Bob Costas is one of the most respected broadcasters in sports, so when he spoke about the Jovan Belcher situation during halftime of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, the entire sports world turned up the volume.
Costas used the platform of the highly rated program to preach about the gun problem facing the country, citing a column by Kansas City-based writer Jason Whitlock. In the column, Whitlock talks about how the country’s gun culture leads to more harm than good and that “if [Belcher] didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.”
Belcher, a former University of Maine player, committed suicide Saturday at the Chiefs’ practice facility after fatally shooting Perkins, his girlfriend. The situation left many, including quarterback Brady Quinn, wondering whether or not Belcher could have been helped.
While Costas certainly showed an ability to address the topic head-on and in detail, something that other TV networks were criticized for failing to do Sunday, many people have since panned Costas’ review. His fixation on gun control as being at the heart of the issue had critics throughout the sports world and beyond shaking their heads soon after his soliloquy aired. Others, however, agreed with his take.
To hear Costas’ entire speech from Sunday night, watch the video below.
