How many sports media columnists get not one, but two opportunities to tell their readers how much they respect Bob Costas in a matter of days? On Tuesday, the Allentown Morning-Call’s Bob Grollier hailed NBC Sports’ Costas for providing ” a seasoned, well-reasoned, well-thought-out analysis on any topic,” in particular, the diminutive broadcaster’s editorials during “Football Night In America”‘s halftime show (“Costas’ commentary enhances what has become the must-see event of most NFL Sundays”). Days later, Groiller reports that Costas was gracious enough to personally contact him and let him know just how much the unabashed stroke-job measured praise was appreciated.
He wanted to call, first and foremost, to thank me for saying something positive about his work when most people only get noticed when they mess up and the media can’t wait to get in their shot.
Since it was a personal conversation and not an interview, I won’t get into many details, but I was very impressed with the call and have even more respect for him now than I did a few days ago, and frankly, I’ve always thought he was the the best in the business when it comes to being a well-rounded, well-versed sports personality/journalist/announcer.
One thing he did say was that he made a mistake in saying immediately after the Freeh report was released that the NCAA should give Penn State football the death penalty. He admitted that he had to make a rushed assessment.
“I was wrong on that,” he said.
What other big name media guy would ever admit they made a mistake?