In light of the passing of the legendary Frank Gifford on Sunday, it’s a good time to revisit one of the most surreal moments of Gifford’s broadcasting career.
In this video from ESPN’s Outside The Lines that originally aired back in December of 2010, Gifford and his broadcast partner Howard Cosell are heard discussing — during a commercial break of “Monday Night Football” on December 8, 1980 — whether or not to tell the audience that John Lennon had been shot and killed outside of his apartment.
Cosell originally didn’t think the game could be interrupted to report the story. The Patriots and Dolphins were tied at 13 apiece, and kicker John Smith was lining up for a potential game-winning kick to give New England the victor. Cosell believed the game situation didn’t allow them a chance to inform the viewers. Gifford, however, disagreed and convinced Cosell that they must tell the audience, who in the days before the internet, wouldn’t have otherwise heard about the shooting for perhaps several hours.
That led to the famous moment in which Cosell, taking his cue from Gifford, gave his famous report:
“Yes, we have to say it, remember this is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous perhaps of all of The Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival.”
Smith would miss his kick and the Dolphins would go on to win, but hardly anyone remembers the final score of that game. However, it’s a good bet that many many more people remember Cosell breaking the news of Lennon’s death live on the air, which wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of Frank Gifford.
