Howard Cosell was the most revered and reviled sportscaster of his time.

His outspoken "tell it like it is" style infuriated many viewers and athletes, but it also left an indelible mark on sports coverage and made him one of the most famous men in America.

"Howard Cosell was one of the most original people ever to appear on American television," said ABC News president Roone Arledge, who ran the network's sports division during Cosell's heyday. "He became a giant by the simple act of telling the truth in an industry that was not used to hearing it and considered it revolutionary.

"Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out of daily play-by-play and placing it in the larger context of society."

Cosell, who underwent cancer surgery in 1991, died Sunday at New York University's Hospital for Joint Diseases. He was 77. His grandson, Justin Cohane, said Cosell died of a heart embolism.

He was a journalist, showman and critic whose cutting commentary was delivered in a distinctive nasal twang and peppered with polysyllabic words. Many shuddered or squirmed when they heard his volcanic voice, but few tuned him out.

They heard Cosell support Muhammad Ali when he refused military induction during the Vietnam War and was stripped of his heavyweight title. They watched Cosell joke with Dandy Don and Frank, and turn "Monday Night Football" into a national institution. They paid attention when Cosell turned his back on boxing and pro football _ the sports that made him famous _ and ripped many of his former colleagues.

"He made people listen, he certainly made people think and he made people watch," said Dennis Lewin, senior vice president at ABC Sports. "You didn't always agree with Howard, but he was never afraid to say what he thought."

Cosell often sounded more like a lawyer than a sportscaster _ not surprising considering that he was an attorney for nearly 10 years before switching professions in the 1950s.

He first gained fame for his colorful calls of Ali's fights and his often outrageous interviews with the champion, including one that led to a studio scuffle between Ali and Joe Frazier.

"Howard Cosell was a good man and he lived a good life," Ali said. "I have been interviewed by many people, but I enjoyed interviews with Howard the best. We always put on a good show. I hope to meet him one day in the hereafter. I can hear Howard now saying, `Muhammad, you're not the man you used to be.'"

When Ali became a Muslim and changed his name from Cassius Clay, Cosell was one of the first sportscasters to call him by his new name. But his respect for Ali didn't stop him from asking tough questions.

"I never sacrificed truth in the name of friendship," Cosell said.

During a broadcasting career that spanned five decades, Cosell covered a turbulent time in sports that included the phenomenal growth of television and the rise of the black athlete.

"He rose to prominence during a time of drama and upheaval in sports," NBC's Bob Costas said. "His style "part journalist, part carnival barker" made him unique."

Expressing outrage over the "hypocrisy and sleaziness of the boxing scene," Cosell stopped announcing pro fights in December 1982. He left "Monday Night Football" the following year, complaining that "pro football has become a stagnant bore."

He later was host of a weekly program called "Sportsbeat" and appeared regularly on radio until his retirement in January 1992.

Cosell was born Howard William Cohen on March 25, 1918, in Winston-Salem, N.C., the son of a Polish immigrant and grandson of a rabbi. The family later moved to the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

After serving in the military in World War II and practicing law for almost a decade, he started stringing for ABC Radio in 1953 and became a full-time broadcaster three years later.

He wrote three books _ "Cosell on Cosell," "Like It Is" and "I Never Played The Game."

Among his movie appearances was a memorable bit in Woody Allen's "Bananas," parodying himself with a play-by-play account of a bedroom scene. He also appeared in Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose" as well as Disney's "The World's Greatest Athlete."

His television work included a guest shot on "The Odd Couple" series and a short-lived fling as a variety show host in 1975-76.

He is survived by two daughters, Jill and Hilary. His wife, Mary Edith "Emmy" Cosell, died in 1990.

Hospital spokeswoman Lynn O'Dell said the funeral would be private and plans for a memorial service would be announced later.