Bob Costas Accuses NBC of Retaliating for His Remarks on Concussions in N.F.L.

I don’t feel badly for NFL football players. They get all the money and the glory. I do feel badly for are all those guys who have an old high school football nagging injury, or to those college football players who took many hits and blocked for players better than themselves and never made it to the pros. Costas I think is more upset that the NFL knew something was wrong and may be lying about the truth. It would appear the NFL knew or at least had an idea that hard brutal and violent hits took a toll on the physical and mental health of former players, but claimed the science was inconclusive. This shows how much sway Costas had over the sports landscape, that the NFL and his network decided...well we better remove someone who has a valued and trusted view about the facts of what is really happening to players.

NBC's loss...

The headline grabs the eyes, but the content in the story suggest there was a mutual parting of the ways.

"By the time Mr. Costas appeared at that event, he had already taken a back seat in NBC's coverage". It seems to me that Mr.Costas's "star" was already fading at NBC, and his successor was being groomed. This would have been a much bigger story ten years ago. Now, much ado about nothing.

He isn't wrong, but it is also true that you don't bite the hand that feeds. It seems like the split was probably best for both parties.

Bob stepped on their "Money Maker" by exposing the truth.

I don';t care how much you beer-slugging fake macho couch athletes like football - it is a tremendously damaging endeavor to those who play it. It sets one of the worst examples for children in promoting physical violence short of video games and WWE.They, as well as the "pros", have suffered life-changing injuries and progressive brain damage regardless of what they wear - and it continues through the ignorance and irresponsibility of macho pediatric "coaches" in middle and high schools ands colleges. Just ask any parent whose son was killed or crippled by football, regardless ope how much money he made -v they would give it all back to have their child be healthy again. Not worth it! Good for Bob Costas - more people should speak out before more of our children are damaged by a barbaric "sport".

Blows to the head kill brain cells depending on the frequency and severity of the blows. Dead brain cells are not replaced. The brain (the Person) is changed forever. It is like loosing use of your hand one finger at a time. Adults are free to choose dangerous occupations, the military, law enforcement, fire fighting, professional skiing and the like. Adults are free to choose professional football for the considerable rewards but must understand the associated considerable risks. The sport itself must bear the considerable costs to the person and to society. Children and teens are unable to understand the risks to their future that playing football engenders. The glory and camaraderie draw them in, toxic masculinity at work. Schools and sports organization must stop all football programs for children and teens. Informed parents will see that this happens. College football, NCAA football is a training ground and entree into professional football. It is unconscionable that institutions of higher learning would foster programs that permanently damage brains. This is so contradictory that it is laughable. Colleges must belly up to the bar and drop football. It is really heinous to continue offering a place for young men to destroy their brains, in essence destroy themselves because the person you know resides is their brain. Let professional football solves its own problem with paid farm teams where any young adult man (college not required) can learn the game.

Costas has always been smug, grating, and egomaniacal, but he's right about the NFL being a killing field and that NBC capitulated. The NFL is also an chilling exemplar of plantation sports, with white owners and largely white spectators cheering on mostly black players who are exploited and then discarded.

Thank you Bob Costas, You may be the last of a breed of honest and upright journalists. Now that financial machines own the media, and the news that they sell, and the words that sportscasters must earnestly spout with breathless dissimulation; no matter how a few gladiator deaths are for them but extra column inches of touching "news" stories that sell. The brave fighters who sacrifice their brains for the gory and ghastly glory of a game that could be just as interesting (even elegant) without the grim attractions of brutality. Hail to you Bob, you are a hero and will hopefully find a noble seat at a noble newspaper that still values columnists who tell the story, and the truth, or at an Ivy League School of Journalism where you my give life and ethics to the next generations of journalists. You belong in a class along with Frank Deford and Heywood Hale Broun.

C'mon Bobby you had to know this was coming. The NFL will destroy anyone who tries to mess with it's profit margin. Dr. Bennett Omalu ring a bell. Your better off Bob, I'm sure you didn't need the money. Now you can double down on your truth, and slam The NFL left, right, and center. Do it...

I stopped watching the NFL years ago. Brain damage is the price paid for the chance to make money. Owners make more and let the retired injured players twist in the wind, going all the way back to Johnny Unitas. It is shameful and disgusting and, as another commenter noted, this business has infiltrated down to children. If people stop watching and stop paying silly prices to go to these Roman gladiator events, the owners will begin to think. Stop using taxpayers’ money to build the football arenas. It is time to take the money and, thereby, take the power away from the NFL business moguls. People should stop supporting this brutality.

What hypocrisy. The guy knows his giant paycheck and name recognition stems from a sport that results in lifelong brain injuries. Yet, he continues to return over the years to the “trough” to feed himself and his career. Now that his career of 40 years is coming to its natural conclusion, he wants to cry “foul” and take on the mantle of whistleblower? Give me a break.

Cudos to Mr Costas. Unfortunate that one needs to be so well established in one's career to be able to speak truth to power and not worry about your career ending.

As much as I respect Bob Costas' body of work, he was way late to the head trauma party and it's pretty clear that he never had any intention of being a leader on this issue. He will continue to do thoughtful work and I'm sure will have plenty of outlets to express his thoughts uncensored. Looking forward to hearing from him.

Football is a beautiful sport if it is played in the sporting spirit. to me this means it is never worth hurting anyone to complete a play. When players treat their opponents as thtey would their friends and family members football can be very entertaining and fun. When the goal is to disable your opponent or reduce their effectiveness by inflicting injury that is immoral and is the way football is practiced by many many players, teams and coaches. Recent rule changes protecting the quarterbacks and receivers are steps in the right direction. Even so, blatant brutality like the spearing -pass interference play by the Rams at the end of the NFC championship game should be penalized harshly. Maybe football needs a red card option for refs? Would a play like that happen of the offending team had to play a man down?

“…Mr. Costas had agreed after the University of Maryland symposium that he would no longer discuss the topic in interviews without prior approval from NBC Sports.” Several comments consider this restriction to be appalling or a violation of the 1st Amendment. No. If you badmouth your employer’s biggest client in a public forum, your employer won’t like it. It is legitimate for companies to have restrictions on employees speaking in public on company matters.

So Bob grew more and more bold over the years with his commentary (football and non-football related) and when his employer finally calls him on part of it, he's hurt and upset? Really? *rolling eyes*

Mr. Costas calls out CTE. Thank you. I cannot watch football anymore and even NFL stars like Brett Farve won't let his children play football. It's all about the Benjamins! Football is a 60-minute game with a breif halftime. The networks have made it an adolescent, militarized 3-hour beer commercial.

Costas has always been a journalist and not a cheerleader. He called it right on PEDs in baseball and he's calling it right here. He should be proud.

I feel the headline for this piece, "Bob Costas Accuses NBC of Retalitating for His Remarks" is misleading, at the least. After reading the story, and a parallel piece in the WP, I interpret Mr. Costas's position to be that NBC's actions were reasonable and justified, given the amount of broadcast revenues generated from the NFL business. "Retalition" certainly makes a more interesting story, but it doesn't seem to be the case, as Mr Costas tells the story. I feel Mr. Costas did his job to speak the truth. The managers at NBC likewise, did their job to manage their business. Trying to jazz the story with a hyped headline does both an injustice, not to mention the reader.

No longer watching football on NBC. I more of a fan of Costas than of NFL.

It's clear that football needs to go away. How quickly that happens will be a measure of our society's honesty, ethics, and courage.

Bob Costas had every right to state the truth as he understands it about the link between football and brain trauma. NBC had every right to remove him from its football broadcasts as a result of his public statements. I don't see a controversy here.

What Costa said is true. Although they make statements of concern, the NFL wants to avoid talking about the severe health consequences of the sport. They are primarily concerned with making money. The networks also just want the hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising revenue from covering football. The players who make possible the billions of dollars for everyone are apparently expendable. This is very sad because changes could be made to both safety equipment and the rules to make players less susceptible to brain injuries.

I take some comfort in the fact that pro and college football will be greatly diminished before I turn my toes up. Municipal football teams are an endangered species, as smart parents decide not to allow their children to participate. No one who raises a child wants to end up caring for them well into adulthood due to CTEs acquired during organized sports, whether pro or amateur. Parents control this argument now, and they deserve good information. I took on the NCAA 25 years ago. It wasn't time. It is now. Keep talking, Bob. Speaker fees will be more meaningful than your NBC contract.

Bob Costas should have refused to participate in the broadcast of all football games based on his belief. Otherwise, isn't he part of the problem he protests?

As a fan of this sport for more than 30 years I stopped watching 4 years ago, too late I know, and haven't missed it. I stopped because I saw it as barbaric and when the NFL flatly denied the allegations of CTE and their sport that kind of cemented it for me. The game is rigged and geared towards the bettors in Vegas and it's a sport that keeps the owners firmly in charge. And it keeps making them richer, their demands for bigger stadiums that is paid for by the taxpayer. Good on Costas, I've always admired him. Keep doing what you're doing.

One thing about sports in this country is that the 1st Amendment does not apply - be it Costas, players, coaches, owners, etc. Getting pre-approval from the network to say anything is appalling.

Summary: NBC believes money should rule. The truth not so much. Shameful day in America when you tell the truth and then lose your job.

I don't care why Bob Costas was taken off the air. What I do care about is that I no longer have to be subjected to his gassy pomposity when I turn on my TV to watch a football game. Whoever is responsible for that, I thank you.

Now we know where greed reigns and ethics are discarded. I will avoid watching NBC for anything.

Yes, the game destroys people's brains, but why would a tv network care about that? The ads they run *during* the games are *designed* to weaken our reasoning and appeal to our emotions-- in a sense, over time destroying our ability to think clearly about the commercial lures bombarding us. Commercial tv networks are based on this desire to weaken our thinking. Destroying people's brains is what they're all about.

Another black eye for the NFL - and NBC.

Could this be a by-product of the #metoo movement in that more people are feeling free to speak truth to power? I surely hope so. The 1% wants us to stay divided along race lines, along gender lines but the real war is along the power/money line. We need more and more people to reveal how they are being abused, manipulated and controlled by those with money and power so that we all realize where the true battle needs to be waged. It doesn't matter what color or gender the victims are - we (the 99%) need to speak up and speak loudly.

The NFL does not like "an inconvenient truth". It's sad that, unlike most real journalism, sports journalism is suppressed by sponsors. I hope Bob can find a decent job going forward. Then again, at about 67, he should be fine in retirement if he wishes. Commack should be proud of its favorite son.

Count me as another who no longer watches football. The NFL is a huge business and it took guts for Mr. Costus to speak the truth. He had to know there would be repercussions. He did the right thing. I’m sure he’d watched many of the friends he’d made covering the game suffer from its brutality. We’re living in an era where we need to make a choice: stand up and speak the truth, push back on the lies, or cower.

Mr. Costas is a bit hypocritical here. He has made millions of dollars covering the NFL and knew about the CTE issues when he cashed NBC'c checks. He surely cannot feign surprise when the network objects to his over the top comments. Everyone who plays in the NFL is there voluntarily and is compensated very well. His comments are unhelpful and hyperbolic at best.

"His highly critical remarks, ..." I guess they're critical but they're also facts.

Sorry Bob, it is all about the Hamiltons. You aren't helping.

Whoops! He forgot who signed his paychecks. Should have kept on supporting a sport that destroys kids brains...

Bob Costas does not need the NFL. He has a lifetime of of achievements serving many sports . I can't blame the the league for extrema damage control to protect their brand. But in the end Costas is right in his assessment - pro football destroys brains. Good for him to have the courage to admit it.

Mr. Costas please be proud of the fact that you brought attention to the young men being irreparably harmed by concussions from playing football. Ask any neurologist if they would ever allow their child to play football. Until they begin doing autopsies on every player who dies, no matter their age, the full truth remains untold. Hopefully every player reads this column because once again it's corporations risking the lives of individuals for profit; and silencing those who do their job by telling the truth. Once you've worked with individuals with head injuries you cannot watch football.

It's amazing how much trouble you can get into for telling the truth on TV. Why are we so used to, even demand, a softened/easier/less honest version of reality? Nobody liked hearing that the Iraq War was a disaster and it produced ISIS. The 'easy version' doesn't change reality and Costas is right. CTE ruins lives. Not all who are at risk, but too many. Why should he face career retaliation for telling the truth? Should NBC and the NFL face consequences for trying to suppress the ways in which they hurt people?

"After being expected to participate in NBC’s broadcast of last year’s Super Bowl, he was removed just weeks before the game." Well for crying out loud, what did Costas expect or think would happen? I would have been shocked if he HAD been allowed to participate in this year's Super Bowl after his many critical remarks and commentary. On one hand, I applaud his courage in speaking out about the dangers of football, especially professional football. But on the other hand, to be openly critical about the sport he should be reporting on and about rather than the medical and physical ramifications of playing the sport, I would have excluded him too. Just because a guy has been in the sports reporting world for a long time does not automatically make him a spokesperson or an authority on a topic that belongs someplace else other than front and center on Super Bowl Sunday. That's not much different than A.J. Foyt or Mario Andretti being the main commentators at the Indy 500 but constantly talking and referring to the deadly crashes that have occurred and the death defying measures involved in car racing. Give me a break already - Bob WAS out of line. I am thankful for not having to listen to Joe Buck blab all throughout the Super Bowl. I don't think I could have handled Bob Costas dispensing his pearls of wisdom about "the violence in football" as well. Who knows, that nice, cushy Olympic gig may disappear down the road as well.

I no longer watch any type of tackle football programming at any level, after it became apparent that the game is detrimental to player's health in so many ways, particularly brain damage. We often criticized the Romans as being barbaric in conducting gladiatorial contests, in coliseums no less. What are we doing, if not promoting a practice which leads to an early death. And, I do not miss it.

I'm not so sure I'd call Bob Costas the elder statesman of NBC Sports as this story does. I also think him far from the best announcers out there, certainly with respect to football. Mike Tirico is so much better.

When the truth be told, and big money is at stake, the truth often takes its own victims, as well.

The Sports Industrial Complex at work. The damage done by the professionalization of sports from the pros through college, high school and even middle schools, is an American tragedy. Parents, coaches, college administrators and the club system are collaborators with Nike, Addidas and the pro leagues. Kids are the victims. Highly paid announcers are not. Costas gets credit, but did build a nice golden parachute before speaking the truth.

Costas is right - as much as I love watching football, history will look back on football concussions very poorly.

A huge portion of the NFL's profitability comes at public expense. Taxpayers fund the elementary, middle and high school proving grounds that winnow - and injure - young boys into youthful college prospects. Those deemed good - and still intact - enough get scholarships to colleges where education lags far behind football in priorities, with students taking fake classes that require neither attendance nor work yet guarantee As. Taxpayers fund enormous stadia, wildly overpaid coaches and staffs, state of the art facilities and exempt from taxes the tidal wave of "donations" that boosters use to buy access. The very few standouts and survivors go on to the NFL, itself a tax-exempt "non profit", which extorts money from taxpayers for palatial stadia and all associated revenues, gouges those fans who must pay after tax money for the right to buy season tickets while protecting the corporate interests whose luxury skyboxes are for "entertainment" and thus, again, exempt and therefore underwritten by the public. There are millions of us like Mr. Costa, whose tolerance for the barbarity that is today's "game" has vanished, who have deep moral misgivings about the spectacle of young boys and men ferociously attacking each other egged on by coaches, screaming fans and steroids, and yet who have billions and billions plucked from our pockets to pay for it. Take all public money out of football. Force the NFL to provide cradle to grave medical insurance.