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These days, when most TV folks express personal comments on-air they have to apologize so they can keep their jobs. Bob Costas is not one of those people. The NBC broadcaster’s latest show of ultimate power (remember when he bashed his own network’s Olympics coverage on Conan?) came this weekend when he weighed in on the subject of gun control during Sunday Night Football. (See the video below.) Costas was commenting on Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who shot and killed his girlfriend and then himself on Saturday morning. Afterward, Costas told The New York Times he received a barrage of text and phone messages about his editorializing – but “I am emphatically not backing off from anything I said… I do not think the Second Amendment should be repealed and I do not think, under reasonable circumstances, that people should be prohibited from having guns.” But, “I think most reasonable people think we do not have sufficient controls on the availability of guns and ammunition.” So far not a peep out of NBC over Costas holding firm. Here’s what he said in the first place:
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“What a revolting development!”
Bob Costas has grown so in love with his vision of sports and the world in general, that he has lost what once made him so good as a sportscaster…knowledge and good commentary about sports.
And, for the record Bob, the gun used in this tragedy was legally purchased.
Finally, Bob works for NBC…enough said.
I don’t own any guns and I’m a fervent supporter of stricter gun laws, but his comments Sunday night seemed completely out of place, even if he was paraphrasing Jason Whitlock.
What he said on Sunday Night is one of the many reasons I love Bob Costas, and his further clarification just confirms it. Too many people negate the role of guns in tragedies like the Belcher case, claiming that Belcher could have done the exact same things with a knife or some other weapon. They refuse to acknowledge that guns make the escalation of violence much easier than other weapons.
You said it yourself, Belcher could just as easily grabbed a knife and stabbed her to death. It just so happened he used a gun so now it’s a gun problem. I don’t own a gun and I don’t plan on getting one but I’m not naive enough to believe that the gun was the problem here and that, as Bob Costas states, that if there were no gun, both Belcher and his girlfriend would be alive. When somebody loses it, they lose it. I doubt Belcher was holding the gun during the argument with his girlfriend and said “hey, since I already have the gun, I’m going to use it to shoot her.” No, he had to go get the gun to shoot her, probably because it was close at hand. If it just so happened that a knife near, in the heat of the moment, he would have used that. Remember, guns are tools to be used, it’s the people who choose how to and when to use them.
No one is saying that this tragedy couldn’t have happened if there were no guns. Costas says he doesn’t think it would have happened if it weren’t for the guns. That is speculation and you might disagree, but you can’t disagree that the fatal events were made much “easier” because there was a device readily available that can end a life with a simple pull of a trigger.
The point of Costas’/Whitlock’s statements is that when people carry these devices that can create such destruction with small physical actions, people are more apt to use these devices, and hence more likely to cause the destruction. Some people see handguns as security and protection, and with that develop an arrogance that makes them comfortable with conflict (because they have a gun and are “safe”) and that leads to escalation, and too often violence. If you don’t have that arrogance, you are more likely to develop skills in how to avoid escalating conflict. Guns give the “illusion” of safety, but they can take us deeper into conflict, instead of teaching us to walk away from it.
Non One of Consequence, you claim that “No one is saying that this tragedy couldn’t have happened if there were no guns.” Well, let’s look at what Costas said: “But here,” wrote Jason Whitlock,” is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.” That to me appears to be that at least Whitlock and Costas both are saying that two people would be alive today if there were no guns.
Yeah, right. I’m sure Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman agree with Bob Costas’ anti-gun rant since that night OJ shot them with that knife.
Take a look at the ratings for Costas when he isn’t attached to a format brand (NFL, Olympics) and is required to use his brand to drive a show (Later, Costas Now, Costas Tonight). Those numbers are the true reflection of his popularity.
Yes, Nielson opularity always should be the first and only marker of an opinion’s validity…not!
It’s called liberalism – you don’t have to apologize for anything because everybody and their mother in the media will cover your ass for you.
But if SHE had a gun, she could have protected herself… um… um… right?
Bad Olympics coverage… like Costas’ thinly veiled racist remarks especially during the opening ceremony?
Do people really like this guy? I prefer people with personalities.
This. This is exactly why I can’t stand Bob Costas. He was part of the problem when it came to the Olympics with the way he views the rest of the world. I recall the thinly-veiled racist remarks during the closing ceremonies when everyone other than the good ol’ US of A came out. What a jackass. Notice that when he slammed NBC’s Olympic coverage wasn’t because of the shoddy coverage and the moronic commentary but because NBC chose to cut to Animal Practice instead of showing The Who. This guy is a moron.
Costas really just failed to do any fact checking. Even a basic search on google would have been enough. Anyone with the ability to research a topic would see that cities/states/countries with less gun control laws have less crime rates. Just look at Washington D.C. They repelled their gun control laws and saw a dramatic decrease in crimes.
No he’s not the most powerful but he is the most frustrated. He sees himself as a modern version of Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite or Ted Koppel. He’s bored with sports so he’s always looking for hard news angles within the world of sports that he can talk about. He needs to move over to the news side of the network and then he can have his own show first on MSNBC then on NBC he could take over Rock Center which he was on a year ago with the first interview with Jerry Sandusky. He’s too big for just sports now and his ego compels him to look for real news. He should go to CNN where Jeff Zucker would be happy to give him his own news show.
i totally agree with this analysis but actually think this is a credit to his skill as a journalist, not as an indication he has out of control ego; the reality is that he IS too high-brow for many sports fans
Last time I checked, Mr. Costas was a SPORTSCASTER, not a journalist. He used his position to air his personal feelings on gun control during the telecast of a football game, and in my opinion crossed an ethical line. Even though it was an NFL player who used a gun to commit unspeakable acts, it would have been more appropriate for Costas to offer condolences and leave it at that. It’s the same thing as when a celebrity gets involved in politics, spewing their unsolicited opinions to whoever will listen. Enough is enough. Do the job you’re bring paid to do, and keep your personal opinions to yourself.
Because, heaven forbid, you should be forced to hear 90 seconds of something you disagree with during halftime of a football game. That is the real tragedy here.
And yet you feel compelled to voice your opinion. Imagine that
His Olympic coverage is abysmal. I can never wait for him to shut up. If hes powerful its in his own LITTLE mind
Bob Costas has a big, brass pair. It’s refreshing to see a public figure state an opinion and stick by it when he becomes the brunt of a brutal public reproach. What he said (I should point out that Costas was merely backing up a previously written opinion on guns by a FOX Sports Columnist) is credible. The intent of using a gun is to KILL. Unlike a knife or pen or baseball bat, all of which can be used to take a life but are not designed purposely for lethal ends. So, take guns away from dime-store robberies, domestic disputes or mean-mugging road rage on the Santa Monica freeway, and you get this: fewer dead people killed by the hot-flash of anger and a gun to do something about it.
Costas is right.
(On a side note, Costas is exponentially better a sports announcer than the dreadful Joe Buck. Joe Buck inexplicably manages to take the most dramatic sports moments and infuse them with ennui and lackluster commentary. It’s almost as if he’s tired or bored or needs a shot of 5-hour Energy or Red Bull. Dude sucks compared to Costas, who has shown a penchant for dramatic flair to match his sports (in particular, baseball) historical knowledge.)
Long live Costas!
No one I know watched Sunday Night Football because Bob Costas was on.
All hail bob Costas, the new all powerful Media God whose word is law and who trumps the Constitution and other’s rights because he thinks something should be. For only he is the smartestest and most knowledgeable about everything and we should stop thinking for ourselves and just let him run everything. I hope Nikki and others who support this thinking will also support people on the other side when they take over and impose their ideas, will and idealogy upon her and them. What is good for the goose….right?
yes let’s take the gun’s away form law-abiding citizens… that way only the crooks and gangs will have them…
No one said anything about taking away guns from law-abiding citizens. If you’re going to snark, please do a better job of it.
It is insane to suggest that they would both be alive if he didn’t own a gun. If a person wants to kill someone else, a lack of gun does not prevent them from doing it. There are many, MANY easy ways to kill a person.
He is anti-gun in general and is using this tragedy to push his agenda. There is zero truth behind what he is saying.
You go, Bob. We live in such a state of insanity when someone makes the most modest proposal of recognizing the need for basic gun control people go apeshit. It doesn’t make the argument any less valid. We have the worst gun laws in the industrialized world and by far the highest murder rates. These are not coincidences.
Brad, uh, no. The murder rates in the U.S. have been the lowest ever. Does anyone fact check anymore??
“Most Powerful Man”? What an absolutely idiotic comment.
NO one watches SNL to hear what Bob Costas has to say. In fact, people watch SNL IN SPITE of Bob Costas being anywhere near the program.
If this was a Costas-titled vehicle, this wouldn’t be a story because no one would be watching.
Blaming guns in this instance is akin to blaming football and its culture of violence. Maybe we should do away with the NFL, too? It also takes the focus off of what Belcher did. NBC tip-toed around the fact he murdered someone, saying things like she “lost her life in this tragedy”. Yes, she lost it…because it was taken from her by a player in a league that generates a lot of dough for itself and its TV partners, which is why that aspect was downplayed.
Both NBC and CBS, earlier that day, ought to be ashamed for how they covered this and seemed to cover for the player.
So to sum up: you don’t want anyone who isn’t a JOURNALIST expressing personal opinions? But following that logic, doesn’t that mean YOU shouldn’t be expressing your opinion?
There is a time and a place for everything. A forum such asa sports broadcast is not the proper forum for expressing personal and political views.
Now this discussion board is a completely different venue and I would welcome him or anyone else to join a well thought out, inteeligent and fact supported discussion of the issues.
Some would say that in front of 20 million viewers is the perfect place to start the discussion of an important topic like gun control.
Not really unless it is a true debate of the issues of the day. Yes Bob Costas can make comments about sports at halftime of a football game, but there are many other angles to cover than just the shooting itself. He could have said something else moronic other than calling for gun control and I would have looked the other way.
Because of Bob Costas I will no longer support any brand that supports him period!That includes NBC!
Mr Costas would benefit from a bit of research when stepping outside the bounds of sports announcing.
In his non-apology apology he maintains that he doesn’t want to take away a citizen’s right to own a firearm for self-defense, nor does he want to repeal the 2nd Amendment, but emphatically believes, rather, that “Why do you need a semi automatic weapon? What possible use is there?”
The use would be the aforementioned self-defense, as a semi automatic weapon is any weapon where the trigger pull is single, rather than double action, so, you know, pretty much every single handgun that is not a revolver.
It should also be noted that in the two places with the absolute strictest gun laws in the nation, Chicago and Washington D.C., the homicide rates are far and away the highest in the country. When you outlaw weapons, only the law-abiding abide by the law.
That commentary from Costas was just moronic.
The issue is what law would Bob Costas have enacted that would have prevented that football player from shooting his girlfriend and then later himself? Because he didn’t have a record and was allowed to buy a gun and have it in his house for home defense. I mean it’s not even a conceal and carry issue, like Zimmerman.
I can only think of two ways in Bob Costas fantasy world. Which is repeal the 2nd ammendment and no one have guns even for home defense. Or outlaw black people from being allowed to buy guns. That would have been the only way to prevent Belcher from having a gun in his home. Both are not going to happen of course, but that’s why Costas commentary was moronic. It’s not even like the automatic weapons argument. This is a legally purchased handgun in someone’s house.
If costas is the most powerful man ? Then the media is nothing but a joke. Once you choose a profession such as sporting events, then that is what you should comment on. The last thing us viewers need is someone like bob reading off the internet then telling the public what needs to be done ( without any extensive research ) If not ? I can round up some chat room kids that could have done a better job then costas did with the belcher incident.
Sad Bob just can’t stick to what he’s paid to do, sports. When you start commenting on people’s rights, race, religion you open up a bag of trouble. Remember Hank Williams Jr., Jimmy The Greek, and others. When you cross that line I don’t care how untouchable you think you are,