Bob Costas opened up in a wide-ranging interview with Graham Bensinger, discussing his departure from NBC, his comments about the NFL and concussions, and a whole lot more.
In one segment, Costas said he didn’t care about losing the Super Bowl hosting gig, which came about because of his comments about the NFL and concussions to ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wadu.
In another segment, Costas talked about NBC’s Dick Ebersol reining in some of his commentary, which resulted in Costas getting a show on HBO.
Costas talked about his relationship with OJ Simpson, including the previously known revelation that Simpson attempted to call Costas during the infamous Bronco chase. In addition, Costas said that when he visited Simpson in prison, Simpson joked that *Costas* “did it” because of a cut on his finger, while also trying to convince Costas that he was not the killer.
In another segment, Costas discussed his relationships with John Madden and Howard Cosell, saying Cosell “resented” him, Al Michaels, and others who “he couldn’t easily dismiss as lightweight.”
Costas also said he was offered the hour after David Letterman on CBS and a spot on 60 Minutes when Letterman left NBC. Years later, he also got an offer for $20 million per year to replace Don Imus. NBC also kiboshed HBO’s attempts for Costas to host Real Sports, and Costas turned down an NBC approach to host the Today Show.
More clips from the interview are available on Bensinger’s YouTube channel, and they’re worth your time.
[YouTube]
