Thirty five years ago today, Howard Cosell broke one of the biggest news stories ever, announcing that John Lennon had been shot outside of his New York City apartment and was pronounced dead at the hospital. He did it during a tense moment of a Monday Night Football broadcast on ABC between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. As New England was lining up for a late field goal, Cosell broke the news from the media booth at the famed Orange Bowl in Miami. 

The story of how the news got to Cosell is pretty incredible in its own right, as this was in the pre-social media age. Former ABC producer Alan Weiss was brought to Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after a motorcycle accident in Central Park. There, he later discovered that John Lennon was brought into the hospital after his shooting. Weiss recounts getting on a pay phone and calling it in along with hearing the cries from Yoko Ono. 

When word got to Cosell, Frank Gifford and Fran Tarkenton, who were on the call that night, Cosell and Gifford debated whether or not to report it during an important football game. “It’s a tragic moment,” Gifford told Cosell. “This is going to shake up the whole world.” It was at that moment that Cosell delivered a now-iconic report, saying, “Remember, this is just a football game no matter who wins or loses,” before sharing the news with the world. Watch the original broadcast below.

On the 30th anniversary of Lennon’s death, ESPN looked back on the infamous moment.