get that . With Howard Cosell I get it. He was polarizing, but Stewart Scott wasn't that way at all. o

[@davidmitchell6873]

A lot of white guys didn't like what they perceived as jive talk. I am a white guy and I liked Stuart Scott.

[@matthewgabbard6415]

The hell with that, if they don’t like you that means you are living in their heads. They will go out of their way to see you just to hate you

[@johnnyjoey]

Always have loved Al Michaels as a sportscaster but couldn’t stand Cosell. If you were interested in knowing how smart Cosell was, all you would have to do was ask Howard! 😂

[@BobDeCaprio]

as previously recorded

[@thebossman60]

Al Michael's has 2 claims to fame. One is the Miracle on Ice and the other is making MNF unlistenable.

[@goodflop255]

Howard was the best. Nobody even close. Miss that voice on all sporting events. RIP Howard

[@RRaquello]

I remember my father absolutely hating Howard Cosell, but he was an old guy who grew up listening to Mel Allen and Red Barber and didn't like sports broadcasters who had any kind of shtick and Cosell was all shtick. To me, who never remembered anything before the Cosell types came around, I wasn't a fan but didn't hate him and I'd say to my father it was all just part of the show. Cosell was more show biz than sports. I didn't like Cosell for baseball because I thought he was just there to collect a check and didn't really know the sport. For other sports, he was OK.

[@toddm9501]

Sorry Rich. Stuart isn't in the same stratosphere as Howard.

[@thewkovacs316]

michaels claim to fame will always be calling out the howard stern troll during the oj standoff I SEE OJ

[@delyates2509]

Comparing Stuart Scott to Howard Cosell is laughable.

[@clintonsmith5163]

Wrong. The comparison is a valid one. Both men were polarizing. They weren't saying that one was better or worse than the other.

[@Aggie1295]

Who disliked Stuart Scott?

[@jimwerther]

Me

[@proudbirther1998]

I do exactly what Earl did LOL

[@jmadratz]

WTF did he do to his face??!?!?!! Why Why Why. Nobody who has watched Al for so many years can watch this without asking this same question.

[@Agent77X]

Howard Cosell had so much power he could speak his mind and ABC executives said nothing! He was pretty much rule ABC Sports! Him and Don Meredith rule Monday Night football! It was a party each game night. They would argue, laugh and go crazy!😊 Celebrities would kill to get in with them!😊

[@jeffreyjacobs390]

Al Michaels was, is the best there is ....... Joe Buck would be second ....Jiggs MacDonald third (Canadian, did The Islanders as well.) Tied with BOB COSTAS for sure.

[@Redmenace96]

Don't want to be sad, but Al Michaels is from the old school and he's going to be gone in a few years. Nobody working today is even close. They couldn't fire a rifle and have the bullet land in his kingdom. Second, Howard Cosell interpretation is easy: If you had a brain in your head, you loved Howard. If you were a dingbat fan, you hated him. He was ahead of his time. He pointed the way forward for intelligent analysis of sports culture in America. Case in point- Troy Aikman is a dumb jock. It is sad that he is considered a 'top announcer'.

[@terrygracy8345]

He’s a top announcer of football because of his insight. He’s not doing baseball, basketball, boxing like Cosell did. I agree for the most part

[@gheller2261]

Loved Cosell and I completely understand why he hated Frank Gifford. Cosell knew that the man sitting next to him was antisemitic.

[@jamesanthony5681]

How was Gifford antisemitic, and what did he do or say?

[@gheller2261]

@@jamesanthony5681 You could hear it in his voice in the many disparaging things he said about Cosell. The disdain was palpable and that comes from a place beyond personal relations.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@gheller2261 But again, what specifically did Gifford say that was antisemitic? When Cosell left MNF and came out with his book, criticizing Frank saying he was a boring play-by-play announcer (true) and not a journalist (true again), Gifford was hurt by those remarks, and considered it a betrayal on Cosell's part. Frank was a nice guy and classy, but he was vanilla behind the mike, seldom criticizing players (Faultless Frank) or the NFL, avoiding controversy with the league at all costs. I remember a funny story about that. Near the end of his TV career, Cosell was absolutely insufferable, and he s**t on a lot of people when he left, including Roone Arledge who gave him his big break in television and MNF, his career in fact.

[@jordanharirchi4604]

I love Rich, but he gotta work on the timing and believability of that fake laugh lmao

[@kmac1766]

😂😂😂

[@Colin_1977]

Rich is fake laughing. Give it a rest dude - you don’t have to laugh at everything like a banshee. Oh man…I could listen to stories from Al Michaels all day. He must have tons.

[@chaddalrymple4834]

Stuart Scott, according to Rich Eisen: "The ones who don't like me don't know me." Really? Bit conceited if you ask me.

[@Sam-nm8tx]

The only thing worse than cosell’s toupee was his ego. A truly horrible human being

[@fabio40]

Al has the best stories! LoL!

[@avjake]

Like a walking encyclopedia of sports.

[@MrMarcus70]

0:44

[@sctvfan1313]

Great Great interview - loved this entire video - thank you