28. HOWARD COSELL
He was loud, opinionated, and unafraid to ''tell it like it is.'' And for nearly two decades, Cosell seemed to be everywhere: covering legendary boxing matches (where he developed an unlikely friendship with Muhammad Ali), broadcasting the original Monday Night Football, and reporting on the hostage drama at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Many mocked his nasal delivery and famous verbosity (''Is football a game or a religion?'' he once mused), but few would dispute that he was the most influential sports journalist in TV history.

Get This! When We Were Kings