christopher jones had this look pack at his life and career. >>> what did i do? told them like it was. >> reporter: that power c organize >> reporter: -- lasting almost 40 years from the 60s to his retirement, cosell marched to the beat of his own drum. cossell was not murderren by humility. this is how he evaluated his own job performance. >> the best there was at what he did, quite kapbdicly. id had a full and complaint. it was a great time. >> reporter: cossell may have thought he was the greatest that there was. but it catapulted his career. >> i think that sports journalism has changed because howard was there to make the change. they owe him a lot. >> he was probably the most dynamic sports announcer that i can ever remember. he was as himself and muhammad ali. >>> he took it as it was. >> talk about all of the postulates that we have in this sports syndrome in this country. each of which is a natural. >> reporter: a former lawyer sometimes it seemed he never stopped arguing his case. after 13 years of cementing his fame as a commentator on abc's monday nig