NBC SNF Costas controversy

[raccoonradio]

Twitter, Facebook etc. --Bob Costas getting an earful from those objecting to his political views
on Sunday Night Football. Some responses are along the lines of "keep politics out of it" (Costas
didn't have 'the other side' on to rebut him also), "not watching SNF/NBC anymore", "fire Bob Costas".
(Mon Night Football got rid of one commentator who expressed his views; guy's last name
was Limbaugh).
Certainly we have the freedom to express opinions but opinions can lead to contrary opinions being expressed; boycotts (will SNF ratings plunge?) etc

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/12/03/video-bob-costas-on-gun-control-in-the-middle-of-an-nfl-game/

https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=#bobcostas&src=hash

(And I'm sure NBC doesn't have any entertainment shows that show gun violence....after all
we wouldn't want NBC to be banned, too.)

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

I didn't see the game last night, but I read Costas' comments this morning. Given the tragic events of Saturday, it was fair game for him to make such a statement. He was also correct when he went against corporate wishes and offered a tribute to the victims of the '72 Munich Olympics massacre at the London games this past summer. As far as I'm concerned, he has earned the right, regardless of whether or not you agree with him.

One thing that struck me yesterday afternoon was Fox starting NFL Sunday on the somber note, while The NFL Today on CBS went for a business-as-usual opening before going into the K.C. situation. This mirrored the conflict that many were feeling overall: how do we properly mourn a player who took his own life -- after killing his girlfriend in cold blood -- and orphaning a three-month-old girl in the process?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

In his remarks Bob Costas claimed the murder would not have taken place had there been no gun involved. Perhaps Mr. Costas forgot that the football player could have stabbed or beaten his girlfriend to death and could have easily taken his own life by shoving knife into his heart or by other methods.

Yes what happened is a horrible tragedy. There is a small child who will grow up without parents and will have to live with the stigma of what happened when she grows up. I pray there will be family and friends there to help her.

But let us put things in perspective here. It appears that the Kansas City Chief player was intent on taking not only his life but the life his girlfriend. Therefore he would have accomplished that with or without a gun.

Everyone has the right to their own opinion. I just happen to disagree with Bob Costas'. Unfortunately I don't have the ability to air my opinions in front of millions of Americans like he does.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Reminds me of the "Elaine Dates a Communist" episode of Seinfeld where Kramer gets fired
for his job as a department store Santa for spreading Communist dogma.

Kramer: I didn't know it was such a sensitive issue.
Mickey: You didn't know Communism was a sensitive issue? Whaddya thinks been going on on the planet for
the past seventy years?

 

[Robnoxious]

The "Costasmentary" last night was a bit sanctimonious if you ask me. Had that poor girl been beaten to death with a baseball bat would Bob be calling for the end of baseball and baseball culture? Of course not. The fact Bob made his comments in the middle of conservative gun-touting Texas drips of irony.

His little halftime comments have become wearisome. Last year one of his commentaries was literally about how black men are uppity and prone to violence. Enough with the social commentary Bob, just stick to the Xs and Os or go join 60 Minutes and be the next Andy Rooney.

 

[raccoonradio]

Indeed and again he's free to express his views and people are free to rebut him, and, should they
choose, feel free to no longer watch the program. Thus some TV and radio personalities should
be aware their comments may lead to a backlash and perhaps even getting fired.

People are joking that Olbermann was typing those comments into Bob's teleprompter (K.O.
a former SNF personality of course)

 

[KeithE4]

The "Costasmentary" last night was a bit sanctimonious if you ask me. Had that poor girl been beaten to death with a baseball bat would Bob be calling for the end of baseball and baseball culture? Of course not. The fact Bob made his comments in the middle of conservative gun-touting Texas drips of irony.

His little halftime comments have become wearisome. Last year one of his commentaries was literally about how black men are uppity and prone to violence. Enough with the social commentary Bob, just stick to the Xs and Os or go join 60 Minutes and be the next Andy Rooney.

Costas has been a sanctimonious weenie pretty much his entire career. Nothing different last night than in years past.

 

[justpassingthough]

What has always interested me about the gun debate in America, is that its "never the time or place" to discuss the issue. I'm not anti-gun and I'm pro Second Amendment, but I think the extreme position on anything is dangerous.

After the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent murder of half a dozen other people, no one was allowed to talk about gun control. The same pretty much rang true after the movie theater mass murder in Aurora, Colorado- and now Bob Costas gets chastised for talking about it when it applies to a sport he regularly covers. If not now, when?

I don't even consider this "pushing an agenda". When tragedies happen, rational and reasonable adults account for what happened and discuss, in an effort to minimize these tragedies in the future. Bob Costas would be derelict in his duties as a sports journalist to not bring up the issue. Whether you agree or disagree with his stance, its worth noting that the NFL has had a tragic history of gun violence and death in the past few years, and to gloss over the issue of guns in society at large is just irresponsible.

I don't personally think handguns should be illegal, but Bob Costas at least had the courage to say he does. Its more than you got from anyone covering any of the mass murders mentioned above.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't see the controversy. He was simply agreeing with another sports commentator.

This article was the basis for Costas' comments:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jovan-belcher-kansas-city-chiefs-murder-suicide-tragedy-girlfriend-self-leave-orphan-daughter-why-still-playing-sunday-120112

I think the writer's comments were more extreme than Costas. He wanted the NFL to take a week off.

 

[dhett]

I saw the commentary last night.

Costas had two points to his diatribe; I agreed with the first and disagreed with the second.

The first was about the people who say after a tragedy such as this, "This puts everything into perspective", how sports are not so important. Costas' point was that such people say these things over and over again, and they need to stop allowing sports to distort their perspective on life. I have a feeling that the criticism fell on deaf ears.

The second point was Costa's, and not just him quoting a KC newspaper columnist. He quoted the column because he believed that the author expressed his (Costas') views better than he could express them himself. It's a typical knee-jerk reaction from that point of view: ban the gun so that these tragedies don't occur. Funny that Costas didn't mention the murder/suicide in Casper, Wyo., when a young man (same age as the football player) stabbed his father's girlfriend to death, then proceeded to the local community college where his father was a professor (as was the girlfriend) and, in front of the class, shot his father through the head with an arrow from a compound bow that he had managed to smuggle on campus. The father, mortally wounded, fought with his son, allowing the class to escape, and the young man eventually committed suicide by stabbing. Where are the calls to ban knives and bows and arrows?

What Costas and those who agree with him fail to mention is that we have had gun ownership in this nation throughout its 235+ year history, but never a murder rate like this. It isn't the guns that are the problem, it's society. For the last generation or so, we've taught our children to express themselves freely and without consequence, and in the process, have de-emphasized personal responsibility and respect for others. I see that lack of respect in the children that I teach each week.

This nation doesn't need gun control; it needs self-control.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

This nation doesn't need gun control; it needs self-control.

Actually I'll one better that....it needs "Costas control."

 

[dhett]

This nation doesn't need gun control; it needs self-control.

Actually I'll one better that....it needs "Costas control."

;D

No, I'm OK with Costas speaking his mind, even if I don't agree with what he said. I didn't have a problem with what Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb either; I'd venture to say there that most people were so busy being outraged by what they thought he said, that they have no idea what the point was that he was trying to make. I don't see Costas catching any flak from management; his statements are consistent with the network's political tilt.

 

[cowboybud]

In his remarks Bob Costas claimed the murder would not have taken place had there been no gun involved. Perhaps Mr. Costas forgot that the football player could have stabbed or beaten his girlfriend to death and could have easily taken his own life by shoving knife into his heart or by other methods.

Bob used to work with a guy named OJ who knows about knives.

 

[TheBigA]

Everyone has the right to their own opinion. I just happen to disagree with Bob Costas'. Unfortunately I don't have the ability to air my opinions in front of millions of Americans like he does.

And just because he has that ability doesn't mean we have to shut him up if he chooses to say something we disagree with.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

(Mon Night Football got rid of one commentator who expressed his views; guy's last name
was Limbaugh).

Rush Limbaugh was a member of the panel on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown." If he ever appeared on "Monday Night Football," it was as an irregular contributor.

 

[quadraphonic]

In his remarks Bob Costas claimed the murder would not have taken place had there been no gun involved. Perhaps Mr. Costas forgot that the football player could have stabbed or beaten his girlfriend to death and could have easily taken his own life by shoving knife into his heart or by other methods.

Bob used to work with a guy named OJ who knows about knives.

IKR?
If he weren't so busy grandstanding and parroting some columnist, that guy would have crossed his mind...

 

[DToTheJ]

And of course, Rush has his rebuttal on Whitlock:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/12/03/jason_whitlock_s_publicity_stunt

 

[LKellerIII]

This nation doesn't need gun control; it needs self-control.

Actually I'll one better that....it needs "Costas control."

;D
I don't see Costas catching any flak from management; his statements are consistent with the network's political tilt.

I have to laugh when people talk about NBC's supposed left-wing "political tilt." I imagine this assumption comes from the obvious political tilt of the commentators at MSNBC. But that tilt exists for one reason- to earn higher ratings and therefore make more money by counter-programming Fox News. If you've ever watched their other cable network - CNBC, you'll know that about 80% of their commentators are as conservative as those on Fox News. Even Fox has a couple of token liberals.

What the personal politics of the Comcast CEO and Board of Directors is - I don't know, but it's more likely than not to be conservative, like the politics of most business people.

 

[dhett]

I don't see Costas catching any flak from management; his statements are consistent with the network's political tilt.

I have to laugh when people talk about NBC's supposed left-wing "political tilt." I imagine this assumption comes from the obvious political tilt of the commentators at MSNBC. But that tilt exists for one reason- to earn higher ratings and therefore make more money by counter-programming Fox News. If you've ever watched their other cable network - CNBC, you'll know that about 80% of their commentators are as conservative as those on Fox News. Even Fox has a couple of token liberals.

What the personal politics of the Comcast CEO and Board of Directors is - I don't know, but it's more likely than not to be conservative, like the politics of most business people.

Laugh all you want, but you are imagining things, since I don't have cable or satellite TV (hence, "OTA Holdout"). I am referring to the broadcast network, NBC, and its news and entertainment programming. It's tilted to the left, all the way. I don't know what the personal politics of the Comcast CEO and Board of Directors is either, but I don't care, as it's irrelevant. The broadcast network's programming has a liberal slant to it.

 

[JeeperOne]

I didn't see the game last night, but I read Costas' comments this morning. Given the tragic events of Saturday, it was fair game for him to make such a statement. He was also correct when he went against corporate wishes and offered a tribute to the victims of the '72 Munich Olympics massacre at the London games this past summer. As far as I'm concerned, he has earned the right, regardless of whether or not you agree with him.

Not to mention he was also quoting (Albeit largely in part) SOMEONE ELSE who posted an article on the FOX Sports website

But I suppose that posting online in text format what Costas later (And again largely) put a face & voice to is perfectly OK with the Radical Right IF you do so on a platform owned & controlled the Mighty & Holier than Thou Rupert Murdoch. But IF you work for ANYONE ELSE - ESPECIALLY Comcast/NBC (As was the case this time) & say what Bob did - HEAVEN HELP YOU !!!!! Such HYPOCRACY :

NEVERMIND the fact that it was Bob Costas who was able to get a confession from THE KINGPIN of all child molesters (AKA Jerry Sandusky - May he RIH BTW ) that ultimately led to his conviction in a court of law

Given all this (On top of Rush Limbaugh's own past on ESPN), the Right Wing has ABSOLUTELY NO room to talk IMO

One thing that struck me yesterday afternoon was Fox starting NFL Sunday on the somber note, while The NFL Today on CBS went for a business-as-usual opening before going into the K.C. situation. This mirrored the conflict that many were feeling overall: how do we properly mourn a player who took his own life -- after killing his girlfriend in cold blood -- and orphaning a three-month-old girl in the process?

Well first off, we still don't know if the little girl is orphaned or if she has relatives who can take her in (I doubt HHS knows that yet). Just sayin' on that.....

Secondly, it seems like the networks (All of them including NFL Network & ESPN) probably reacted the only way they could - Report the latest on the story, give personal reaction from in-studio hosts & then move on. Afterall, the first games since the shooting were only minutes away on CBS & FOX while NBC still had the time the afternoon games would take to serve as distance between the tragedy & the SNF game (ESPN had EVEN MORE time since they of course had the MNF game)

JMO.....

Cheers & 73