So many memories came flooding back for me while watching this, the nostalgic aspect was worth it right there. From most of 1970 until Meredith left, my buddies and I were fixated in front of the TV on Monday nights. It was an institution, and we always talked about the game and Howard the next day. No one could ever begin to capture what Howard Cosell was all about, but Turturro does one heck of a good job. Heard does an equally good job of capturing Arledge, and everything else just falls into place. While we were watching the broadcasts, no one had a clue as to what was really going on, but there were clues that everything wasn't as it seemed. This movie really brought the inside to the outside. I closed my eyes during the halftime highlight segment, and by jobe, I could actually hear Cosell doing the bit, especially the pronunciation of Jim Lash. But perhaps the best scene of the entire movie was Cosell announcing to the world that John Lennon had been killed. When he originally did it back in 1980, Cosell brought me to tears, and Turturro's imitation of that moment has the same effect. If you remember those halcyon days of MNF, then this is the holy grail for the fans. Nothiong will ever come close to the real deal, but this movie gives anyone who is interested a little peek, and that is telling it like it is.
