FEATURE STORY 'Monday Night Mayhem' tells it like it was "Monday Night Mayhem" ter his death, the voice that Gifford, the jock who under­ more muscular frame to withhold knowledge from airs at 8 p.m. Monday on was a cross between Walter stands the game and never Cosell's was having the his audience. TNT. Matthau and a foghorn still cottons to Cosell. Brad Bey­ shoulder pads removed from Though he championed resonates. er ("The General's Daugh­ jackets that were too small, Muhammad Ali and other By Jacqueline Cutler ter") emulates Don Mered­ so that he felt constricted. © TVData Features Syndicate This is a movie that even black athletes when it was "an audience who can't tell a ith with just the right He recalls imitating him unpopular, an off-the-cuff re­ botball on television amount of irreverence and can be divided handily touchdown from a touch­ while watching old fight mark about a black athlete stone will appreciate, be­ fun. Patti LuPone ("Life films with his father, an am­ branded him a racist, and he Finto two eras: Before cause rather than dwell on Goes On") plays Emmy ateur boxer, before slipping "Monday Night Football" was caught up in a mael­ first downs and fumbles, it Cosell, who stuck with her into his Cosell voice as easi­ strom of criticism until his and after. Before the vision­ shows how Arledge devised husband through every­ ly as slipping into a jacket, ary ABC executive Roone thing. And Nicholas Turtur- black friends came to his de­ Arledge revamped the way something different, fought even one a tad small. fense. to get it on the air and kept it ro ("NYPD Blue") portrays Turturro grew up watch­ America watches football, it director Chet Forte, whose Cosell, who received hate was merely a game on TV. on. The movie goes into the ing "Monday Night Foot­ broadcasting booth and gambling problem exceeds mail and widely was carica­ After the show premiered on ball," and, like most people, tured, remained the con­ Sept. 21, 1970, it became an shows the good (how tele­ both his bank account and he has strong feelings about event. vised football was revolu­ his common sense. Cosell. He researched the summate outsider amid tionized), the bad (Cosell The film, however, be­ role by reading articles broadcast boothmates who "Monday Night May­ stepping on everyone's ego) longs to John Turturro about Cosell and watching a were former players. Tur­ hem," premiering Monday and the ugly (the show's di­ turro manages to convey at 8 p.m. on TNT, does a ("Quiz Show"), whose em­ lot bf videos. rector relieving himself in a bodiment of Cosell is so "I was a fan, even though I that in every scene. wonderful job of capturing cup). how Arledge revolutionized dead-on, it's scary. Sure, vehemently disagreed with "I had a responsibility go­ the game, placing nine cam­ All of this is done with a everyone and his brother him," Turturro says. "He ing in," Turturro says. "I eras on the field to give the top-notch cast. John Heard thinks he can sound like was the first ethnic an­ didn't think he was a clown audience the first sense of ("Home Alone") plays Cosell; Turturro really can. nouncer who looked the way or a fool. Down deep, there's what was going on among Arledge as a smart, diplo­ But beyond that, he captures he looked." an emotional deep response the players and the fans. matic man with infinite pa­ Cosell's stance — no mean Cosell's looks were uncon­ to him and that definitely tience and perfect judgment. feat, since Cosell managed to ventional for television. But colored my performance. It The movie focuses on how Eli Wallach ("The Godfa­ swagger even though he was had some effect on me. He's Howard Cosell, a slump- hunched over. his appearance paled in shouldered, large-mouthed ther, Part m") brings to life comparison to his mouth, a big figure. I could see guy from Brooklyn with a beleaguered ABC president Sitting straight and more which seemed to be in con­ Shakespeare putting him in towering IQ, became an in­ Leonard Goldenson. Kevin imposing in person, even stant motion. An attorney, something. He's really stitution. Even six years af­ Anderson ("Sleeping With with a cold, Turturro says he knew a lot and apparent­ smart but insecure. He is the Enemy") stars as Frank his secret to adapting his ly found it impossible to critical but thin-skinned." SPORTS THIS WEEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17T GOLF . FIA World Rally Championship — MOTORCYCLE RACING Charlotte at South Florida. (Live) Australian Open — Early Rounds. New Zealand Open Championshp Monte Carlo. (Same-day Tape) (:30), AMA Supercross Series — 12Scc. (2:00), 6 p.m. on ESPN 333708. (Live) (2:00), 3:30 a.m. on ESPN2 — Final Round. (2:30), 11:30 a.m. on 10 p.m. on SPEED 94826543. (1:00), 8 a.m. on ESPN2 9085920. Memphis at Southern Mississip­ GOLF 2852871. BASKETBALL 2626567. TENNIS pi. (Live) (2:00), 8 p.m. on ESPN Bob Hope Chrysler Classic — St. John's at Boston College. 305925. WINTER SPORTS First Round. (Live) (2:00), 3 p.m. on Australian Open — Early Rounds. (Live) (2:00), 6 p.m. on ESPN 899017. (Same-day Tape) (2:00), Noon on BOXING World Cup Women's Giant ESPN 513429. Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks. ESPN 562611. Friday Night Fights — Julian Let- Slalom. (1:00), 11 a.m. on OUTL Goll Central (Live) (:30), 6:30 p.m. (Live) (2:15), 6:30 p.m. on FOXCH Australian Open — Early Rounds. terlough vs. David Telesco. (Live) on GOLF 8612887. 5038036. 58071692. (Live) (2:30), 10 p.m. on ESPN2 (2:30), 8 p.m. on ESPN2 4378760. Viewer's Forum (Live) (1:30), 7 Maryland at Duke. (Live) (2:00), 8 4398524. p.m. on GOLF 3205158. p.m. on ESPN 894562. Toughman World Championship SATURDAY 1/19 HOCKEY WINTER SPORTS Series (Taped) (1:00), Midnight on Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs. AUTO RACING Chicago Blackhawks at Florida (Live) (2:30), 8 p.m. on TNT 264331. World Cup Men's Slalom. (1:00), FX 6916548. Panthers. (Live) (2:45), 6:30 p.m. on Southern Calitornia at Arizona. 11 a.m. on OUTL 58004920. GOLF British Touring Car Champi­ FOXCH 35568351. (Live) (2:00), 9:30 p.m. on FOXCH World Cup Man's Slalom. (Taped) Alfred Dunhill Championship — onship. (1:00), 11 a.m. on SPEED Detroit Redwings at Dallas Stars. 766456. (1:00), 7 p.m. on OUTL 37520036. Second Round. (Same-day Tape) 58048364. (Live) (3:00), 7 p.m. on ESPN 780790. Maryland at Duke. (1:30), 2:30 World Cup Cross-Country. (3:00), 8 a.m. on GOLF 5849321. BASKETBALL Detroit Redwings at Dallas Stars. a.m. on ESPN 310383. (Taped) (1:00), 8 p.m. on OUTL MasterCard Championship — (2:00), 2 a.m. on ESPN 382678. OOLF 37506456. First Round. (2:00), 1 p.m. on QD Michigan State at Penn State. MOTORCYCLE RACING Alfred Dunhill Championship — World Cup Men's Slalom. (1:00), 64759692. (Live) (2:30), 11 a.m. on • 434567. AMA Supsrcross Series — 250cc. First Round. (Same-day Tape) (3:00), 10 p.m. on OUTL 37529307. Bob Hope Chrysler Classic — Missouri-Kansas City at Val­ (1:00), 8 a.m. on ESPN2 9198448. 8 a.m. on GOLF 5889949. World Cup Cross-Country. (1:00), Third Round. (Live) (3:00), 2 p.m. on paraiso. (Live) (2:00), 11 a.m. on AMA Supercroas Series — 12Scc. Bob Hope Chrysler Classic — 11 p.m. on OUTL 58092185. ESPN 768532. (1:00), S a.m. on ESPN2 2611123. Second Round. (Live) (3:00), 2 p.m. Golf Central (Live) (.30), 6:30 p.m. FOXCH 472398. TENNIS on ESPN 574291. FRIDAY on GOLF 8576031. Temple at Massachusetts. (Live) Auatralian Open — Early Rounds. Golf Central (Live) (:30), 6:30 p.m. AUTO RACING Alfred Dunhill Championship — (2:00), 11 a.m. on ESPN 165451. (Same-day Tape) (2:00), Noon on on GOLF 8516659. Second Round. (2:30), 7 p.m. on NASCAR Modified Series. (2:00), NBA on NBC (Live) (:30), 11:30 ESPN 432910. Alfred Dunhill Championship — GOLF 6564944. Australian Open — Early Rounds. 11 a.m. on SPEED 84162215. First Round. (2:30), 7 p.m. on GOLF Alfred Dunhill Championship — a.m. on 0 50987. (Live) (2:00), 10 p.m. on ESPN2 6597272. FIA Sportsraclng World Cup. p.m. on SPEED Second Round. (2:30), 10 p.m. on 9693871. Alfred Dunhill Championship — (1:00), 1 80701857. SOLE WINTER SPORTS First Round. (2:30), 10 p.m. on Barrett Jackson Automobile Auc­ GOLF 6814586. Alfred Dunhill Championship — World Cup Women's • Slalom. GOLF 6847814. tion — Friday Session Coverage HOCKEY Final Round. (Same-day Tape) (3:00), from the classic car auction. (Live) (1:00), 11 a.m. on OUTL 58117448. HOCKEY Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa (5:00), 5 p.m. on SPEED 47552470. 8 a.m. on GOLF 5816093. Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Bay Lightning. (Live) (2:45), 6:30 FIA World Rally Championship — MOTORCYCLE RACING THURSDAY Panthers. (3:00), Noon on FOXCH p.m. on FOXCH 35439895. Monte Carlo. (Same-day Tape) (1:00), AUTO RACING 497524. TENNIS AMA Supercross Series — 2S0cc. 10 p.m. on SPEED 37596079. British Touring Car Champi­ Phoenix Coyotes at Colorado Australian Open — Early Rounds. (Taped) (1:00), 11 a.m. on ESPN2 onship. (1:00), 11 a.m. on SPEED Avalanche.