LOUIS KAZAGGER
Performed by...Jerry Nelson
First appearance...
The Muppet Show: Episode 308 (1978)
Most recent appearance...
Muppets Tonight: Episode 208 (1997)
Best known role...
Muppet Sportscaster
WHO IS LOUIS KAZAGGER?
Louis Kazagger is the host of Muppet Sports. Talking with a nasally voice and sporting a loud sports jacket, the character is loosely based on sports commentator Howard Cosell. His trademark introduction of his segments always began with a montage of wacky sports and Louis shouting, "This is the wiiiiiiiiild world of Muppet Sports!"
In the Muppet Sports segments, Louis covered such strange sports as tree staring and bagpipe eating. Unlike the Newsman of Muppet News, Louis Kazagger is rarely a victim of the sports he covers, but, being a Muppet, he is not completely immune to injury. When he covered the national wig racing championship, his own wig jumped off his head as soon as the race began, and when the sport was horse shoe tossing, he got injured when a contestant forgot to take the horse off the horse shoe.
Louis Kazagger has only made a few appearances since The Muppet Show ended. In The Great Muppet Caper, he suddenly shows up at the Mallory Gallery when the Muppets play baseball against Nicky Holiday with the fabulous Baseball Diamond. In 1992, he made a couple of appearances on Good Morning America, interviewing Gonzo for the Geek Olympics and also interviewing baseballs. The final puppet appearance of Louis Kazagger was in the background of a few episodes of Muppets Tonight.
Kazagger did continue to appear in comic book form during the run of the BOOM! Studios comics, appearing in The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson, Muppet Robin Hood, and Muppet Peter Pan. In Peg-Leg Wilson, Muppet Sports covered the well known and revered sport of Long Distance Toast Hurtling.WILD WORLD OF MUPPET SPORTS SEGMENTS
Muppet Sports segments occurred throughout the last three seasons of The Muppet Show. Here is a rundown of every wacky sport Louis Kazagger found himself reporting on.
- Wig Racing (Episode 310)
- Blindfold Race (Episode 314)
- Goldfish Shooting (Episode 319)
- Horseshoe Pitching (Episode 322)
- Tree Staring (Episode 411)
- Bagpipe Eating (Episode 415)
- Yardarm Hanging (Episode 507)
- Cross Country Billiards (Episode 524)
Well, if the Muppets need to play sports, they'd need a sports commentator, right? Louis Kazzager's voice, and his pointy nose, snazzy jacket make him a unique addition to the Muppet world. Louis is sort of a one note character--he was rarely seen outside of Muppet Sports, even in crowd scenes. He really does only fill one niche , but he does fill it well. As a commentator on ridiculous sports made up by the Muppet writers just to be goofy, he is unparalleled. Even commenting on the game the Muppets played with the Baseball Diamond in The Great Muppet Caper he proved hilarious. Anytime some sort of sports-based commentary is needed in the Muppet world, Louis Kazagger should be there.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
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