Costas calls for gun control on ‘Sunday Night Football’
NBC’s Bob Costas used his halftime commentary on “Sunday Night Football” to call for stricter gun control in the wake of the murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher.
In a 90-second statement, Costas quoted Fox Sports writer Jason Whitlock:
In the aftermath of the nearly unfathomable events in KC, that most mindless of sports cliches was heard yet again: Something like this really puts it all in perspective … You want some actual perspective on this? Well a bit of it comes from the Kansas City-based writer Jason Whitlock, with whom I do not always agree, but who today said it so well that we may as well just quote or paraphrase from the end of his article. “Our current gun culture,” Whitlock wrote, “ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead. Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it. … If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would still be alive today.”
Costas surely knew his remarks would be inflammatory, and they were. Online reaction was swift, with many expressing outrage that he used a nationally televised football game to express his personal views. Others praised Costas for taking a stand. What do you think?
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265 comments Add your comment
CHeston
December 3rd, 2012
9:01 am
2010 Stats on firearm related homicide is 9,369 in the US. Same year has 10,228 in DUI fatalities. So when do we reinstate the Volstead Act? Or ban cars that go over 20 mph? Where are all the “celebrities” screaming for alcohol control. Same as it always is. some TV personality blow-hard thinking he knows what’s best for everyone.
Will
December 3rd, 2012
9:02 am
The remarks made by Bob Costas were totally uncalled for. A meaningless monday night football game where you don’t expect anything political…just football, no thinking involved. Enter Bob Costas, agree with what he said or not is not the point, Monday night football is not and should not be a forum for gun control nor anything of that nature. He had no right to say it in that forum. I suppose that if you jump off a bridge you can say if it weren’t for the bridge the guy would still be alive? If it weren’t for the knife the guy would still be alive? You get my point. Too many people are quick to blame guns for tragedy, it is not the gun and never will be the gun that is at fault…it is the stupidity of those who have them. You’ll never hear the networks comment on how many lives good citizens with guns have saved, will you?? I have a gun and will use it to protect me and more importantly my family weather Mr. Costas approves or not!! Mr.Belcher is the only one responsible for what he did, not the masses. One more thought, if he wanted to take his own life then fine, but why the life of another just because he had issues!!
Ben
December 3rd, 2012
9:04 am
If a big ass football player gets mad at his girlfriend and decides to strike out, he didn’t need a gun to kill her. Any random object within his reach slammed against her head could have done the same job. The availability of guns was not the problem here.
Kaye Jenks
December 3rd, 2012
9:04 am
@To Tell the Truth and any other political junkie, Please be real about your comments… I have several guns and ready to use it to protect my family, I am a female and also voted for President Obama. This is not about politics. It’s about an opinion and someone’s fear of the other person on the opposite side of a GUN!!! Nothing more, Nothing Less!!!
Loose Cannon
December 3rd, 2012
9:05 am
Seriously Bob, the gun didn’t do anything! It was the idiot behind the gun that did the crime and if he hadn’t had a gun handy he would have used a knife, blunt object or his fists to do the deed. The culture that contributed to to his poor judgement was the culture of his family, neighborhood, and corporate America. You raise a kid in a home without strong family ties and responsibility, you’ll end up with a kid that doesn’t value family. You raise a kid in a home where the family entertainment is TV shows, movies and video games where violence, rape, drugs and murder are viable options and guess what, kids like water will always take the path of least effort. No it wasn’t the gun that committed the crime, it was the influences in his life that told him use of the gun was a viable option. You want to protect your family and loved ones – don’t ban guns – ban idiots!
Brooks Carr
December 3rd, 2012
9:05 am
“Guns all around us” … REALLY !!! That’s the problem. I attended a gun show last weekend. There were 400 vendors, several thousand guns of all types, thousands of men, women, and yes, children at the two day event. Guess what… not even a paper cut. That should have been the perfect place for all hell to break loose. Not even a bloody nose.
dixiecom
December 3rd, 2012
9:05 am
I was just curious if this was some sort of paid public announcement, coming straight out from The Oval Office
Ben
December 3rd, 2012
9:05 am
Will: It was Sunday Night Football, not Monday night. Everyone know Sunday Night Football is the place for political commentary. Monday night would be inappropriate, though
Skitty Fritty
December 3rd, 2012
9:07 am
If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would still be alive today
Really, I think Nicole Brown Simpson would disagree. I guess we need to ban knifes also.
T
December 3rd, 2012
9:08 am
What a fool.
Larry
December 3rd, 2012
9:10 am
That friggin left wing Costas should keep his comments to football, and leave the right to carry arms to the rest of us……….what an idiot
electedface
December 3rd, 2012
9:10 am
This isn’t the 1700’s anymore. The days of militias are long gone. When more deaths are the result of ignorant misuse vs protection etc, why wouldn’t we want to explore ways to make America safer?
Even if cities, which have higher populations than their rural suburban neighbors were to adopt gun control laws, we would see a dramatic decrease in deaths.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_hZQPpCJ1M
oreally
December 3rd, 2012
9:11 am
mr costas feels it is okay to selectively eliminate the amendments. perhaps he’d be okay with eliminating freedom of speech.
Skitty Fritty
December 3rd, 2012
9:11 am
electedface
If you want to reduce deaths then eliminate drinking alcohol and you won’t have drunk driving accidents which kill more people than handguns.
JohnnyLaw
December 3rd, 2012
9:14 am
If this tragedy had been caused by the an accidental discharge of a firearm by an irresposible person then Mr. Costas might have a point. However, Mr Belcher was intent on killing his girl friend and if he hadn’t had a gun, he would have found something else to use or strangled s her.
Pirate
December 3rd, 2012
9:15 am
Love these people who say “….I guess you’ve never had to defend your home or family…..”. Have you? Of course not. The situation where someone actually goes to do someone harm, and that person lawfully pulls out a registered gun and defends himslef happens about 4 times a year. It’s the lamest rationale I’ve ever heard.
Costapated
December 3rd, 2012
9:18 am
Well Mr Costas, what if subsequent investigations show that Mr Belcher sufferd from the effects of repeated head injuries and concussion syndrome from playing football? Perhaps we should outlaw football. Why don’t you get on your bully pulpit and preach against the barbarism of what is little more than modern day gladiators beating one another to the point that their average professional life expectancy is about five years, and depends upon a collegiate feeder system that is the closest thing to indentured servitude that has existed in thsi country since the 19th century? Oh, I forgot, that is the multi-billion dollar sugar teat from which you suckle. You sir, are a shallow thinker and a hypocrite.
Todd Cunningham
December 3rd, 2012
9:20 am
Another stupid Liberal Demo that thinks Gov’t is the answer for everything…Costa is a idiot and tool for net-work.
chipper doodle..wrong again, the 50 million idiots that voted for Obama and 80 year old Senate leader Reed and 75 year old Pelosi in House are the real Losers.
Indydawg
December 3rd, 2012
9:22 am
Everybody is trying to make this a liberal vs. con issue.( Left leaning by the way…)
The fact of the matter is that not one gun has ever fired itself at another thing.
Educate the people, you will get better decision making….
T
December 3rd, 2012
9:23 am
Are video cameras responsible for pornography? Russia has gun control and their murder rate is 3 times higher than the U.S. Ban guns and only criminals and tyrants will have guns!
Todd Cunningham
December 3rd, 2012
9:24 am
Well said @ 9:18..
dtanner
December 3rd, 2012
9:24 am
just look at the case of the 17 y.o. black kid who was killed last week in jacksonville by some old fool who was pissed off because the kid had his music to loud,my guess is if the old coward had’nt had a handgun handy the kid would still be alive today
old dog
December 3rd, 2012
9:25 am
The thug culture has glorified the mis-use of guns….hand guns, especially. Talk about Columbine as well as other mass killings, but get real…..the majority of the shootings/jackins/killings come ‘coz the thugs got the guns…..take mine away and ONLY the thugs will have the guns!
electedface
December 3rd, 2012
9:25 am
This isn’t the 1800’s anymore. The days of militias are over. While everyone has the constitutional right to ‘bear arms’ our founding fathers did not have semi-automatic rifles or high powered hand guns in mind when scripting the second amendment.
Comparing gun deaths to spoons making people fat is unequivocal and makes any idiot using the comparison instantly lose credit. The facts are simple, America is number one in fire arm deaths out of any other first world country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_hZQPpCJ1M
ReaderRick
December 3rd, 2012
9:26 am
Pirate – FBI stats shows that guns are used prevent crimes more that they are used in crimes.
Carson
December 3rd, 2012
9:27 am
Okay, fine. You want to take the position that a gun cannot cause behavior. The person doing the behavior is 100% responsible. No one else and no object can be blamed.
Just remember that the next time you hear someone blaming “liberal policy” for all the people who are on food stamps and failing to be self-reliant. Remember that the next time you hear someone condemning violent video games or violent porn.
And check yourself the next time you are thinking about being in support of laws against heroin and crack cocaine. After all, the responsible users should not be punished because of the irresponsible users. ( hey, it’s YOUR maxim. )
Tired of Rednecks
December 3rd, 2012
9:28 am
582 homicides in Japan in 2008. 11 by firearm. The population is unarmed there, but there are not mass killings or a high murder rate. Criminals there are not taking advantage of the fact that Japanese citizens are unarmed.
We have a two headed problem here in the US 1) we are a violent society and 2) gun ownership is relatively easy. We need to address both issues here.
Super size me
December 3rd, 2012
9:30 am
In the wake of the death of Coach Rick Majerus let’s not forget to ban doughnuts, cheeseburgers and french fries. Since these are not Constitutionally protected it should be a “piece of cake”. Oh yeah, ban cake too.
Todd Cunningham
December 3rd, 2012
9:32 am
Indydawg..First Congrat on great football season and good luck in Bowl game.
Why liberal Demo thing? Because they’re the only ones wanting to take away your SECOND AMENDMENT rights. I agree educate the people….but it will never happen.
Jack Tors
December 3rd, 2012
9:33 am
People need weapons to defend themselved from totalitarians like costas. Making weapons illegal would certainly not make all of them disappear. It would make freedom disappear though. His discussion is totally irrelevant, the right to bear arms CANNOT be taken away.
petr moo
December 3rd, 2012
9:33 am
Mr. Costas, good mental health and good judgement can’t be legislated. The average police response time, in spite of the fact they are great Americans that try to protect, puts them outside the influence/decision cycle requires that we be able to defend ourselves against criminals and unstable persons. More persons die from pertusis, asthma, drunk driving, and drowning. A gun us a very efficient killing device. However, it is inarguable, that in cities with the most restrictive guns laws you find the highest rates of gun violence because the crime rates are highest there- criminals use guns to perpetuate their violence. Taking away legally registered guns does NOT prevent violence- statistically born out by study of gun control history. Legal gun owners are statistically one of the most law abiding groups. Mr. Costas you make your living talking about something you have never done. However, it is the millions of Americans that have carried and will carry guns that allow you to say stupid things in an inappropriate venue. Evil exists and until Jesus returns- “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm”. I carried a gun in uniform for 30 years, did nine tours of combat, and I love peace more than most- that is EXACTLY why I carry a weapon. I can’t prevent crime of mental illness but I can protect those I see threatened by it. Step away from your handlers and limo’s – the world is a dangerous place. We must be protected by each other, our great law enforcement folks can’t protect us everywhere at all times. I applaud your right to speak out but you are seriously misguided.
Tired of Rednecks
December 3rd, 2012
9:34 am
@ Super size – If people start robbing liquor stores with doughnuts and cheeseburgers we should ban those too.
Ralph Nelson
December 3rd, 2012
9:34 am
Bob Costas is a REAL POS, football is a game for kids, no one gets hurt and this Crap is what your mouth just said. Fire this P_O_S now. Football never hurt anyone. Well don’t throw rocks in a glass house. You are a real dummy that would cut his grass with a pair of scissors to keep from waking up his wife. A real loser, get rid of this crap announcer talking out the side of his head. Wakeup you moron.
monty
December 3rd, 2012
9:34 am
TIred of Rednecks-”We are a violent society”
Exactly why every homeowner should have the right to bear arms. I smile everytime a home invasion is perpetrated on some innocent victim who just happens to own a gun and shoots the perpetrater instead of being raped, robbed and beaten before the police can get there. It makes my day!
clem
December 3rd, 2012
9:35 am
i agree with tiredofrednecks
andy
December 3rd, 2012
9:35 am
Whose to say Belcher wouldn’t have beat her to death, or strangled her….then jumped off a bridge himself? Guns dont kill people, people kill people.
Ivan
December 3rd, 2012
9:37 am
Bob Costas: “If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would still be alive today.”
Hey Bob, “If Sean Taylor possessed a gun, he would probably still be alive today.”
Fed Up
December 3rd, 2012
9:37 am
Enter your comments here
T4U
December 3rd, 2012
9:37 am
Costas is yet another jackass egocentric commentator who needs to drink a cup of shut the hell up!
Ralph Nelson
December 3rd, 2012
9:38 am
Dump this dirt bag, fire him put him picking up trash so he can spout his misgivings about litter bugs.
monty
December 3rd, 2012
9:38 am
What’s next cars? If we all walked or rode horses there would be tens of thousands less deaths every year. It’s not really about an occassional murder-suicide, it’s about an agenda of the left that always uses tradgedies to leverage their position. Please.
Fed Up
December 3rd, 2012
9:40 am
Costas said guns cause us to “not avoid confrontations.” I have carried a gun for 10 years, and I do everything I can to avoid a confrontation. I will not be deprived of the ability to defend myself from a confrontation I cannot avoid.
Go to Hell Costas
Tired of Rednecks
December 3rd, 2012
9:42 am
Only in America can you get shot and killed for playing your music to loud by a licensed gun toter.
teedub
December 3rd, 2012
9:42 am
Shameful misuse of media.
David Fletcher
December 3rd, 2012
9:43 am
Well done Bob Costas!
Your critics cry foul when you exercise your freedom of speech.
What do they say, don’t shoot the messenger?
Todd Cunningham
December 3rd, 2012
9:44 am
dtanner if you have all the info on case ..call police and give your story..you don’t have a clue why the man shot the kid..thats your opinion. The Music didn’t cause the shooting it just started the argument..get real. You going to ban music.
David Fletcher
December 3rd, 2012
9:46 am
Well done Bob Costas.
Your critics cry foul when you exercise your right to free speech.
What do they say, don’t shoot the messenger?
GFY
December 3rd, 2012
9:47 am
Let Costas move to Chicago where there gun control laws have driven the murder rate lower……….LMAO!!
Useless Bums
December 3rd, 2012
9:50 am
Why not ban knives and OJ types…..seems to me a knife was used by OJ to kill his victims.
Sallie
December 3rd, 2012
9:51 am
I call for legislation to ban african-american rage.