Bob Costas offers wager to his gun critics

Politico ^ | 04/03/2014 | By TAL KOPAN

[SeekAndFind]

Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is not backing down in the face of criticism for his outspoken advocacy of gun control. In fact, he’s challenging his critics to a bet.

Costas was asked about the controversial political positions he has taken on the air, including gun control, in an interview with “Late Night” host Seth Meyers, and said it’s very much an issue in sports that deserves to be talked about.

“Here’s what I would say to anybody who any time they hear the word guns automatically goes off, like, ‘Oh, they’re going to repeal the Second Amendment,’” Costas said. “Let’s make a bet, you and me. Let’s say over the next five years we’ll do a Google search. We’ll have an independent party monitor it. You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I’ll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let’s see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be.”

Costas said regardless of Americans’ positions on gun control generally, it’s undeniable that sports has a “gun culture.”

[Ohioan]

Someone should offer to wager this TV talking face, that he does not have even a fifth grade understanding of the philosophic concepts or awareness, of the wise men who won American independence, and brought the original States together, to secure the Blessings of Liberty to their posterity.

While it is not easy to quantify stupidity, querying Bob about some of the material in McGuffey's Fifth Reader would be devastating.

The man, like most TV pundits, examined outside their immediate field of interest, are little better than a bad joke. They simply parrot other peoples conclusions--conclusions never supported by a step by step logical analysis, based upon actual human experience.

William Flax

[dragnet2]

Lets keep track of those who defend themselves, families and others against criminals, as opposed to sports figures who commit crimes with guns. Anyone think this idiot would take this bet??

[Moonman62]

You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I’ll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let’s see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be.”

Of course as a ranking member of the liberal media establishment, he knows that 99.9% of what they report is either bad news or intended to scare people.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Metrosexual, sports reporters are all a bunch of loonies.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Let him get rid of his bodyguards completely and live like the rest of us, responsible for our own safety and that of our family.

[dhs12345]

Yup. Everyone is a potential killer.

[MrB]

I’ll take the wager...

if I get to exclude a certain demographic.

[circlecity]

Costas’ comment tells us more about pro athelets (and the demographic overly represented therein) than it does about guns.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

What he’s basically saying is that professional athletes are naturally more inclined to criminality, brutality and bad behavior. Gee, that’s profound insight, Bob. Young men who are overly compensated, haven’t yet matured intellectually or emotionally, have been babied most of their lives — and now you want to track how they are going to behave with their guns?

That’s a real fair way of evaluating if gun-rights should be defended, supported and promoted.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Costas means “black athletes” but he can’t say that out loud.

[kenmcg]

Betcha, douchebag Costas gets accompanied by an armed chauffeur/bodyguard wherever he goes.

[logi_cal869]

Whatsa ‘bobcostas’?

Is that like a Chimichanga? Or a Latin ‘babushka’?

Oh...maybe it’s that feeling welling up from my homemade chili...

Ahhhh.

Yep.

[RatRipper]

Bob's wager proposal amounts to apples and oranges idiocy. The 2nd amendment is NOT about keeping coddled, egocentric athletes out of jail. It is a check and balance on tyrannical government and a tool to used to practice the VIRTUES of self-defense, self-reliance and self-preservation.

[Sarah Barracuda]

I want to see Piers Morgan get rid of his armed security at his Beverly Hills Mansion too..he is also a fruitcake who has been trashing gun owners, let’s see him remove that sign in front of his house that says “Armed Guards present, no trespassing” the sign should be changed to say “GUN FREE ZONE, ALL IS WELCOME” see how he likes it

[Paladin2]

I feel his pain....

[Sgt_Schultze]

I’d rather offer a counter proposal. Let’s track those who commit gun crimes and ascertain their support for democrats or for republicans. Then we look at the results and find out if Costas is comfortable with continuing to press for disarming the violently predisposed.

[Obadiah]

Here's a better wager, Bob.

I'll bet you $1 million dollars — cash — that any gun crime in the next 10 years — 10 years! — involves a human being who pulled the trigger and that the gun does not act without controlling human input.

Deal?

[mulligan]

And Costas is an idiot.

[Obadiah]

Word.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Does he really have a sign in front of his house announcing the presence of armed security?