Why is Howard Cosell considered a hero?

Answer 1

Because Cosell was the first to ask the tough questions. He knew the sport and he knew the people involved. And instead of sugarcoating everything like had been the norm, he went out of his way to get answers to the questions that maybe were a little embarassing for the athlete to answer. For the owner to answer. Certainly he realized his stature and played upon it constantly. But he was a journalist first and foremost. And a journalist's job is to gather information and present it to the public. And he did just that in a way, for the times, that was unique and refreshing.